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Politics in the eyes of citizens

15 November 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Tajul Islam, Gulshan-1, Dhaka
15 November 2005, 18:00 PM
As a non-political citizen my views matter little to politicians and political parties. Our politicians read newspapers for three main reasons. First, if they find any item that concerns them positively, they are delighted. They think again to repeat the act so that similar news reappears. Second, they read news that goes against their opponents (this is also positive), say for instance, price hike, any logical or illogical speech/statement or news that brings bad name to the country. They start mulling over the same to add fuel to fire. They blame the party in power, conveniently overlooking their role (past or future) and they read lucrative business news, which is connected, with their business. (Most of them are wealthy business magnets; anything concerning business concerns them). They are too busy to read readers' column. So whatever 'briefing/summaries' are kept on their table, they just glance over it. These letters to the editors are sometimes significant and far-sighted. But these are like unheeded didactics. Politicians are hardly receptive or responsive to readers' opinions. But I venture to express myself, whether you agree or not; heed it or not.

In 2001, many readers made enlightened propositions on election results to both the major parties but to no effect. Politicians repeated their rhetorical utterances. So, as a reader, when I write something, I am aware that the readers would read or contemplate like me, though without any influence on politicians or any objective. These (readers) writers are self-confident, self-conscious loyalists, conscientious countrymen, who honestly think about social and human predicaments and contribute for no return. Unlike politicians they are neither hyperbolic nor hypocritical.

Some the assessments are summarised below. After the massive election defeat of the Awami League; readers viewed the following grounds for the defeat:

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Firstly, deteriorating law and order all over the country and the role of some Awami leaders (including Hazari), which adversely affected the party in power's image. Secondly, corruption and nepotism. Whatever the AL says today, they did not show enough toughness against the maladies. Their Special Act fell flat due to lack of effective execution. The AL openly displayed disrespect against the Judiciary by organising processions with sticks, led by some the then cabinet ministers. Fifthly, the AL miserably failed to persuade the opposition to come back to the parliament. No dialogues were initiated to bridge the gap between the government and the opposition, when the BNP continuously disrupted public life by calling hartals. Newspapers printed photographs of MPs with guns, openly creating chaos in the Secretariat building and taking out violent processions. These are some of the lapses of the then AL government.