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Pulling down the government

6 January 2004, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By MAS Molla, BAAS, Dhaka
6 January 2004, 18:00 PM
The present government elected for five years through the general election held on October 1, 2001 has completed its second year of governance and the third year began just about two months back. I cannot say that the BNP-Jamaat allaince is governing the country well. Their negative attitude towards very important programmes set by the last government and the failure in controlling the law and order situation and prices of essentials cannot be appreciated. But should the government be pulled down just now to have another somewhat more or less similar set-up through a very costly premature election?

Elections in Bangladesh are very expensive because alluring does the tricks far more than actual electioneering with showing logic against others and sincere pledges that are to be fulfilled after election. There is a widespread speculation as regards the candour of the political parties elected or defeated by both actual voting and deployment of mastans . The limit of expending Tk 3 lakh in an MP election is surpassed by a wide margin and the MPs themselves are for enhancing this margin.

The result of so much costing in election is not at all good for the electorate. The cause lies in the fact that the elected MPs are to recover the 'invested money' and also need to have 'a large margin of benefit' over that. The so-called benefits are gained through deceiving the countrymen. Thus frequent election means large scale deceiving of the people.

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The main opposition is upbeat and is trying to unseat the present government as early as possible and the hartal on January 3, 2004, was , perhaps, the first one of a never-ending series that the opposition thinks would bring laurels for them as about two years of such hartals called during 1994-95 did for them.

But the same technique would not, necessarily, succeed every time! The major opposition should review the quality of its own governance during 1996-2001. We cannot forget the overdose of Bangabandhu everywhere and the government-patronised terrorism. High Court bashing was also a prominent feature of that government.

That is why people are no more looking forward to switch over to the major opposition again . They are contemplating of a better choice (is that the so-called third force!) that can really govern the country better, though they may not get that just in the next election!

So the major opposition should not disturb the nation through frequent hartals any more. This technique has lost its appeal. This is now only a means of further jeopardising the already distressed condition of the people. Rather, it may form an alternative cabinet and serve the countrymen though active participation in the parliamentary proceedings.

There is no reasonable alternative, except waiting for over two more years!