ABCs of third force

The Third Force because of its nomenclature needs a little bit more explication. Perhaps, it ought to be seen as a kinetic energy, which remains vital to energise the body politic. It may be useful to capitalise on the potential of the Third Force. Bangladesh despite its dismal records in several things is also a site of innovation such as the caretaker government.

Let me offer another perspective on this case. There are many third forces in Bangladesh: A) Armed Forces or the Army, which in the past was taken to be the third force, especially in light of the experiences of many Third World countries in Latin America or close to home, Pakistan. It may be speculated that Bangladesh Army has become too professional to intervene overtly in the political drama. Yet its role as a potential third force looms in the minds of many.

B) BNP's old guards seem to have a soft corner for Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury who was, after all, one of the founders of BNP and a close confidant of BNP's founding leader General Ziaur Rahman whose charisma continues to play a role in Bangladesh politics. If the old guards can summon enough courage to defy the present leadership, there could be a meaningful, though truncated third force.

C) Civil society or a segment of that amorphous entity can be regarded as the third force. Civil society organisations champion fair play, neutrality and they find Professor Chowdhury's stand against corruption and rising crime praiseworthy. They also found Mr Mahi Chowdhury's attempt to bring civility in Bangladesh politics laudable. The younger Chowdhury once erected gates in honour of the Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina who was visiting his constituency. That was a welcome and much-needed milestone in the path towards civility and democratisation in Bangladesh. However, the hawks of BNP saw it unkindly. Civil society's role as a neutral and effective force will remain ineffective as long as the hawks of the major political parties flout the rules of civility and decency.

D) Dhaka intellectuals made up of academics, journalists and other educated segments who constitute a good part of the civil society may find the stand of Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury and Dr Kamal Hossain laudable as well -- but their influence is limited to Dhaka and in a sprinkle of intellectuals and enlightened people outside Dhaka. This force may be articulate, yet it will remain a weak force.

E) Elites want stability. They also want decency. They are tired of political obscenity. Here Professor Chowdhury is somewhat of a paradox. Professor Chowdhury though vocal about decency now, earlier resorted to indecent and indecorous remarks about Awami League leadership. Like many, the elite of Bangladesh would like to see a return to stability and fair play in politics. The new economic elites too have a stake in political stability.

F) Freedom fighters or their remnants and sympathizers could also be counted as the Third Force. In the face of growing clout of the forces that were opposed to the independence of Bangladesh, the freedom fighters remain marginalised. They need to join forces with others to be of any value. The spirit of freedom movement needs to be revived and institutionalised. Political opportunism of the major political parties has rehabilitated the discredited forces in Bangladesh politics.

G) Gono Forum of Dr. Kamal Hossain was perhaps the mother of all third forces. That seemed most authentic. Steeped in the legitimacy of being the main author of the country's constitution, Dr Hossain was in a unique position to galvanize the patriotic forces for greater purpose. However, when he converted this broad-based forum into a political party it lost that Third Force appeal and became one of the minor political parties with lofty visions and ideals but little popular support.

H) Islamic groups -- who remain politically divided -- may join hands to emerge as a genuine third force with the ambition of capturing political power. This potential has a dangerous overtone not only in view of the present geo-politics of the world but it also threatens to unravel the very idea of Bangladesh

I can go on until the end of the alphabets but that would belabouring the point. The point is there could be many versions of the third force.

The real third force must be meta-political. By that I mean, it must be about broader issues of political rules of engagement. Even in a war, there are rules of engagement (yes, often the rules are flouted, but such shortcircuiting is not cost-free).

Former President Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury's points about corruption, crime and the rise of the prices of essential items are popular and are not too different from what the opposition parties such as Awami League and others are criticising the government for. Rather than echoing the agenda of the political parties, he along with Dr Kamal Hossain would be able to render some valuable contributions by focusing on such meta-political issues as fairness in politics, runaway corruption emanating from "winner takes it all" attitude of the ruling government and their stranglehold of the judiciary.

The issues the third force needs to focus are:

Rule of law: For institutionalisation of the rule of law an independent and able judiciary is of paramount importance. An end must be brought to the arbitrary use of law enforcing agencies and practices inconsistent with the norms of civility and decency. Arresting people without specific charges (and to say, "he was shown to be arrested under…") must go. Torture of suspects (whether political or non-political) in police custody (what does "remand" mean?) is incompatible with democratic norms and civilized societies and remain a grim reminder of barbaric regimes.

The institutionalisation of the rule of law will ensure that all children, as all men and women will be treated equally. They will not enjoy any immunity at the same time their fundamental rights cannot be abridged under any circumstance.

Human rights. The Third Force must dedicate itself to the protection of the human rights which must cover rights of the religious groups, women's rights and so on. Criminal activities whether committed by party hoodlums or by random criminals contravene human rights. Right to walk the street or ride a CNG without being mugged is a fundamental right. Promotion of religious harmony and tolerance must be based on the recognition of the rights of the people -- all the people who inhabit Bangladesh. Arresting people on trumped up charges, torturing political detainees or for that matter any detainee is a heinous and barbaric act. Third force must speak up at the loudest voice to protest this barbarism. The goal of the third force should be safeguarding civilization. Newspapers are filled with stories of rape and murder of family members often in the presence of other family members. So protect humanity and civility -- listen to the voices of reason and moderation.

Independent media: Bangladesh has made tangible progress in securing independence of media, yet verbal (and sometimes physical) attacks on journalists remain unabated. The third force must strengthen the independence of media especially now since the talk of "examining the role of media" is heard often in various ministerial pronouncements.

Corruption: Simply stop or reduce corruption. The starting point of attacking the infrastructure of corruption must begin with electoral reforms in general and electoral finance in particular. Bangladesh democracy is in its infancy and like democracies in the past is based on a patronage system. The emergence of money politics in Bangladesh deserves critical scrutiny.

Rehabilitation of values: Rather than giving a list of "what is to be done" which the giants who represent the third force are well aware of, I will urge that we promote collectively some basic norms to shape our political culture. Let's take the instance of respect. We need to treat each other with respect in a civilized society. Respect should be accorded not only to those who are in position of power but also to those who are outside. We must begin somewhere. Values of respect, love, and humility are all to be found in our rich civilisational heritage. All we need to do is to look closely and practice. We want to see the third force as an educator of the nation, rather than a competitor for political spoils. The third force must embody the moral heights of the nation and not stoop to politicking on partisan lines. The third force should enlist the support of all the various segments of society that have a stake in the present stability and future prosperity of Bangladesh.

Habibul Haque Khondker teaches Sociology at the National University of Singapore.