an ordinary citizen

Delwar Hussain, leader of Pro-Khaleda faction of BNP declared not to join in the local government election. He also threats that if anybody join violating the party decision , he will be thrown out of the party. Major(Rt) Hafiz of Pro-Reform faction though initially not against the participation in the local government election , later soften his stand to keep party unity regarding the issue.

Two factors influence the BNP decision not to join the election: a) no breakthrough in the release of Khaleda in the near future b) the decision of the Jamaat-e-Islam, partner of BNP 4 party alliance in the last regime. (more…)

Our major political parties of Bangladesh AL and BNP are not yet ready for big changes in democracy.

AL is not yet decided to go to political dialogue , the government initiated to develop rapport with the political parties and to develop consensus on different issues in relation to election and beyond election. BNP is also also in dilemma to join the dialogue as neither of the factions is officially endorsed by the government in the invitation letter as the mainstream BNP. (more…)

The political parties didn’t respond to the address of the Chief Adviser(CA) of the caretaker Government(CTG) Dr. Fakhruddin Ali A as was expected by the people and the intelligentsia. It is become difficult for the ordinary citizen to understand the inner thinking of the political leaders by his limited information and knowledge. (more…)

The advisers completed their pre-dialogue talk with the political parties. The talk includes the pro-Khaleda faction of BNP with whom Election Commission didn’t like to sit. The Advisers talked among themselves and made a ‘synthesis’ of the pre-dialogue to present to the Chief Adviser. It is said that the chief adviser will address the nation but the moment has yet not come. (more…)

Bangladesh is discussing about deep sea port since long. The last BNP govt took initiative to study the feasibility of a deep sea port. But it did not go further.

Dr. Mohammad Yunus, our Nobel laureate, in late 2006 and early 2007, in the loudest voice and in full conviction pronounced the need of a deep sea port. He also demanded setting up of a mega-port in Chittagong for exploring the potential of the area and bringing economic development.

With facilities for docking larger vessels the mega port could turn this region into a commercial hub of international standard benefiting all users, said the Nobel laureate. (more…)

After 1/11, when the present Caretaker Government (CTG) started arresting the politicians, most of them were from BNP, AL appreciated the move of the new government. When the CTG started arresting a few leaders of AL, AL tried to explain to the public that government is trying to balance the sheet.

BNP took the move as an attempt by the new government to crush the party.

General public was also under the illusion that the new government is more anti-BNP than anti-AL. The illusion was created more because of the speeches of the Chief of Army where he expressed his intention to declare Sk Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation and set the history in its true form.

The new government continued its arrest spree and more and more AL leaders were arrested along with BNP leaders, few businessmen and some beaucrates. Government reiterated its stand that it is against all sorts of corruption by the politicians or by anybody else. As the advisers told the politicians are the leaders of the country, they are mainly responsible for the corruption prevailed in the country and they had created the environment for others to compel to adopt the corruption for them.

Government gradually increased its pressure on more powerful and son of a prime minister was arrested.

When allegation of corruption floated against the ex-prime ministers, one was heard to say that she had enough wealth from her parents and she didn’t touch any money by herself.

The political parties they belong also couldn’t accept the arrests. Acting President of AL Zillur Rahman many a times told that Hasina can’t involve in any corruption. He also told that arresting her is a conspiracy.

BNP leaders though took measures to reform the party and to make some changes in the party constitution, they also didn’t speak anything about the corruption of the party leaders. None of the factions told that there will no place of the corrupted leaders in the party. Rather strong allegations of corruption are there against the top leaders of the two factions.

Recently I had a talk with a close associate of a top party leader. He said that as there was corruption, there was flow of money. All the parties of a business deal would have been benefited from the deal. He asserted as there is no benefit now, the ADP is minimally implemented in the FY.

With the perception, politicians are above corruption and corruption is a necessity, how Bangladesh dreams of a country free of corruption in future?

An ordinary citizen

[News and reactions] Democracy is a must for registration of the political parties with the election commission. This opinion has been expressed by CEC Shamsul Huda Chy in a meeting of the Election Commission with the workers party.

He said that BNP and many other parties have no democratic rules in the party constitution and party chief has been given absolute authority to take any decision.

He commented that political parties preach for democracy but they do not practice it in their own party.

It is alleged that though the constitution of AL is more democratic in writing but in practice the authority is delegated to the chairperson to take the final decision.

Financial irregularities is also alleged against the parties as their is no clear bookkeeping, transparency and accountability for the fund.

The Election Commission is thinking of ensuring practice of democracy in the party through registering them with it. It proposes that the executive committee members will be chosen on the basis of election by the party members.

CEC said they will examine the constitution of each party before registering it.(Source: Daily Star)

Delwar Hussain, Khaleda made General Secretary of BNP said today that EC cannot dictate the constitution of a political party (ATN).

An ordinary citizen

Links:

1) NY Times on Bangladesh

2) How to achieve economic recovery

Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Chief Adviser in a televised speech declared the indoor politics open from 10^th September, 2007.

Later in a circular from Home Ministry some conditions were imposed  for  the activities such as the permission is applied only for the capital city; party offices, community centers, hotels can be used for meeting; prior information of any meeting would have to be given to the police authority; for  meeting of more than 50 persons  permission from the Home Ministry would be needed; no live TV casting is allowed  but news of the meeting can be telecasted and printed etc.

The move was acclaimed by all political parties and people from all walks of life but many hope that the restrictions would be gradually relaxed.

All party offices were open except BNP which was kept closed by police as the dispute between the two factions is not over.

Workers of AL flocked to their office and expressed rejoice for allowing the indoor politics. BNP workers lead by Khondoker Delwar Hussain and Major Akhteruzzaman came to the party office but not allowed to enter into the office by the police. Workers of the other parties also gathered in their party offices.

The Chief Election Commissioner said in his reaction to the declaration that with the withdrawal of the ban on indoor politics there is no hurdle remain for dialogue for reform and hope that the election map would be implemented as scheduled.

But the Law Adviser cautioned that the political parties shall maintain the limit of their freedom and utilize the opportunity for reform of the party and facilitate election process of the country in dialogue with the Election Commission.

We also hope that the parties will rise to the occasion, will make necessary reforms in the party, participate in the dialogue with the Election Commission and prepare the ground for a meaningful change of the Government through a free and fair election by December, 2008.

An ordinary citizen

Khaleda before her arrest made a major change in the party- she dismissed Mannan Bhuiyan as the General Secretary and Ashraf Hussain as the Joint Secretary of the party and declared Khondokaer delwar Hussain as the new General Secretary of the party.

Mannan Bhuiyan and  Ashraf Hussain both rejected the dismissal as unconstitutional and asserted that they are very much in the party. Rather Mannan Bhuiyan and his associates are claiming that they are representing the mainstream of the party. On the otherhand, Khondoker Delwar Hussain and his associates are saying that Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashref Hussain are no more in the party and they are representing the party.

Khondoker Delwar Hussain fraction also submitted a letter to the Election Commission that citing the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s decision of recent changes in the party. The letter was signed by Asstt. General Secretary and submitted along with other documents.

Mannan Bhuiyans also are preparing a letter making their own claim to the EC.

EC is shortly is meeting with the political parties. Accordingly it will send letters to the General Secretary of the registered political parties. So, one of the factions of BNP which EC considers as the mainstream will get the invitation for dialogue.

One of the Election Commissioners said that they will consider the rule of the land and study the constitution of the party to come to a conclusion to determine which one is the mainstream faction. Then the other will have to register with them to participate in the dialogue.

Let us see  what new facts come out and how EC deals with matter.

An ordinary citizen

 Police cordoned of the house of Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the early morning of 3^rd September BDT of 2007. She was arrested with her younger son Koko who was in the house during the raid. Khaleda was sent to a sub jail after a brief appearance in a magistrate  court where she pleaded for herself and argued that she and her son has made no fault and a plan to destroy her family is going on. She was sent to a sub jail specially designed for VIP prisoner in the Parliament area  where in a nearby house Sk. Hasina is also kept. Koko was taken remand by police for few days.  

The powerful Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases against Khaleada and her son on which basis they were arrested. Her older son Tareq Zia who was BNP’s senior joint secretary  was arrested earlier on 7^th march of this year and since then staying in the jail.  Initially he was also taken remand for few days but no court procedure yet started against him. Police is still searching evidence against him. 

Before her arrest, Kaleda has expelled General Secreatry of BNP Mr. Mannan Bhuiyan and  Joint Secretary of the party Mr Ashraf Hussain. Both were reformists and trying to make changes in the party constitution which include restricting the party chairmantship for 2 terms each of 3 years duration which automatically oust Kaleda Zia from the party leadership.  Khaleda also announced Mr. Delwar Hussain, ex chief whip of the party as the party’s new General Secretary. Though Mannan Bhuiyan and his associates sat together immediately after and declared that Khaleda’s announcement has no implications but it is said that party constitution  gave the party chairman that power. We have to see how BNP deal with this complicacy.

 Barrister Moinul Hussain , the law Adviser the CTG said that with the arrest of Khaleda Zia Government has proved its neutrality which arrested Hasina on 16th July on the charge of extortion  and later framed other cases.

 Mr. Zillur Rahman, acting party president of AL in his reaction blamed the Kaleda’s regime as one of torture and urged not to compare Hasina with Kaleda in the same mode but said that Khaleda also deserve justice.

 Khaleda also said in the court that they need no money. They have done no wrong. Only Court could do the justice. Let the law take its own course. 

Let us see what happens next, how the party reacts , what happen in the party itself and how the legal battle proceeds. 

An ordinary citizen           

Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed in a nationally broadcast televised address on 5th August 2007 has urged all irrespective of party and politics to come forward for relief and rehebilataion the flood hit victims. He stresses on the coordinated effort at district and upazilla level to make it most effective. He hoped that people will overcome this disaster by their resilence and strong confidence.

The flood hit areas have been distributed among the Advisers for better monitoring. So far, Mr. Moinul Hussain, Law Adviser, Mr. MA Matin, Communication Adviser, Mrs. Giti Ara Shafia Ch, Indusry Adviser, Mr. Ayub Quadri, Education Adviser went to their respective areas and personally supervise the donation activities.

Flood and Disaster Management Adviser Mr. Tapan Chy said that Govt sanctioned 11 crore from the Chief Adviser’s relief and welfare fund to the 15 worst affeted districts.

Various Government and private institutions, organisations and individuals have donated a total of arround 11 crore directly to the CA’s Relief and Welfare fund for the flood victims.

A Flood monitoring and Coordination Cell is also established at the CA’s office.

Though different political leadears including Chairperson of BNP Khaleda Zia and Acting President of AL urged party workers to participate in the relief work, thier presence is not marked yet.

On the other hand, different banks (Brac bank, Islami bank) finanacial institutions (FBCCI), organisations (ICDDRB), individuals (Mr, Jahid Hasan, TV Actor) and many others are directly participating in the relief work.

We are sure all these efforts from the public and private sector is not enough and timely, still the ordinary citizens laud the endevours of all who are supporting the flood hit victims to overcome the difficulties.

( an ordinary citizen)

Picture: from internet