In a landmark move towards reform, the Interim Government has decided to establish six separate commissions to introduce and fast-track reform initiatives in the aftermath of the recent political change of power and transition.
These commissions will focus on election management, police administration, judiciary, the Anti-Corruption Commission, public administration and constitutional reforms.
We, however, welcome this promising initiative for introducing positive changes towards establishing and ensuring democracy & rule of law. In particular, heads of the new reform commissions will be headed by 6 leading experts and members of the civil society, widely renowned at home and abroad.
The members along with their respective allocated commissions are, Badiul Alam Majumder for electoral reform, Safar Raj Hossain for police administration, former justice of the Appellate Division Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman for the judiciary, Iftekhar Zaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh for the Anti-Corruption Commission, Chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and former caretaker government advisor Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury for public administration and Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik for constitutional reform.
Understandably, reforms in the aforementioned key institutions are directly linked to the electoral process-such as the police administration, public administration, judiciary and Anti-Corruption Commission- all are essential for holding free, fair and credible elections.
Most important to underscore is the fact, that these 6 selected individuals are not only experts in their respective fields, but widely respectable and acknowledged citizens for their struggles for democracy, good governance and ensuring accountability.
Following quick formation of the commissions, we beside the people expect to witness swift and efficient actions. We further believe these reform commissions will also contribute in establishing a state based on public ownership, accountability and welfare.
However, based on the new commission reports, the government will hold consultations with relevant stakeholders to finalise the reform framework. This framework will also provide an understanding of how these reforms will be implemented.
As far as timeline is concerned, all 6 commissions would be constituted within the current month and would formally commence their work on Oct 1, aiming to complete the tasks within the next three months.
We are of the strongest view that imposing majority rule and bad-governance in the name of election machinations, concentrating all power in the hands of an individual, a family or a group is no longer acceptable in today's new Bangladesh.
That said - we underscore the urgent need for constitutional reforms to ensure representation and interests of people from all walks of life while reflecting on the spirit of the July uprising.
We have always sincerely believed in the people's right to vote while acknowledging their ownership of the state. Therefore, electoral reform is a priority in our reform agenda. On that note - The Daily Observer's motto from day 1 has been - we stand for people's rights.
Bangladesh has ushered into a new era following the student-led July Revolution resulting in fall of an authoritarian regime. Unless the path to democracy is not paved through the long-overdue necessary reforms, the future of democracy will be again at serious stake. Blood of hundreds of innocent students and citizens would undeniably go in vain. And this is the least we expect to see.
However, during this critical period of transition, introducing and establishing long-term reforms would surely be a challenging task, but we are staunch optimists at the core. It would be grossly wrong to assume all reforms will take place overnight.
In this regard we would repeat that epic saying by famous Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu - The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Now that the step has been taken, we call on all future stakeholders of the new commissions to sincerely work, co-ordinate and move ahead for a better, brighter and prosperous Bangladesh.
Last of all we strongly feel all stakeholders, particularly the political parties, must not be restive but allow time for the reforms of different state sectors to be fully implemented.
During the last 53 years of our country's independence no government had taken serious and sincere move to curb corruption, make administration accountable, ensure judiciary to stand for rule of law and turn the state to uphold the rights of the people not of the rulers.
We strongly feel that the 'golden opportunity created following the unprecedented July Revolution of the intrepid students should not miss as in the past such opportunities went in vain by lust of power.
This time let us be imbued with the saying of Francis Bacon "A man must make his opportunity, as oft as find it" and pledge not to let the sacrifice of hundreds of students and people go in vain again.
