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Can her restored leadership re-define BD politics?

Published : Wednesday, 9 January, 2019 at 12:00 AM  Count : 514
Shahriar Feroze
Shahriar Feroze

Shahriar Feroze

Not that I had been a big fan of Awami League or Sheikh Hasina in the past. In fact, I was never a political element on any count. However, only this time I am taking the political developments of my country with extraordinary alacrity.  

I had voted for the AL since there was no dependable opposition in the country. I had voted since I had to exercise my most important democratic franchise which is offered to me only once every five years. And notwithstanding of my political preference I want to witness - the party in power to succeed in its attempts to deliver its 21 point manifesto.

The new ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers have been sworn-in to the cabinet as the first step towards the formation of Sheikh Hasina's third consecutive government. Comprising mostly of new faces - it's a considerable challenge - and it's right on this point where the prime minister's nation-governing capabilities will be tested to their limits.

Despite all allegations about election rigging and voting irregularities, the truth: Sheikh Hasina is once more at the helm of power. International recognitions have started to pour in. The opposition is still understandably between two minds. And the country's parliament has effectively become a government without an opposition. That said - all eyes are fixed in the first 100 days of this new government.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg. No matter what were the means to have re-assumed power - the PM will have to run many more extra miles to meet the long list of challenges than her previous terms.

For the first time in 22 years, the new council of ministers will be a single-party one. Among the 47 members in the new council of ministers, 27 are first timers without any type of ministerial experiences. Suspense is unquestionably running high. Then again, I desire to be an optimist only for the reason, if my prime minister had foreseen the challenges beforehand.

Bangladesh hadn't come into being for becoming a police state or an exemplary country of benevolent dictatorship. Otherwise the political parties wouldn't have established the very trends of a Westminster type of parliamentary democracy. Now since that the typical British form of democratic procedures have come under fire over and over again, time demands, we explore newer avenues for democratic governance where the executive would derive its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the confidence of the legislature. On that count, holding the 12th JS polls, in a free, fair and acceptable manner, will be the biggest long-term challenge for the ruling party.

Still, five years from now is a long way ahead, and what matters right now: how would the party in power deal with its existing challenges? The Rohingya crisis is still unresolved. On a bigger scale - poverty, corruption, crime and unemployment are yet the major issues. Political dissent is ruthlessly crushed almost everywhere now and then.

These are the major issues the people, as well as the 'international community', demands to see addressed. Achievements are surely there and a recently published international report suggests we have now become the 41st major economy in the world.

The burning question, however, is it ethically correct to showcase good governance in terms of tales of development, middle income status, stable GDP growth, and per capita income, foreign reserve in dollars and inflowing remittance and exports?

There are actually more which defines functioning democracy. Pointedly, when it comes to the effective functioning of the parliament, we are least likely to see meaningful debate over critical domestic and international issues. Policy making and passing over bills will clearly be a one-way-affair.
Given the formation of the latest cabinet there is little hope for a multi-party type of a parliamentary system like the one in Singapore. These are today's visible realities taking the country towards authoritarian rule.
And in the midst of all apprehensions, this writer dares to dream a better future for him and the rest of the country.

Now that the voting process of our local and national elections have been repeatedly marred by considerable electioneering irregularities since 1991 then be it the one party rule to prove itself - the effective system of governance. But that's a huge challenge as well.

Strictly a personal remark, in order to do so, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will have to transform and re-emerge in the likes of Sim�n Bol�var, Mustafa Kemal Atat�rk , Lee Kuan Yew or Fidel Castro - but in a different country , time , context - and with a different set of challenges.

Nevertheless, she is not alone in this battle of challenges, and her new cabinet will be the main instrument to aid her ambitious scale. That said - the crucial landmark moment in her political career has also arrived to appear as a statesman and regional leader. On that note her diplomatic astuteness will be tested bitterly in terms of resolving the cross-border refugee crisis, trade, commerce to a series of bilateral, trilateral and multilateral ties of engagement.

Can she and her men achieve the desired successes while prove the outcomes of the last JS polls manifestly correct and acceptable to her opponents?  
The prime minister perhaps has to prove the famous napoleon quote true: impossible is a word found only in the dictionary of fools.

The writer is editor-in-charge,
editorial section, The Daily Observer


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