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Who to be her successor?

Published : Sunday, 26 December, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1793
Shahriar Feroze
This is the number one question surrounding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that is raised to me quite often by far too many individuals. Ranging from foreign diplomats, local bureaucrats, and businessmen to ordinary office holders to even a shop keeper the question is - who's next in line after she steps down?

Though I desire our PM to complete at least the current term in power and leave office when she thinks best, I am also curious to know who would succeed her. Has she already selected a political successor? Or can we at least assume who may succeed her? The answer is a simple and straight "No" despite all doors of guesswork open.

However, this is the first time this question of political succession is being raised so frequently. And I believe there are enough reasons behind it. First of all, she is the longest serving prime minister as the head of government in the history of Bangladesh, having served for a combined total of over 17 years and continuing.

Second, as we race to hug the New Year, she also becomes the longest serving incumbent female head of government in the world.

In the list of our head of governments since independence, none had the privilege to remain in power for so long while drawing such intense global attention and acknowledgements. Now that the PM has managed to reign through a long list of gains and losses, at least this journalist demands she makes a choice and make it public.

Perhaps the PM has secretly chosen her personal heir apparent, perhaps she doesn't. We for sure don't know who that is, and especially since the mainstream of us journalists are so busy flattering her all around as long as she is in power. But the question on who is next is palpably an important one. Will her successor be from the family or the party?

Quite a lot of speculation is taking place and a number of names have popped up by now. Apart from the name of her sister, son and daughter, the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation has suddenly emerged as a strong candidate. None may confirm her political successor, but I feel it is important to take a closer look into the fast transforming nature of political dynasties confined within the sub- continent.

The list gets short by excluding the constitutional monarchy of Bhutan, shorter without Nepal following its current framework of a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system with little or almost no influence from a political family. Sri Lanka too has little room to accommodate any member of a particular political family out of a hundred or so. Maldives operates on a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic without a political family directly influencing the system by seeking mandate.  

Nevertheless, when it comes to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - political popularity and positive public perception of traditional political families have markedly taken a nosedive.  Current generations of Bhuttos and Gandhis in Pakistan and India have become somewhat politically disillusioned and isolated to a greater extent. Yet the top two political families in India and Pakistan have been operating albeit without much success. Rahul Gandhi and Bilawal Bhutto from two traditional political backgrounds have been active in politics with a presence in the parliament coupled with respective party positions.

The point, however, quick transition from collectivism to individualism is making dynasty politics less popular in these two countries, but the situation here quite different. Storming through her fourth premiership with one after another international accolades and development success stories, there is not even a hint on who to succeed the PM from the family - sister, son or daughter.

So far neither her sister, nor son or daughter has shown any clear intent to take helm either of the party or government. Moreover, their political engagements, in whatever capacity have been fairly limited and nuanced. This is unforeseen from a typical political family which has played central role in liberating a country.

Although it will require no short of a miracle for the Zia family members to organise and discipline BNP, restore public confidence and jump into the political battle field to assume political office, we notice no miracle on the making. The somewhat estranged Tarique Zia, Chairman of BNP only comes under the media limelight for his London based party conferences and press briefings. Moreover, despite his position his leadership is widely disputed within BNP itself.  

The party is left with little hope with bedridden Mrs Zia. Altogether, it won't be wrong to assume our two political parties may well be heading towards a political leadership vacuum. Since the challenging days of the early 80s, Sheikh Hasina the politician has come a long way struggling, learning, and thriving in politics through all her right and wrong decisions - but when the topic of an heir apparent comes up - we see almost none with even half of her political calibre groomed within the Awami political horizon.    

Nevertheless, the PM has also come a long way by closely studying fortunate and also ominous fate of sub-continental political dynasties. But then again political dynasties are not unique to this sub-continent alone. Across the world they raise valid concerns over inequality in the distribution of political power and structural imperfections in democratic representation. That said - if we closely observe most of the renowned political dynasties have actually expired because of failing to deliver on their election manifesto or promises.

The lineage or ancestry based politics topped with charm, good looks, flamboyance and rich historical tradition is fast losing its appeal. We may well suspect, if the PM is sceptic on passing the baton to a family member? The answer is simple, only she knows and that she knows, since we haven't seen anyone in the making in our political horizon.

True, the PM had lost far too many family members in a single decisive night and do not expect the same to happen to the rest of her family members. On that note she may be a strong protective guardian where lives matters more than politics. However, the question on her political successor and whether it will be from or out of the family is crucial for Awami League's continuation in power and also the party's future.

She may or may not have an 'heir apparent', and she maybe criticized for distorting the often quoted 'Westminster style of governance' in Bangladesh, but she has definitely introduced an unprecedented political system in our history, with and without flaws. The PM has been often praised internationally for ensuring a robust economy coupled with development success stories.

Unquestionably, economy is a gun and only an astute politician knows when to trigger it. For that matter, our PM has been aiming and triggering accurately for well over a decade. At the same time, let's not forget the epic saying of Otto Von Bismarck - Politics is the art of the next best. So what is the next best complimenting our booming economy?

Many would surely agree, the next best is to wipe-out all pervasive corruption from our system, and the PM is well aware of it more than this writer or the reader. Concurrently, where she has shown pure commitment at the highest level, her bureaucrats, ministers and party men have mostly gone the exact opposite way. From a personal perspective, today's Bangladesh is a distinctive example where development and corruption runs in concert.

Whether it is our development success stories, style of political governance, higher per capita income or the exceptional nature of our institutionalised corruption - often it feels like political scientists and economists are in need to invent new theories to define today's Bangladesh. Coming back on the topic of who is next after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, time will surely tell the answer, but then again our politicians are made of a-little-bit-more than ordinary stuff but never extraordinary.

In Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's case she goes, beyond the level of 'extraordinary' as a trend- setter, it is up to you whether you will take it as a compliment or criticism. To finish with, in case the PM selects a completely unexpected out-of-the-family face as her successor, even for a fixed period, the decision will have a profound impact in whatever politics is remaining in today's Bangladesh.
Only she knows who is next after her.
The writer is assistant editor,
The Daily Observer




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