Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Reg No- 06
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Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Epaper

When our politicians are gripped by ‘American Fever’

Published : Thursday, 15 June, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1087
Shahriar Feroze
Humorous as it may appear , Mr Blinken had blinked only once staring at us, in response our politicians have been counter-blinking ever since 24 May.  The 'American Fever' was, however, missing in the last two general elections.

It is not a new fever. The democratic electoral process has collapsed at home, which it does every five year. Now the cure is making its way from America. And all ingredients of it are 'purely democratic.

The air around me has suddenly grown thick against the backdrop of the new US visa policy imposed on Bangladesh. Then it got thicker following a joint letter issued by six members of the European Parliament - seeking its role to hold free, fair and unbiased general elections in our country next year - preferably, under a poll-time neutral caretaker government.

Now turning the air toxic, our two key political rivals have engaged in exploiting the new US visa policy standing tall on biased and whimsical explanations for serving their respective political agendas. The six-member-EU letter has picked a relatively clear side. And who knows what other pre-election drama is brewing to unfold anytime soon.

Humorous as it may appear , Mr Blinken had blinked only once staring at us, in response our politicians have been counter-blinking ever since 24 May.  

In the process, our print and electronic media outlets have manifestly turned abuzz with analytical opinions and talk shows. Almost everyone has an opinion to offer on what role America can, will and should play in the upcoming 12th Parliamentary Elections to be held in next year's January.

Let's be specific, it is America's role on the next general elections that has come under the spotlight, like most pre-election times before.
To cut a long story short - we have seemingly become shrouded by a peculiar air of apprehension, fear, assumptions, presumptions and all types of political calculations. The 'American Fever' was, however, missing in the last two general elections.

It is not a new fever. The democratic electoral process has collapsed at home, which it does every five year. Now the cure is making its way from America. And all ingredients of it are 'purely democratic'.

What is unprecedented and also interesting this time is that both the ruling and the key opposition party have engaged in a chase and counter-chase game to get closer and influence the US government on holding our next general elections in line with individual demands. Both have successfully weaponised the visa policy as a political tool.  

Now it is omnipresent as majority of our politicians, journalists, political experts, ex-diplomats and analysts are not only offering individual views and analysis, but also declaring their political allegiance in a sour, subtle and settled manner.

The creed and practice of remaining neutral has become a lost art in today's Bangladesh.

However, this writer's reading based on the ground reality and simple understanding is that elections will be held on time - there will be an outcome and a mandate - with or without people's participation -  a government will be re-elected or perhaps a new government will take oath , but then what?

The same catch-22 scenario will surface after another 5 years. The American government and its locally stationed ambassador will come under the limelight for all the same reasons prior the next 13th national polls.

Unlike previous general elections held in here, we are living in a highly divisive and polarised world where America's role as a vanguard to secure and safeguard democracy has noticeably diminished for launching unnecessary failed wars and military conflicts here and there. The super power's nation re-building dogma in other countries has been exhausted. On top of it, the former Trump administration has massively damaged America's championing -of-democracy image worldwide.

Instead of making comparisons and listing in which countries the USA failed, let's fix the scope of this piece within what is happening in Bangladesh.

USA sits on the very top of our export destinations. We have a sizeable Diaspora there. Incoming remittances are understandably high. Though there is a new visa policy, but who are the direct beneficiaries of the new US visa policy here?

We have been so exaggeratingly focused on who would be the potential victims of the recent US visa policy that we hardly talked about those who have been somewhat exempted or those who do not , by design of the new policy , fall under the travel ban purview.

As the next few months are heading to gather a fever pitch momentum in our domestic politics, what would happen, in case, USA imposes conditions on trade and exports, if not sanctions? What if the USA targets our private sector and the business community?

Though money has a deep-rooted link to politics anywhere around the world but perhaps it is only in Bangladesh where a staggering 182 businessmen in the parliament are reportedly functioning as sitting MPs. And some 60 percent of them are from the ruling party.

The new US visa policy, if understood correctly, has not encompassed our business community, but we never know what is happening in Washington right now.  

There is a higher possibility of imposing travel bans on future MPs appearing out of rigged elections. But would travel ban and restrictions restore our decaying democracy at home?   
   
The point, whatever corruption and irregularities had marred our general elections in the last two times is highly depressing. But how much did the previous two US administrations do to restore sustainable democratic practices, establish political trust and stability in our domestic politics? What had the US secretaries of state do during the past decade?

Most important to ask, why Bangladesh has suddenly turned so politically, economically and regionally significant for USA?

Answers are all there available in the public domain, but government-to-government and geo-political equations for the US government to keep Bangladesh under its 'sphere' have taken a massive unexpected twist.

We did have free, fair and all-inclusive general elections during respective caretaker government regimes. I had been a voter too. But what positive changes could our past caretaker governments introduce, in terms of creating political trust and goodwill among the two major political rivals.

Unquestionably, the American Government is a game changer in our national elections, but establishing democracy in a foreign land through imposing policies, sanctions or via whatever intervention and means never sustained as history speaks.

As I keep for Mr Blinken to blink more staring at Bangladesh, the local political thermometer suggests the 'American Fever' is picking up among the two parties politicians by the day. Meaningless political jabbering could be heard. Imaginative US conspiracy theories discussed every now and then often takes back this writer to the Cold War Era.

To finish with, the remedy of this fever is at home, though deliberately ignored and rejected. It is usually prior the national elections we need America. First, is to inflict a fever on us. Second, force us to gulp down the remedy. Effectiveness of the cure remains from one national election to the next.

It is an easy avoidable fever but our incumbent governments and opposition leaders' loves to suffer from it before all general elections.

The writer is editorial chief, The Daily Observer



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