Friday, January 26, 2007
Bangladesh Election:
(Cross posted in Bangla Blog)
Washington Post published an article on January 25, 2007 that expresses an overwhelming concern about stalled election in Bangladesh. Currently, it does not appear that we will have our national election very soon. The Caretaker Government may need time to reform election commission, voter list and the civil administration. As the Army has been credited to be instrumental in promulgating the emergency rule, its credit will quickly fade away if the election is really stalled. At least, the past records of the military regimes in Bangladesh validate this claim. We should not forget Martial Law and Emergency Law always violate human rights and free expression.
The Washington Post Article has mainly focused on the accusation by the political activists for the stalled election. Confusion and mistrust among political parties will grow if election is stalled. The article quotes one activist, "If people cannot express their rights freely, then fundamentalist groups will have more influence," she said. "Now, no political activity is allowed. With the absence of political participation, mosques will be used by the right-wing religious parties. This cannot be a good thing."
It is not at all in our distant memory that the fundamentalist and the war criminal Jamati Islami reappeared in Bangladesh politics during 1977 when the military Dictator General Zia took power. The notion overwhelmingly begs no further explanation that denying political freedom and political transperancy usually breeds and energizes the underground militant forces.
Washington Post published an article on January 25, 2007 that expresses an overwhelming concern about stalled election in Bangladesh. Currently, it does not appear that we will have our national election very soon. The Caretaker Government may need time to reform election commission, voter list and the civil administration. As the Army has been credited to be instrumental in promulgating the emergency rule, its credit will quickly fade away if the election is really stalled. At least, the past records of the military regimes in Bangladesh validate this claim. We should not forget Martial Law and Emergency Law always violate human rights and free expression.
The Washington Post Article has mainly focused on the accusation by the political activists for the stalled election. Confusion and mistrust among political parties will grow if election is stalled. The article quotes one activist, "If people cannot express their rights freely, then fundamentalist groups will have more influence," she said. "Now, no political activity is allowed. With the absence of political participation, mosques will be used by the right-wing religious parties. This cannot be a good thing."
It is not at all in our distant memory that the fundamentalist and the war criminal Jamati Islami reappeared in Bangladesh politics during 1977 when the military Dictator General Zia took power. The notion overwhelmingly begs no further explanation that denying political freedom and political transperancy usually breeds and energizes the underground militant forces.
