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Commentary

Does the PM really believe in democracy?

MAHFUZ ANAM
Slowly but surely (some people will argue, not so slowly) the BNP is destroying public faith in its democratic credentials. With each passing day and with one abominable
action after another, the ruling party is exposing its autocratic fangs to the supreme shock of millions of party sympathisers and all democracy-loving people of our ever-struggling country.
It is incomprehensible that a
party that won such a resounding electoral victory less than three years ago should be so afraid of a simple voice of dissent that it has to unleash thugs modelling Hilter's brown shirts. The comparison is
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harsh but so is the fact that the present government is destroying some of the fundamental norms of democracy that the people have earned with so much sacrifice and struggle.
We deliberately waited several days to write our comments in the hope that the first day's incidents were the work of some overzealous party activists and not that of the leadership as such. Contrary to the indications all around, we hoped against hope that once the barbarity and the unconstitutional nature of the actions would become obvious to the party leadership, the BNP or at least its chairperson would reprimand the party law-breakers and publicly announce that such activities would never be repeated.
Regrettably, facts proved the contrary. Following the first day's attack on former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and his supporters, MA Mannan's Gulshan house was attacked, eight of his factories were forcibly closed and truckloads of his garment products ready for export to the US stopped on Saturday. (We are one in condemning hartal for stopping production at our factories. What will the PM say about this industry stoppage? Isn't her government all for greater export?) Not satisfied, the BNP, in a clear case of using government servants for political ends, sent custom officials to Mannan's Sun Crest (soft drink) factory to look into his tax and VAT papers. So this is what our governance has come down to. Be with the BNP and its allies and one can get away with every form of abuse of power and enjoy all its consequent 'benefits'. Be against them and all hell will break loose.
For quite sometime, the opposition leader has been claiming in public that the BNP-alliance government neither believes in democracy nor in allowing any voice but its own in running the affairs of the country. Now, Khaleda Zia has done more than anybody else has to prove Sheikh Hasina correct.
Khaleda Zia has wrought incalculable damage on her party and her own image by not allowing Badruddoza to hold his rally last Thursday. With one single stroke, her government has violated two of our fundamental rights given to every citizen in our Constitution -- the right to assembly and the freedom of association. In addition, by resorting to violence in disrupting the former president's scheduled meeting, the prime minister has shown that she does not care if laws are broken and if even criminal methods are resorted to as long as her opponent is punished. Instead of upholding the Constitution that she was oathbound to do, she allowed its violation, and instead of being the champion of upholding the law, she permitted her party's front organisations to indulge in wanton vandalism and lawlessness. She has actually violated the oath of her office on both these counts.
Bombs have been thrown at MA Mannan's house in Gulshan. His factories have been forced to close with the prospect of thousands of workers not being able to continue their employment. If this is not a crime then what is? And if the prime minister's own supporters indulge in criminal activities, then how can she preside over a government that will fight criminals and corruption. Her whole commitment towards fighting crime has now come under question with all its national and international implications.
Yesterday, Badruddoza spoke at a rally of Dr Kamal Hossain. Thousands heard him, applauded him for his comments and did what all opposition rallies do -- raise slogans, read out demands and give out future plans for mass agitation. If Badruddoza were allowed to carry out his programme the other day, nothing more would have happened. Yet by obstructing it Khaleda Zia's government turned that small political events into the headline news of every important media outlet in the country and of many abroad. She gained nothing but scorn at home and discredit abroad. Khaleda Zia has often accused Sheikh Hasina of damaging Bangladesh's image, which now stands far more seriously maligned by her own government's and party's action than ever before. Throwing bombs at political opponents' house
can surely earn us no credit.
Then again, take the statements that have been issued by two of her most important front bodies -- those of her students and youths. Both said that Badruddoza will be opposed and confronted (and we all know what it means) where ever he goes. Under what right, what political tradition, what ethics and what norm can a political party ever take a such a position except the right of thugs, of vandals, of law-breakers or of those who want to destroy democracy. If the BNP chief does not stop or even reprimand those who are responsible for these heinous acts, then we are forced to think that these elements have her consent.
What is truly baffling to us, and we are sure to the rest of the people, is what has happened to all the sane voices within this huge party that caught the public imagination just the other day when it got such an overwhelming mandate from the voters. Are we to understand that the BNP is now in the grip of those whose only language is that of violent confrontation and bombing the hell out of its opponents?
What is at stake here is the simple -- and yet fundamental -- right of citizens to dissent. It is to gain this right that people all over the world, in all societies and in all eras have fought relentless battles. The people of Bangladesh have seen many a military and autocratic regime and they have struggled against all of them for the simple right to DISSENT. No government can take away our right to differ peacefully. Seldom, if ever, did they see a democratically elected regime that threw bombs at those who dared to raise a critical voice. (Again, examples from the previous AL regime's treatment of Kader Siddiqui will be touted from all sides to prove that it is not the first time that such things are happening. We can only say that the desire to emulate the worst of our opponents seems to be a far greater stimulus among our political parties than to change for the better, even marginally).
Khaleda Zia and those who are advising her at the moment seem to have a reading of the Bangladeshi public quite contrary to the rest of us. They seem to believe that opposition can be repressed and all voices of dissent forcibly silenced and then public support gained through other means during the time of elections. Our understanding is the exact opposite. One look at the last three election results will prove what we are trying to say.
The BNP is now on a selfdestructive course from which only the BNP can save itself. And for that to happen, the BNP must start restoring its faith in democracy, the most fundamental value of which is the RIGHT TO DISSENT. As its allpowerful leader, the role of Khaleda Zia is crucial for that change of course. Unless she shows any sign of doing that, the question in the public mind will remain -- does the PM really believe in democracy?