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STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING

18 inches of democracy

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam khaN ndc, psc (Retd)
THE lamenta tion was that of a very
called hartal at being hemmed in by the law
senior BNP party member on the day of the latest BNP
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
September 29
1911
Italy declares war on the Ottoman Empire.
2008
Following the bankruptcies of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual, the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777.68 points, the largest singleday point loss in its history.
The way the police acted the day before and on the day of hartal would give one the impression that there was a ban on political activity of the opposition. Nobody could have missed the pictures on the electronic media of processions being set upon by the police who gave the impression that they were there not to maintain law and order but to go
hartal. We are ashamed at the role of the police and we would hope that the PM and the saner elements in the ruling party are as much embarrassed by how the police have behaved.
However, we are happy to note that the matter has not escaped the notice of some parliamentarians. That is amply clear from the com-
enforcing agencies in front of the party office. That is the length of democracy that is circumscribing the space of the opposition parties. At least that is what the BNP thinks it is. And witnessing the plight and the police action on the day before and the day of hartal, one could hardly disagree.
The hartal came as a surprise because we were assured by the BNP that hartal was not an option they were going to consider very soon. But given the psyche of political parties, it could not pass up a chance to exploit a situation that apparently has the government on the back foot after a less than successful visit of the Indian PM. And on the heels of that, another issue was put on the opposition's platter, fuel price hike. There could not have been a better set of excuses for the BNP to call hartal.
And with equal zeal did the AL try to make us see the utter irrationality of the opposition's decision to call hartal when they themselves had, not very long ago, termed hartal as the birthright of the people, a means of political protest against all forms of government misdeeds, etc and etc.
The pithy comment describes the real state of democracy in Bangladesh -- all 18 inches of it. What was interesting to see was the anti-hartal procession all over the city under the protection of the law enforcing agencies. And where were those that had called the strike? They were confined within the premises of their party offices.
after the opposition whenever they appeared on the streets. Neither was Sec 144 declared by the administration, nor curfew, yet we saw the police acting as if the opposition was breaking Sec 144 or violating curfew orders.
One could be forgiven for mistaking them for AL party cadres in uniform, their behaviour belied their role. And there were party cadres too out on the streets "preventing"
ments of the chairman parliamentary committee on law and order on the issue. The picture of a policeman stamping on a man's chest would have made any self-respecting administration to react and take the policeman to task. We have not heard of anything being done to him.
The rueful comment of the senior BNP leader says a lot about democracy in Bangladesh. The much vaunted democracy that we strug-
gled for has been stifled and kept confined within the four walls of the parliament and within the premises of the office of the opposition political parties and in the duplicitous utterances of the senior leaders of the ruling party, and trampled under the boots of policemen.
But, unfortunately, that has been the trend ever since we rediscovered ourselves in 1991. Those who are talking so glibly now about 18 inches of democracy did not offer very much more to the opposition when in power. We have not forgotten the picture of the AL office being barricaded by the police and the AL leadership left to do all the shouting they could form inside.
However, the BNP rally went off without much ado although one has heard of complaints that difficulties were created for its supporters from outside of Dhaka reaching the meeting spot. And why was the Paltan not allowed for the purpose we don't know.
This is not really the type of democracy that we had wished for. Even the democratic institutions that can do something appear to be powerless. While we appreciate the remarks of the chairman of the Human Rights Commission on police behaviour, we hope he would do more than comment. His tears only betray his helplessness and make us feel so much more hapless.
There are many reasons why democracy has suffered in Bangladesh, but most of all because of the way we have treated our political opponents. While the democratic space is being reduced because of lack of tolerance, the road to democracy in the middle is just being stretched out, to quote an erudite reader. This means that we have to brace for another period of political uncertainty.
The writer is Editor, Defence & Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star.