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Hoping for 'Our Spring1

With countrywide penetration of cellphone with wireless information transferring ability, our country is ripe and ready for grassroots involvement in right kind of politics.

M.Aktaruzzaman (Zaman)
IT is impossible to read the internet edition of any deshi newspaper without stumbling upon some unpalatable stories about all the three branches of our government. When the alliance government of BNP/Jamaat was in power, they unleashed a miasmic force. They are gone, but that miasma has gained significant momentum with the ascen-
dancy of the Moha-Jote government. And there appears to be no end in sight.
I do not anticipate any improvement of ground reality unless there is a radical change in the "me-only" mindset of our political elite — but such hope is nothing more than pie in the sky! However, there is a sliver of
hope since we still do have system of election (not necessarily democracy) when powerless people can exert their overwhelming power. Yes, we need to think past the two leaders and their two heavily corrupt political juggernauts where intramural democracy is perpetually doomed! And yes, we need someone with impeccable resume to launch a new party, who shall not shy away like Dr. Yunus.
Yes, in my beloved and beleaguered country, birthing
of an alternative third force has proved to be too difficult. Dr. Kamal Hussain and Dr. B. Chowdhury, both tried and failed. Dr. Yunus contemplated but never tried. It will be helpful to dissect those previous failures if one wishes to venture further.
With no background in politics and/or social science, my lay surmise is simple; both Gono Forum and Bikalpa Dhara adopted the "head-heavy-trickle-down-leadership-model" without any grassroot base. Thus Gono Forum remained detached from the populace at large ("gono”) and Bikalpa Dhara could not forge a plausible alternative ("bikalpa"). Dr. Yunus, as he conceived the Nagorik Shakti, understood the importance of grassroot support. But he tried half heartedly with only a few broad appeals. Given the perception of being "military-backed" was not conducive either.
The Arab Spring of 2011 is a powerful example of how electronic social media like cellphone, texting, Facebook, Twitter etc. can form synapses and transform isolated individuals into a collective gargantuan, powerful enough to brave the most difficult of the oddities. The concept of Nagorik Shakti (people's power) remains ever-nascent. With right leadership and right strategy it still can be realised, providing the necessary scaffolding for launching an alternative political construct that can propel the country forward.
With countrywide penetration of cellphone with wireless information transferring ability, our country is ripe and ready for grassroots involvement in right kind of politics.
Some months back, a group of respected and thoughtful citizens formed a forum. A very able and articulate ex-student leader was selected as its general secretary. However, after a few days of a few sound bites, it has largely remained in hibernation. Such a group, equipped with right information communication technology tools and leadership, can provide the required structure.
I remain eternally hopeful that right leadership will emerge in due time and lead us forward to our well deserved destiny — our own "Spring!"
The writer is Managing Director, FACAAI.