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Bow to internal reality not to foreign pressure

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)
NOBODY can take issue with the PM when she says that she will not succumb to foreign pressure on issues that are entirely internal. The PM had vented her feeling after she was sworn in as the new PM (of a government of the 10th Parliament which is yet to be convened). And an internal issue, like a parliamentary election, cannot be externally driven. But by the same token she needs to be respectfully reminded of
her stating that the January 5 elections are only an expedient for meeting constitutional obligations (a position that many would disagree with), implying that election for the 11th Parliament was inevitable.
Given the nature of the election to the 10th Parliament one is not surprised at the way the government has been treating congratulatory messages from foreign countries. It reminded one of the times in Bangladesh of military governments after a coup in quest of international recognition and validity.
That these messages are being made out as vindicating missives for Sheikh Hasina's position on the recently held election and indeed her newly formed government is indicative of the sticky wicket the government finds itself in, irrespective of the lack of any demonstrated public outcry against the election. It is the moral and not so much the legal and constitution issues that are perhaps modulating the mind of the prime minister.
India, Russia, China and a few Southeast Asian countries have congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her assumption of office for the third time. Conversely, the western countries including the LIS, Canada and the Ell have made no secret of their disappointment over the January 5 elections and have reiterated their position on the urgent need to hold a participator, free, fair and democratic election. Clearly, there is a divide internationally on the present state of political affairs in the country. And this is what begs the very question. Whether it is a healthy situation for Bangladesh where our development partners and friends have taken different positions on an issue that is internal to Bangladesh.
Indeed, election is an internal matter for us but at the same time, given the global nature of our existence, the modalities of elections and the 'democratic' nature of it are always under scrutiny from abroad. And on that count we would want acceptance and support from all countries, because division, even on an internal matters, is detrimental to our interest.
That the January 5 elections have failed to meet the minimum requirements to qualify as an acceptable elec-tion is not a matter that needs to be proved, it is matter that is accepted as a fact by most of us. This is an evaluation of the common people of Bangladesh and which is shared by most of our friends. This paper and this column had on many occasions called for the voting to be postponed in favour of more participator elections. And it is this very reality, of compulsions of internal views of the matter and not 'external pressure,' that Sheikh Hasina must internalise and proceed accordingly to address in earnest the next election issue. In fact, for a true leader 'bowing' to public will is the sane thing to do.
The PM should be under no illusion that the recent election was anything but flawed. Because then there will be a tendency for her to ride roughshod on the sentiments of the people, particularly of more than fifty percent of the voters, who, by the machinations employed to keep the main opposition out of the elections, have been disenfranchised. Not only that, the unduly haste with which the MPs-elect and the
cabinet have been sworn in have confounded the confusion, and, in spite of what the foreign advisor to the PM would want us to believe, we actually have two sets of MPs, a unique situation not happened before.
We feel constrained to also point out that there is a tendency to assume antagonistic attitude by the government on comments or even friendly opinion coming from our foreign friends and development partners. The Ell in particular has been a time tested friend of Bangladesh and we cannot forget the fact that they have been an integral part of our development journey. I believe that there is a universal goodwill for Bangladesh, and their comments come from an honest desire to see that our development efforts are not impeded by adverse fallout because of bad politics. And to this end the government should act expeditiously to assuage their apprehensions.
The writer is Editor, Op-Ed and Defence & Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star.