Bangladesh reads like an open book. From human rights violations to unprintable epithets mouthed by political leaders at each other to polls rigging breaking the facade of the so-called double glazed glass ceiling, everything has gotten in the public domain to the shock and consternation of people in the global village. In a pleasantly unique sense, therefore, Bangladesh can't be faulted for lack of transparency; even though devious and bludgeoning procedures were employed to enact the misdeeds. But she is

found wanting in accountability.

Thanks to the media, the revelations have been on the whole an exercise in catering to the people's right to know. But as Billy Wilder has said: "If it wasn't for Venetian blinds, it would be curtains for all of us." The quote can be used to vindicate a certain reservation that media should refrain from giving scope to politicians in making issues out of non-issues. Controversial and inane statements have a way of deflecting national thought process off-course when it needs to be focused on issues meriting urgent attention. Therefore, it devolves on the media not to play into the Goebbelsian tactic of political parties to propagate a certain viewpoint with the effect of emphasising political division in society.

A case in point is BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia reiterating her son's and one of her party colleague's surprise announcement that Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh - by virtue of what they claimed his proclamation of independence. Apart from this being an unalloyed distortion of history, it's also a bizarre statement divorced from any sense of time as well as of proportion. There is a gulf of difference in the calibration between Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman, the former an undisputed national leader and the latter a Major in the army, all etched on the public mind indelibly. This is not underplaying Ziaur Rahman as a freedom fighter but merely placing him in the right perspective, transported back in time. Truth is purveyed by time and not erased out of public consciousness.

Actually, politically, we have been living on lies - be it referendum, elections under the cosh of military or semimilitary rule, fractionated one-party election and progressively rigged upazila elections - all tainted with a broad brush of sham democracy that does not relate to broad masses' right to franchise. Exceptions since 1991 have been there but clearly they don't make the rule.

Because technicality of incumbency happens to transcend morality of authority and absurd action provokes an equally absurd reaction, one sees a certain surge in reckless utterances on both sides of the political divide.

Even intra-party dissensions are surfacing in queer forms. For instance, LGRD Minister and Awami League Joint Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, in an aside to Communication Minister Obaidul Quader, taunted the latter's 'hyper activity' to draw press attention. The communication minister quipped that that was his style. Also there was a spat between the planning minister and the finance minister over the size of the ADP allocations. Reacting to this, the finance minister said that some courtesy was expected of a minister. The critiquing minister, however, has since pointed to 'exaggerated reporting' in an apparent attempt to skirt further embarrassment.

BNP camp on the other hand was unified. But seemingly running out of ammunition, they chose not to concentrate on the blemished upazila polls; instead, they foulmouthed AL to hit the party below the belt. Not content with mere appellation of then Major Ziaur Rahman as the first president of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia added that AL men who claimed to be freedom fighters merely crossed the border into India as refugees. Her desperation comes through her critiquing the massive chorus of national anthem on Independence Day. That it has entered the Guinness Book of world records should have been praised rather than being rued by her: said she that BNP would enter the Guinness Book of world records by waging a successful movement against the government to wrest out its demand for restoration of caretaker government to oversee polls.

Khaleda Zia should keep from such dangerously wishful thinking and be focused on a dialogue she had left unfinished with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by spurning a half of an offer prelude to January' 5 election. Much water has flowed down the river since then and now the prime minister in all fairness should not renege on her earlier promise to engage the BNP on the 11th parliamentary election. Whenever that takes place, there is no bar in initiating a discussion in good time conveying a sense of steadying the ship through untroubled political waters. After all that they have been through, the people deserve that feel good factor to give them a sense of wellbeing. Is it asking too much? The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.

E-mail: husain.imam@thedailystar.nt