All’s well that Ends
well
Ripan Kumar Biswas
One
of my known person who is a mid level army officer, was very sad
while he was talking with me as according to him and many others
including defense personnel and a large number of civilians in
Bangladesh, present military backed interim government is trying
hard to improve the country’s total image in politics, businesses,
administrations and finally to restore a stable and peaceful
democratic political system in Bangladesh, but critics both from
local and international, are so harsh on the government and
different law enforcement agencies.
Although it’s a part of their duty, but he further mentioned that
they are living and spending their lives in the different camps of
rural areas across the country leaving their families in different
places since January 11, 2007 as because like others they also dream
to enjoy a peaceful democratic political system in Bangladesh.
After receiving criticism against the role of Fakhruddin’s
government especially regarding on human rights issues from
different groups, organizations or individuals both from local and
international, government expressed its deep concern while the US
Department of State in its annual report "Human Rights Practices
2007" on Bangladesh revealed that human rights record worsened in
the country as the state of emergency continued to be in effect with
elections remaining postponed.
In the country paper on Bangladesh including other 191 countries
across the world published by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
Washington on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, the report said the Emergency
Powers Rules of 2007 (EPR), imposed by the government in January and
effective through year's end, suspended many fundamental rights,
including freedom of press, freedom of association, and the right to
bail. The report criticized harshly giving priorities against
serious abuses, including custodial deaths, arbitrary arrest and
detention, and harassment of journalists by the security forces
although there was a significant drop of extra-judicial killings.
In
addition since last September, although the government eased bans on
indoor political gatherings in Dhaka but limited the number of
people who could attend and required parties to seek permission from
the home ministry to hold meetings, but still it is in the hard line
to ease bans on politics across the country while according to the
election commissioner of Bangladesh Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat
Hussain, without any decision on the state of emergency with the
hands and feet of political parties tied, holding of polls would not
be possible. Talking to the reporters after holding a meeting with a
delegation of the newly launched Bangladesh Kalyan Party on Thursday
13, 2008, Sakhawat felt the need for relaxing the state of emergency
not only for creating an environment conducive to elections, but
also for registration of political parties.
However in an immediate reaction to the report, Bangladesh
government disappointed at the report’s lack of balance in
presenting the country’s ground realities as the international
communities are very much aware of the circumstances, which led to
the declaration of the state of emergency early January 2007.
According to a foreign ministry spokesman, the report further failed
to mention the significant reform measures taken by the caretaker
government for consolidating and sustaining democracy.
The
army-backed Caretaker Government has scored some credible successes,
especially in the area of law and order to address the challenge of
extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh . It has eliminated a large
number of terrorist kingpins like Bangla Bhai. They have also
revived the case on the assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina in
which preliminary evidence shows complicity of BNP leaders.
Strong democracies also need sound institutions and processes. A
stable business climate needs firm foundations of accountability.
And people need to be able to trust that public life is not
manipulated by a few individuals to satisfy selfish greed for money
and power. The Caretaker Government pointed to clear achievements:
an overhaul of the country's institutions including the Election
Commission, Public Service Commission, the separation of the
Judiciary that has eluded past governments for over 35 years and a
drive to combat corruption. Government further mentioned its effort
to improve human rights situation including the progress toward the
formation of the Human Rights Commission and efforts to improve
workers’ and women rights. The government which is elected in 2008
will have a responsibility to nurture these gains.
Using countrywide data across the country, the report said the Rapid
Action Battalion killed 94 persons throughout the year, although the
average number of such deaths dropped from 15 per month in 2006 to
approximately 8 per month during the year, but it’s still
continuing. Odhikar, a Dhaka based human rights organization, said
that 87 persons died in prison and 67 died while in the custody of
police and other security forces. The report pointed its concern to
the declaration a curfew in August 2007 in response to protests on
university campuses in several major cities and unwarranted arrests
of teachers, students, and employees.
"This is the best time to get things right in Bangladesh and there
is an urgent need to strengthen democracy through free, fair and
transparent election for receiving continued US support," said
Congressman Joseph Crowley, co-chair of US Congressional Bangladesh
Caucus, on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the Capitol Hill in
Washington DC . All of them including Congressman Sheila Jackson and
Bangladesh Ambassador to the US M Humayun Kabir, who were present at
that meeting, mentioned the vastness of change in Bangladesh while
Crowley expected that the government would follow the due process of
law during the trials of the arrested leaders.
Credible and fair elections will be vital to the success of
democratic renaissance in Bangladesh - the first and fundamental
pillar of new foundations. “Democracy is not just about elections
and installing governments after definite intervals. It is about
empowering the people and ensuring their rights to choose their
representatives without fear or intimidation and we always remained
focused in our main task of holding a free and fair election by the
end of 2008,” Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed addressed to the
Asia Society at New York on September 27, 2007.
As
democracy is a right to enjoy the fruits of economic growth and
development and a continuous process of building and strengthening
institutions, Bangladesh must succeed in creating higher, stronger,
foundations for democracy that can endure beyond the elections.
