Bangladesh: Absolute power corrupts absolutely

[Al-zakir]

Cadres of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) captures Dhaka University rooms ignoring Hasina’s directive

Ignoring Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's instructions, cadres of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) have occupied the rooms of many students, journalists and leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in all dormitories of Dhaka University.

Resident students alleged that the BCL cadres have also gathered firearms in the university halls which, along with the internal clashes among BCL factions, has frightened them.

Meanwhile, DU authorities on Thursday postponed all examinations until January 5, for "unavoidable reasons".

After the landslide victory of the AL-led grand alliance in the ninth parliamentary elections, Hasina directed BCL General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton not to engage in any violence on the campus, BCL sources said.

Hasina also directed BCL top leaders for taking strict action against those responsible for such violence, if any.

But cadres of the AL's student wing vandalised furniture and documents of JCD men and locked the rooms of many journalists, including DU correspondent of the daily Sangbad and a sub-editor of The Daily Star. They also vandalised the rooms of reporters of the daily Sangram and daily Nayadiganta.

Besides, a few former BCL leaders, who were not on the campus during the last seven years because of the dominance by JCD--student wing of BNP, have returned to campus with a good number of outsiders and firearms.

Hundreds of general students, who are roommates of JCD leaders, found their rooms locked after returning to their dormitories after the month-long Eid and winter vacations in the last three days.

A resident of Mohsin Hall told The Daily Star that he voted for the AL-led grand alliance thinking that there will be changes in all sectors. "But there is no change. Chhatra League men are doing the same as the Chhatra Dal," he said.

Sources concerned said after return of the former BCL men and their cadres the overall situation in the dormitories and on the campus is almost out of control of DU unit BCL President Shohel Rana Tipu and General Secretary Sajjad Saqib Badsha.

Talking to The Daily Star, both the leaders blamed these unwanted incidents on these former party men many of whom are not students anymore.

Top BCL leaders at DU said these BCL men are trying to establish their dominance in the dorms afresh by any means, especially by bringing in firearms, although they have no acceptance at the grassroots level.

Many warned of sudden massive violence on the campus if the situation is not controlled immediately.

Top BCL leaders have conveyed this message to the leaders of its DU unit, but the latter are unable to handle violent situation and anti-organisational activities as internal conflicts are increasing gradually.

Sources said the incumbent committee of the BCL unit at DU would be dissolved soon because of this.

The Daily Star - Details News

Dark days are looming around corner for bd people. This is what happen when people have sort term memory. Dalal General MUA was the biggest blunder made under BNP and Jamat watch.

 

[Al-zakir]

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION >Election landslide holds dangers for Bangladesh

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Election landslide holds dangers for Bangladesh

by Salim Mia, Agence France-Presse

DHAKA: The landslide victory of the Awami League in Bangladesh’s elections has raised fears of a power imbalance and a return to the dysfunctional politics that prompted the army’s intervention two years ago.

The center-left party, led by ex-premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed, won at least 229 seats of a possible 300 in Monday’s vote, the first in the impoverished country since 2001.

Such a hefty majority has not been seen since the 1973 elections when Sheikh Hasina’s father—Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who had spearheaded Bangladesh’s independence struggle—won control of the newly independent nation.

“There is a danger with any government that has an absolute majority,” said Manzoor Hasan, director of BRAC University’s Institute of Governance Studies in Dhaka.

“The possibility is that it will steamroll the opposition and do whatever it wants to do,” he added.

Sheikh Hasina’s rival, Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which won the 2001 election by a huge margin, garnered less than 10 percent of seats in the vote.

Before the army-backed interim government was installed in January 2007, the two women—known as the battling begums for their mutual animosity—had ruled the nation alternately for 17 years.

Hasan said the next two days would reveal whether the Bangladesh Nationalist Party would accept the humiliating election results.

He said the huge swing to the Awami League came down to the high number of first time voters, and the party’s vow to bring to court people accused of war crimes during the country’s liberation struggle from Pakistan.

The Awami League has long campaigned to put on trial those who sided with Pakistan during the bloody nine-month 1971 war, but never previously held a big enough majority to force the issue.

Sheikh Hasina’s father, mother and most of her family were assassinated by pro-Pakistan militants in 1975.

Dhaka University political science professor Ataur Rahman said the nationalist, pro-Islamic BNP had taken a direct hit for its corruption-tainted performance in the last elected government.

“It’s a huge backlash against the BNP leadership,” he said, but he also warned Bangladesh faced “a very unbalanced start to our new democratic journey.”

“People have put too much trust in the Awami League-led alliance, handing them a lot of power which could make them autocratic,” he said.

Salahuddin Aminuzzaman, an independent political analyst and also a Dhaka University professor, agreed that the 1971 independence war remained a key vote winner for the Awami League.

“The publicity about war crimes cost BNP and its allies votes,” he said.

He said Sheikh Hasina’s promise to lower spiraling inflation, which has been above ten percent for much of 2008, had also helped it to win votes.

The caretaker regime, which came to power after months of political violence forced the president to cancel elections and impose a state of emergency, made efforts to shake up the system.

It even jailed both Sheikh Hasina and Zia for corruption, but agreed to release them to contest the election.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

MPs should abide by the constitution: Muzaffer

Brute majority may encourage misuse of power: Akbar Ali

Staff Correspondent

Reiterating the opt-repeated saying 'power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely' eminent experts, economists and political analysts on Saturday called upon the new government to rule the country very cautiously in order to show respect to the people's mandate.
Bangladesh Regulatory Reform Commission (BRRC) Chairman Akbar Ali Khan, TIB Chairman Muzaffer Ahmed, Former Adviser to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal, Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Imajuddin Ahmed, Dhaka University Teacher Harun-Ur Rashid, Economist Kazi Kholiquzzaman, FBCCI President Annisul Haque took part in the discussion on 'Expectations to the Parliamentarians' held in city yesterday.

Akbar Ali Khan said sustainability of liberal democracy will be the big challenge for the new government as it is coming to power with a landslide victory through a free, fair and credible national parliament election. "In the context of Bangladesh, brute majority for the ruling party may encourage misuse of power. In these circumstances, the overall development of the country and its people depends on 'good will' of the parliamentarians specially of the lawmakers of the ruling party. The new government will have very limited time to bring the economy to the right track," he said.
He further said the government will also have to ensure social safety. "It is one of the major responsibilities of the new government to ensure people's safety and security. On the other hand, the new government will also have to formulate proper policy in order to overcome the crisis of energy sector like power, gas and fuel," Akbar Ali Khan said.

TIB Chairman Muzaffer Ahmed said as per people's expectation the MPs will have to abide by the rules and laws of the constitution for the welfare of the country and its people. "I urge the government to make arrangement for allowing the interested members of the civil society in the parliament during its session. As a result, a bridge between members of the parliament and civil society will be connected. The MP who will be able to play neutral role and would not be influenced by the leader of the parliament or Prime Minister during parliament session, should be given scope to make the parliament functional," he said.

He said, people are expecting and eagerly waiting to see the MPs strengthen democracy through playing their role in the parliament. "Side by side President's function should be reconsidered and the President given some powers. Apart from these, government will have to give all out support to the media for playing its role neutrally. Otherwise, democracy would not be restored in the country. Besides, the new government will have to form a 'Price Commission' to oversee the prices of essentials in order to bring down abnormal prices. As we have been witnessing that the every parliament turns into a club of billionaires, this trend should be stopped," Muzaffer said.
Kholiquzzaman said the new government will have to bring some changes in investment and production sectors to develop the country's economy. "Side by side socio-economic infrastructures will also have to be developed," he added.

FBCCI President said as people gave their mandate to the new government, it would now decide in what way it will rule the country for the greater interest of people from all walks of life. "It is very difficult for a government to root out corruption from different sectors of the country. If the government is able to reduce 50 per cent corruption, it will bring good results for the country," Annisul Haque said.

leading news

 

[Al-zakir]

EXCLUSIVESircar fears parliamentary autocracy :: Election 2008 :: bdnews24.com ::

Speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar fears parliamentary autocracy

Sat, Jan 3rd, 2009 8:45 pm BdST
Kamran Reza Chowdhury
bdnews24.com senior correspondent

Dhaka, Jan 03 (bndews24.com)—Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, the outgoing Speaker who failed to retain his seat as a BNP nominee, says he fears what he calls a "parliamentary autocracy" as the incoming treasury bench will have a massive majority in the House.

In an interview with bdnews24.com Saturday after administering oath to the newly-elected MPs of the AL-led grand alliance, the Speaker said he, however, believed the 31-strong BNP-Jaamat combine would be able to challenge the Awami League and allies in parliament unless they were obstructed.

"They should be able to give a good fight," Sircar told bdnews24.com at his office at Jatiya Sangsad building.

"People's faith on the democratic practice would go if the ruling parties resort to muzzling the opposition in the House and oppress them outside," said Sircar.

The former BNP minister was clearly frustrated. He said he would neither run polls in future nor encourage his son to be in politics.

"I call it a day. I will be in legal profession as I am a barrister.

"I will not run in the election again. I will also discourage my barrister son."

Sircar was however optimistic about BNP prospects and said he would back BNP if it called strikes in protest at "oppression".

"This (calling general strikes) is their the constitutional right," he said.

"But they must not damage cars and business establishments, resort to arson, or attack and kill people and get engaged in other unconstitutional actions," he said.

"If the opposition calls strikes and hartals, people (should be allowed to) judge their actions and take decisions in democratic ways," Sircar said.

"As a politician, I am really frustrated. Black money now controls politics," he said.

Sircar, who fought to retain Panchagarh-1 seat on a BNP ticket, claimed he tried to maintain his impartiality as guardian of the House.

"Democracy will suffer in future unless good sense prevails upon them (Awami League)," said Sircar, who has often courted controversy with his anti-Awami League tirade while still being in office.

He said the Awami League should "give the microscopic opposition the chance to play their role in parliament".

 

[rubyjackass]

Landslide victories are always bad.
But this time it should not matter which government is present as long as it is elected.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Strike hampers operation at Benapole port

Our Correspondent . Jessore

The workers of Benapole land port in Jessore enforced a six-hour strike at the port Tuesday in protest against the attack on them by the ruling Awami League activists Monday.

The loading and unloading of goods remained suspended at the country’s major land port due to the strike that began at 6am Tuesday.

The port users and police said a large group of 70-80 activists of the ruling AL on Monday evening suddenly attacked the cargo handling workers at the port. The two groups chased each other for some time.

The Benapole Port Handling Workers Association called a six-hour general strike at the land port from 6am Tuesday in protest against the attack by the ruling party activists.

After the striking hours, the labourers were staging agitations which they stopped with an assurance of Sheikh Afil Uddin, local MP, to look into the matter.

Abdul Kader, president of the Benapole Port Handling Workers Association, told newsmen that the ruling AL activists, led by Dalil, Halim, Sabur and Year Ali, swooped on the port workers on Monday evening in a bid to take control of the goods handling operation at the land port.’

Saiful Islam Khan, director of the Benapole land port, informed that the loading and unloading activities at the port remained suspended during the strike.

The officer-in-charge of local police station, Nurul Amin, informed that no complaint was filed and none was arrested in this connection.

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jan/07/nat.html

 

[BanglaBhoot]

BCL threats New Age DU correspondent

Staff Correspondent

A leader of Awami League-backed Bangladesh Chhatra League on Tuesday asked the Dhaka University correspondent of New Age to leave her room at Shamsunnahar Hall for working with a ‘leftist newspaper.’

Sonika Sharmin Swarna, a master’s student of drawing and painting and organising secretary of the immediate-past committee of the Shamsunnahar Hall unit of Chhatra League, looked for New Age correspondent Dilshad Hossain in Room 2002 in the hall in the evening.

Knowing that the correspondent was not in the hall, Swarna called in all the roommates of Dilshad to her room, 213, and told them Room 2002 was under the control of the Chhatra League and ‘no one working with Nurul Kabir’s New Age, a leftist newspaper, would be let in the room and she should leave immediately.’

Dilshad said she could not inform the hall provost as the provost’s phone was switched off and no house tutor was on duty after 10:30pm.

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jan/07/nat.html