Editor's Pick

A belated but good decision

9 February 2010, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
M. Abdul Latif Mondal
The BNP-led main opposition has decided to return to parliament this week, or early next week, after skipping the house for sixty-plus consecutive sitting days since the second session of the ninth parliament started on June 4. The decision to participate in the parliamentary sessions was taken on February 4 at a meeting of the opposition lawmakers, chaired by BNP Chairperson and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia, at her conference room in the parliament building. There were mixed reactions to BNP's absence from the parliament sessions. Many people opined that BNP, which started boycotting parliament sessions from the second session on, over a row on seating arrangement, later made several more demands, including scrapping the decision to cancel the lease of Khaleda Zia's cantonment residence, strengthening her security, withdrawing "politically motivated cases" against her, Tarique Rahman and others, and giving BNP lawmakers chairmanship of two more standing committees. So, with every passing day, BNP's preconditions for returning to the house accreted. Others saw a "go it alone" attitude in the ruling AL for running the parliament. The ruling AL didn't initiate any serious initiative to bring back BNP to the house by removing some of its genuine grievances. Although there was a lack of serious initiative on the part of the ruling AL to bring BNP back, democracy-loving people, in particular, civil society members and the media, repeatedly urged the BNP leadership to return and play a constructive role in strengthening democracy, which is yet to take root. The people have, therefore, welcomed the BNP's decision. While exchanging views with the editors of different national dailies, news agencies and TV channels at a city hotel on February 8, Khaleda Zia disclosed that her party will raise its voice simultaneously inside parliament and outside on the streets to protest 'oppression' on journalists, price hike of essential commodities, pacts signed 'against the country's interest' and some other issues of importance. The AL's 2008 election manifesto pledged to take measures "to reduce the unbearable burden of price hike and keep it in tune with the purchasing power of the people." Has the AL-led government been able to control prices of essential commodities? The rising prices of food, particularly of rice, have made the lives of the low and middle-income groups miserable. The government blames the rice traders and hoarders for the steep rise in the price of rice. Whose responsibility is it to control them? The opposition has rightly decided to raise the issue in the parliament for discussion. Khaleda Zia has termed the PM's recent India visit and the talks she had with the Indian leadership as "not only a failure, but a harmful event for the country." She has also termed the agreements signed with India during the visit "as a total sell-out." It would be the opposition's responsibility to prove in the house how those agreements were against the country's interest. The government's responsibility is to bring these relevant agreements to parliament. The BNP leadership has brought an allegation that the government signed a 'secret deal with India.' While speaking in parliament on February 3, the PM not only refuted the allegation of signing such a deal, but also said that if the opposition knew about 'any secret deal' they should disclose it before the people. So, the onus is now on the opposition to disclose in the house the proof of signing it. The opposition will also demand parliament discussion on the business-centered admission to educational institutions by Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL). The Daily Star ran a front-page report on February 7, saying that the BCL leaders grabbed over Tk. 1 crore through the illegal admission trade at just three colleges in the capital -- Dhaka College, Eden Women's University College and Kabi Nazrul College -- promising students, seeking admission to first-year honours courses, ensuring their desired subjects. Such reports are pouring in from many other places in the country. This is a serious threat to quality education at higher levels. Many people have expressed concern at Khaleda Zia's disclosure on February 8 that her party will raise its voice, simultaneously inside parliament and outside on the street, to protest the aforesaid issues. Our experience of the past twenty years shows that street agitation and violence by the opposition ultimately resulted in an ineffective parliament, and even threatened the country's democratic process. Khaleda Zia, who was prime minister more than once, should know better. The parliament should be the place to discuss and settle all political, national and other important issues. The 2008 election manifestos of both the AL and BNP give credence to this. The success of parliamentary democracy depends upon the democratic spirit of tolerance, a devoted sense of respect and relentless response towards institutionalism of democracy. Both the ruling party and its opposition must be respectful to each other. In Bangladesh, we have not yet developed such a political culture. The people expect that both the ruling AL and the main opposition BNP will do everything possible to develop a political culture that contributes to the successful functioning of democracy. It is also true that, here, the main initiative will have to come from the ruling AL.
M. Abdul Latif Mondal is a former Secretary to the Government. E-mail: latifm43@gmail.com

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