Bangladesh should have an Athens Council
In the never-ending quarrel between the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia, it is becoming increasingly clear that this dispute stems from the fact that there is no check on whoever becomes the prime minister. Without an Upper House, there is no check on the ruling party and its leaders.
As the inventors of democracy -- the ancient Athenians -- tell us without any check, democracy can degenerate into a tyranny of the majority. Democracy was invented by the ancient Athenians who believed that aristocrats and oligarchs didn't have any divine right to rule and ordinary citizens must have a say in the governing. So they invented a system of government involving all citizens and called it Demokratia -- the government by the people.
But the Athenians found out that democracy had also some inherent contradictions and the most seductive one was the majority rule. To stem the rich and poor conflict, they created the Athens Council, composed of 500 people chosen through lottery, to provide a check on the majority. The Athens Council had the power to override any decision that ignored the legitimate concerns of the minority. The purpose of the Athens Council was to protect the rich from the envy of the poor and protect the poor from the arrogance of the rich.
To provide a check on the governing party and its powerful leaders, Bangladesh should have a non-partisan Upper House or Senate as its own Athens Council. The Senators can be elected on a non-partisan basis or they can be appointed by an all-party committee. Like the Athens Council, the Senators will have the power to override any decision of the governing party that ignores the legitimate concerns of others. Only a non-partisan Senate can do this. Democracy is about public participation in the governing and not the privilege of any party winning a larger number of seats.
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