We want real democracy

Wasif Wahed, On e-mail
A former law minister recently called this government a “autocratic”. Ironically, he was the Vice President under a military dictator. Dictators are hated species around the globe, for they lack legitimacy as they are not public representatives. They cannot tolerate dissent. Opponents are jailed and disappeared. Media freedom is curbed. The average person is deprived of his right to protest against any misdeed or express any opinion. The dictator fears any political establishment. Thus Libya, Syria, Yemen do not have political establishments. We restored democracy in 1991, but the question is do we really have democracy in this country? The ex-law minister is correct in a sense but is not his party also autocratic when in power? Elections alone do not ensure democracy. The editor of an English daily calls the present situation of our country “electoral autocracy”. We want real democracy.