Benazir Bhutto
Benazir is gone…as soon as I heard this news I felt a kind of trembling inside me, which I was not able to control. Interestingly when Benazir was in the scene years back and she was sent on self-exile, I was just a kid to understand either Benazir or her politics. Just for the last two or three years, I have started generating my own understanding regarding politics and since then I have started admiring Benazir Bhutto, Suu Kyi and Sonia Gandhi. It is true that against Benazir there was charge of corruption and more specifically perhaps her husband is responsible for her downfall. For a girl like me, Benazir was always a charismatic figure with her great look, talent, western education and personality along with media attention. Her uniquely designed coat with milk white scarf, eyes covered with fashion glasses and the fusion of being a mother and a political figure were always eye-catching.
There is a common trait in the lives of Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia, Suu Kyi , Sonia and Benazir--all them started their political career after the death of their father or husband. Like Benazir, Sheikh Hasina also came to the political scene after the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujib, hence it was generally expected that Hasina would carry the legacy of her father, but she could not dominate the scene and Khaleda Zia could maker her mark as a politician. I am writing not to praise Benazir but to raise the question as to why our leaders could not become so popular.
This year, for the first time, I have included my name in the voter list. So, now I am a mature citizen of Bangladesh. However, my happiness diminishes when I think of voting for someone, because I really find no party to vote. There should be at least one charismatic leader for whom I will cast my valuable vote!
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