Our Anna Hazare will not succeed

Nur Jahan, Chittagong

Photo: AFP

A letter entitled "Where is our Anna Hazare?" written by Badal Hasib was published in The Daily Star on August 28. He wrote about the respected social activist who was on a hunger strike vowing not to end it until the government would eliminate corruption. He wished that there was one Anna Hazare in our country where corruption was devouring every public sector. But it seems he has forgotten that this is Bangladesh, and not India. Here patriots like Anna Hazare may go on a hunger strike, but it will not have any effect. We learned that anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on August 28 broke his hunger strike with a call to change India's electoral system by incorporating the right to recall lawmakers and reject candidates after Indian parliament agreed to endorse his key demands. Both houses of Indian parliament passed a resolution accepting Anna Hazare's three demands bringing the country's entire bureaucracy under the authority of an independent anti-corruption agency, appointing anti-graft ombudsman in all 29 states and display of a citizen's charter, explaining the rights of individuals in government offices. Will our government ever compromise on such issues? The word 'compromise' is not in their dictionary.