Whither reforms?
Pre 1/11 was a hectic time in our political arena. Over the last few years, if I am not wrong, reform was one of the much-pronounced issue in our political arena. Political parties, especially the AL and its allies, had been of the opinion (before 1/11) that they would not participate in election if no constructive reform was in place. It pressed home the 31-point demand and the BNP-led alliance's stubbornness left the country virtually handicapped/paralysed. Finally, the BNP govt. was forced to sit for discussion. After a series of dialogues, no result could be achieved. The fiasco pushed the country into political chaos/uncertainty.
Against the backdrop of political uncertainty, the interim govt. took over. Since the interim govt. took charge, it has undertaken many steps. For example, separating the EC secretariat from the PMO, transparency in recruiting the judges and many more. But the core issue i.e. the reform of the political parties is still unresolved. The political parties should take the initiative in this respect. Though one year has elapsed since this govt. took over, the political parties have not taken any initiative to reform themselves, and the election is only a few months away. More interestingly, the AL, the prime advocate of reform, has been passing time mindlessly.
Quite funny! The AL and all the political parties are asking the CTG to hold an early election! On the other hand, the BNP has been split into two parts. The AL and the BNP will reject any reform unless their leaders are freed, but the sole condition is not justifiable. Moreover, the Jamaat believes it needs no reform. Last but not the least, we believe those reforms will be fruitless if the political parties are not reformed from within. Sadly, the political parties are bypassing the core issue.
Now, people want to see the political parties taking immediate steps in this respect.
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