Political philosophy
After 1/11 (Jan 11 2008), the political year 2008 in Dhaka has bogged down. No cooperation from the past political regimes ruling since 1991. The other parties are not in tune with the orchestration of the two major parties -- for obvious reasons, (the haves and the have-nots). The high food and fuel prices have slowed down and distracted the attention from the major theme of holding neutral general elections in Dec '08.
This is a typical Bangalee agenda: too many items on the agenda; and lack of priorities; diluting focus on principles, rather than on the details. This is due to the overcrowding effect we experience in daily life; looking for space for the next footstep. I experience it when I go to the kitchen market--too crowded with shoppers, vehicles, beggars, and garbage without bins.
The bus stops are none too comfortable. Why so many unauthorized bus stops? the answer is easy: the politics is too informal. That also means the governance--the culture is yet to mature into acceptable discipline. Why so? No background; no gestation period; no political sapling allowed to mature. It is all ad hoc, without continuity--and with the opposition seats vacant in a running parliament.
This government would be remembered for an epoch-making achievement: the issue of computerized, digitalized national/voter ID cards. The party leaders are worried; where to hid karchupi? Therefore the coming local elections before the general elections is a litmus test for the sustenance of future national political culture. It is embarrassing to read the reports of TIB on corruption data prevailing in Bangladesh. The politicians never show the other side of the coin; hence the voters have to set the tune for the future. Due to economic handicaps, the awareness campaigns are rather cosmetic (note how the farmers have now accepted the importance of fertilisers, and genetic seeds, as a result of sustained daily broadcasting programmes on farming news).
Our IT sector has a role to play. Notice how ICT technology has filtered down into the daily lives of even the semi-literate rural people: the impact of the mobile telephone. Skipping time and space. Another democratic tool is the personal computer, with Internet facility. It shattered bureaucracy, and the grey area in a network system.
Opacity in political governance prevails as a global epidemic. The inertia effect has to be overcome--only national unity could handle this challenge. What are we doing? Lost in election canvassing!
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