Irony of our politics
The BNP has flouted the provision of the RPO (in nominating their candidates for the parliamentary polls) which required grassroots leaders to send panels of candidates and then only would the parliamentary board select candidates from that list. The BNPPB has instead unilaterally nominated candidates. To make matters worse they have nominated people with dubious backgrounds, accused criminals (an Aug 21st grenade accused has also got nomination!) and convicted persons. The recent HC verdict barring EPR convicts from polls has been a positive decision and hopefully this will keep away some of the notorious persons. While the AL has followed the grassroots' recommendations (though in some cases they have not), their alliance with the former military dictator H.M.Ershad is a sign of AL's "win at any cost" mentality. Ershad, it appears is keen to get the post of president (as a part of a deal with AL) to lead the last days of his life "respectably."
This is the state of politics in our country where ideology takes a back seat where "winning at any cost" mentality is the main ideology. The BNP has allied itself with anti-liberation forces while the AL with the JP. The same AL who had ousted Ershad in the 90s' is now thinking of giving the post of presidency to this military despot. It would be an irony to see this military dictator become president if the AL-led grand alliance comes to power. It would be a slap in the face of the families of Dr. Milon, Nur Hossain (and countless other democracy loving people) who had shed their blood to oust Ershad. In a country where we have seen anti-liberation forces occupying the posts of cabinet, "qualitative change" in politics will be hard to come by. This is the month of December, the month of victory. The martyrs had not died and freedom fighters had not fought to see this Bangladesh. Unless the next generation wakes up and builds a new Bangladesh, our country will not be able to come out of this mess.
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