Mandate for change
Photo: Shafiqul Islam Kajol / Driknews
The extraordinary support for the AL is definitely a mandate for fundamental change in the system of governance in the country. After all, they have the two thirds majority. Can Sheikh Hasina & Awami League deliver that change? Can she liberate the country's people from the yokes of colonial bureaucratic system of governance? After everything settles down, the country will go back to the age old colonial system of governance, despite the overwhelming participation of the nation in the election. From the secretariat to the upazila offices, it's the non elected, non answerable bureaucrats who will be the supreme rulers of the day to day affairs of the country. The minister is not the executive head of the ministry but the secretary is. Ministers' orders cannot be issued as government orders unless approved by the secretary. The scenario at the districts and upazilas is even bleaker. There is zero representation of the public in the governance at those levels. The notorious system that was devised by the colonial rulers to keep us under subjugation by our own people continues to this day, despite two independences. If the Awami League under Sheikh Hasina wants to capitalize on the support of the goodness of good majority then as promised she has to go forward with the upazila election. Hope her government will hand over the total administration of the upazilas to the elected chairman & council members. She will face a lot of resistance from the bureaucracy by way of government rules & regulations but she has the backing of the vast majority as well as the two thirds majority in parliament to do and undo anything in the greater interest of the nation. All administrative powers which are exercised by the bureaucrats at those levels should be vested in the elected chairman & council of representatives. This will empower the upazila people to be their own rulers. They will truly be independent. The Bengali word swadhin carries more meaning as it means “swa plus adhin” , self-rule may be. Until & unless we establish democracy; self rule at the grass root levels, democracy will not have its foundations. Opinions of the majority, their hopes & aspirations, likings, disliking will not be expressed in the affairs of the country, nor their support will be of any strength to the elected government. The handful of elected ministers at the centre will be disconnected from the electorate by way of the bureaucracy which will be at the helm of day to day affairs of the country. The vast majority of Bangladeshis has shown the keen judgement of right & wrong by routing out the parties with an anti-liberation past. They also opted for the less corrupt of the two parties. Wishing all the best to the statesmanship of Sheikh Hasina.
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