South African apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was a true practitioner of democracy who never compromised on ethics nor contemplated vengeance, speakers at a programme said yesterday.
Human Rights Forum Bangladesh organised the programme, titled “Human Rights, Democracy and Leadership: Mandela and Present Bangladesh,” in the capital.
Speaking there, former chief justice and chief advisor to the caretaker government Habibur Rahman said Mandela, who died recently at the age of 94, never thought of vengeance.
“Observing the prevailing situation, I do not believe Bangladesh will learn any lesson from him,” he said.
“Although Mandela did not come off an ordinary family, all bad habits were absent in him. Having born in a royal family, he possessed all the best qualities,” the former chief justice added.
Justice Habibur said the former South African president had not hankered after a BMW car or stayed at the presidential palace; instead he had stayed on the outskirts of the city.
Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, something he first dreamt of at the age of 32, but handed over leadership to others by not staying more than one term, the former chief adviser said.
Justice Habibur said unlike Mandela, leaders in our country wanted to dream and achieve everything by themselves instead of passing the torch to the next generation.
Like South Africa’s formation of a truth and reconciliation commission, Bangladesh also formed a truth commission – under which top corrupt persons got released; this was a serious insult, he said.
“Mandela talked about pardon, love and affection. But here in Bangladesh we see a child chanting for death sentence of war criminals. How will we learn from him?” he said.
Convener of the forum and Ain O Salish Kendra Executive Director Sultana Kamal said Nelson Mandela had made compromises and pardoned his enemies but had not compromised on ethics.
Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said: “We talk about democracy but we do not practice it; but Nelson Mandala followed democracy in its true sense.
“In our country when a party goes to power, the ruling party considers all democratic institutions as its own,” he said, adding that Nelson Mandela never hesitated to hand over power to the next generation.
Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam said Mandela with his ideal had been able to remain at the hearts of people. “At his death, I felt a sense of loss,” she added.