On August 5, outraged students pulled down the strongest autocratic regime in the history of our country: Something the combined opposition parties failed to do after a decade of burning and marching. It sparked from such an innocuous demand, quotas for jobs, something the government could have easily agreed to on day one. No one thought this immense power would fall apart so quickly, over such an issue.
We have to conclude something; in our country the only guaranteed way to remove autocrats is through a genuine public uprising, specifically of students. This is predicated on the hope and belief that the ultimate fist of power, the army itself, will not massacre students in cold blood. For normal people who get no justice from police, the judiciary, the media, who can lose their water, gas, power, even the internet at the whims of any buffoon in power, this one blood drenched card remains.
Bad governance has plagued us, in rampant corruption, murder, forced disappearances, and despite this, our people have delivered economic growth and prosperity. We are a country of enormous potential, shackled by our politicians. Before tackling any of this however, the first question we must answer is: How do we ensure a government steps down after its term is over?
How do we ensure that a government, any government good or bad, peacefully gives up power? Do students have to revolt every time to remove them? Given the nature of our politics it is inevitable that governments will attempt to overstay their welcome. Checks and balances are urgently required, but even in theory this seems a difficult problem to solve.
Let us take a caretaker government in charge of each election, backed by the army. That has worked somewhat in the past. How do we ensure that the caretaker will step down, however? Who will check their power? We have to give them enormous authority, but we can shackle it with a short term, limited mandate. What if they change the mandate however? What if, after doing all the good work they are tasked with doing, they decide that elections are unnecessary?
Our fundamental, primary concern has to be that any government, good or bad, has to leave power on time; and because we are cowards, we have to ask our students to shed their blood, to shred their bodies every time
A strong independent judiciary might declare that illegal, but which country actually has a strong independent judiciary? Judges can be appointed, laws can be changed. Judicial coups are another possibility, in the hands of rogue judges.
We could change the constitution to insist that a caretaker is required for elections and that caretaker cannot overstay its welcome, but every piece of paper can be rewritten. A strong enough majority government can change every word of the constitution.
In the end, if someone is determined to break the spirit of an agreement, it is impossible to stop them. We are the epitome of might makes right; the winner is king, the loser is a bandit. Our political nature is such that we cannot afford to believe in any kind of good faith exchange of power. Our fundamental, primary concern has to be that any government, good or bad, has to leave power on time; and because we are cowards, we have to ask our students to shed their blood, to shred their bodies every time, and hope that their courage and optimism does not flag. We owe them a great debt.
Saad Z Hossain is the author of multiple books, and a writer of satire and science fiction.