Lies and half-truths

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should be thanked for not playing with her plans regarding the upcoming general elections amid opposition BNP’s demand for what they call an “election-time government.” Sheikh Hasina has, rightfully, acquired the position of leader to reckon with in the international community, in order to mark the start of her fifth year in office after the 2014 election -- the election which underwent widespread violence unleashed by Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its most reliable friend, the Jamaat-e-Islami. People were killed, mostly by torching vehicles, and many more were injured by the unholy BNP-Jamaat alliance that wanted to derail the democratic process -- failing to win with the political chess game as well as ignoring the offers made by her to Khaleda Zia. The prime minister, in her address to the nation, placed all the facts on the table saying it would be the same type of government in the next polls as it was in 2013 and warned against any attempts at inciting violence. “People hold power to decide who rules the country,” she said adding that the past 10 years of her government has delivered and kept the promises made to the people. Indeed, it has been 10 years of seismic development in almost all sectors -- we have seen progress like never before since the country’s bloody birth in 1971, with the Padma Bridge finally coming into fruition, and that too with our own funds. And many other projects are already underway which seek to change the lives of the people and take the country to new heights. We now have forgotten how there used to be regular blackouts making life and business difficult. The opposition accused the government of corrupt practices in this sector for choosing a handful of companies to do the job, but can we please accept the reality? Which is that the premier has kept her word and our lives are now comfortable. A reality that had been unthinkable during BNP’s long rule under General Ziaur Rahman and later his widow, Khaleda Zia.

Even if BNP preaches lies and half truths to the Western media, the party must remember that the media are no fools

In the time of BNP, what we got was senseless and unlawful killings of opponents, both civil and military. We had the Hawa Bhaban where governance and politics sucked in billions of dollars for the former prime minister’s elder son Tarique Rahman, who enjoyed a luxurious life in London -- and, at times, belched out hilarious distortions of history. BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the media in reaction to the premier’s speech how he was sure that Bangladesh was headed for a crisis again as the premier has made her case clear. “We think her speech is unquestionably pushing the country towards another wave of crisis instead of solving the current one,” he said. First, Mr Alamgir must thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for giving them more than enough space to decide -- to be a part in the next parliament or become history. Then why should the premier compromise? For what? Can we think of India or Britain changing their constitution to cater to the whims of one political party? One can argue about the kind of democracy that exists in those two countries compared to our young one. They too crossed many years to reach where they stand now and as far as I know, the constitution was not changed to suit any one party’s convenience. Politics is, of course, like a game of chess, and, so far, the BNP has performed miserably and there had been times when I genuinely laughed out at what they had tried to do simply to offset the ruling Awami League. So, what is the current crisis that Mr Alamgir has declared? Sheikh Hasina has set a milestone of being in office for two consecutive terms, meaning she has a strong foothold in the affairs of the country and there is no question about her plans for a peaceful election despite the threat from the BNP. The last word is that the electorate knows what it wants and the premier has delivered it while she showcased her firmness in ensuring political stability without the use of violence. The last time, the premier showed grand gestures to make it an “inclusive election.” Later, when those gestures didn’t succeed, to the great dismay of the BNP, she firmly went ahead to uphold the constitutional obligations. She will do so again and that is what the people expect. The Western world’s fascination for an “inclusive election” does not mean we have to insult our own constitution. I have asked my British colleagues if they will support a change in their constitution. The reply was in the negative. So, even if BNP preaches lies and half-truths to the Western media, the party must remember that the media are no fools. If there is a crisis, then the BNP will have to shoulder the blame and be ostracised by the people for good.Nadeem Qadir is a UN Dag Hammarskjold Fellow in journalism.