Following an election that has raised questions, both at home and abroad, the government is working hard to establish its legitimacy. A speedy swearing-in did nothing to lessen the administration's unease.
Legal and constitutional experts are trying to make sense of the type of election, parliament, government, and the current state of our democracy -- a “hybrid democracy” one might call it. Both treasury and opposition are diluted into a single party like the Chinese National People’s Congress. Whatever terms might be used to describe the current government, the ruling party has never been as much in disarray as it is now during their 74-year political sojourn.
The people of East Pakistan, today’s Bangladesh, moved away from the Muslim League and overwhelmingly cast their ballots for the Awami League in 1970 because they sided with their aspiration for democracy and dignified self-rule. The same party however established a one-party rule in 1975 following the fourth amendment to the constitution.
Following the 15th amendment to the constitution in 2011, all-party political settlement on election-time government was repealed, for which the ruling party had neither any mandate nor sought any referendum afterwards. As a result all elections in Bangladesh have always come under question since 2008.
Are we now back to square one?
The economy is under severe stress from all fronts: Exports are down, remittance dropped to a record low, unemployment is still high, investment is close to nil, the foreign reserve is dwindling, the dollar crisis is pushing businesses to shrink or shut down, unprecedented price hikes are making everyday life unbearable, syndicated corruption has become unmanageable, the most successful private banks are in a liquidity crisis, while oligarchs and kleptocrats are simply impossible to keep at bay. We have been in need of a functional Finance Ministry for years now.
Bangladesh Bank is either unable or unwilling to regulate financial institutions, as whatever they even attempt to do is too little or too late. LDC graduation in 2026 seems like a far cry, given the circumstances.
For the past few months, gas supply in domestic households has either been reduced or has been irregular. Intermittent power cuts are affecting both businesses and private households. BPC cannot import necessary fuel due to the dollar crisis. A number of coal-driven power plants remained shut as the treasury could not make payments for coal import. With the increased summer temperature from around late February/early March, the power crisis would be exacerbated further still. Cost of production and manufacturing have been on the rise for years which would put our global competitive edge at risk.
Internationally, the ongoing criticism of the government has seemingly triggered even more set-backs. Western governments would continue to engage with the party in power but with reluctance and at a minimal level -- diplomacy appears to be on a “shared interest” basis as opposed to “shared values.” This Cold War-type relationship would strain our export markets in the West and diminish potential FDI inflow. Trapped in by loan sharks would only drain our hard-earned currency out and the country would eventually be a secondary market for illiberal troika.
Undue reliance on countries for political legitimacy not only harms our longstanding connectivity with Western governments but also our remittance market, exports, education, and employment. The UN, US, UK, and EU had repeatedly made the call for a participatory democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law, and good governance. Our persistent backsliding cannot but be ignored or go unnoticed any longer, and this self-imposed isolation will have a steep price to pay in the longer run.
Chasing the BNP, or any other opposition party, cannot be the task of a regular government. Listening to every minister every day, it sounds like the BNP and their alliance are to blame for the catastrophes befallen upon this nation, although they have been out of power for the last 17 years. Shifting blames, denying facts, and playing the victim card has seemingly overtaken accountability. Unlawful detention of tens of thousands based on trumped-up cases and speedy convictions of thousands of opposition leaders has all but instilled a deficit of trust when it comes to our judiciary.
Regarding public service for citizens, no state institutions seem to be delivering to any meaningful degree -- corruption, rampant bribery, bureaucratic red-tape, and incompetence have forced them to the point of breakdown. Starting from public healthcare to transport, education to unbearable levels of pollution, energy consumption to road safety, it’s all so overwhelming.
Grabbing onto power without an effective mandate from their own people, save the aid of foreign powers, can have severe consequences for any nation in the coming years. As a country, we are at loss. Everything we have fought for now seems like an illusion, a distant reality.
Silence can sometimes be worrisome, as it can mean that a storm is on the horizon. Not each victory is glorious, nor every defeat disgraceful. Nobody won on January 7, but Bangladesh might just have lost.
Asaduzzaman Fuaad, Barrister-at-law is Joint Member Secretary, AB Party. Email: [email protected].
