Font Size 
Bangladesh, a nation in crisis
Published on Sun, Jun 03, 2007 at 21:22, Updated on Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 16:09 in World section
Tags: Inside Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina
CRISIS CONCERNS: Sheikh Hasina says people should be allowed choose their own Govt right now.
More from Inside Bangladesh | |
 | Eye to eye with terror |
 | Why B'desh slams Nobel laureate Yunus |
 | Army of housewives fight TB |
Other stories in the section:
India burns midnight oil for nuclear dawn
No clear consensus yet on draft waiver but hectic parleys are on at Vienna.
Now that Shiekh Hasina is back home, it's clear that politics in this country Bangladesh cannot do without it's two begums.
“A lot of damage has been done do their image especially Khaleda Zia’s. No one believes that her son is not corrupt,” said Toufique Imroz Khalidi.
But with the ban on all political activities, the two begums, who served alternately as prime ministers since 1991, are struggling to keep their political dreams alive. Their bitter personal rivalry has kept the country in permanent turmoil.
Despite their similar political careers, the two begums live contrasting lives. Sheikh Hasina has been the torchbearer of a secular democracy while Khaleda Zia, who rose from the army cantonments, is seen as a corrupt leader who turned a blind eye to the growth of religious extremism.
Khaleda's autocratic style is now being challenged by her once-close allies. “She has to address the key issues which are affecting the party which include getting rid of the corrupt people, reforms,” said Dr Osman Farook, senior BNP leader.
¤A24 Hasina might have a political upper hand over her rival, but that's precisely why the government is angry with her… their honeymoon in charge of Bangladesh can turn violent if Hasina decides to start yet another agitation
“The people who are in jail have got back Hasina hoping that she can create some more disturbance and get them out of jail,” said Barrister Mainul Hosein.
For now, both the begums are lying low, paying the price for squandering opportunities to shape the destiny of their nation in better way.
What happens when you slam a case against thousands of unidentified supporters of a particular political party in a country under emergency? Well, it gives the security forces the right to pick and chose.
Thousands danced on the streets as Shiekh Hasina finally came back to Dhaka after 52 days, breaking all laws of a country under emergency, where any form of political gathering is banned.
Next day, two cases were slapped against thousands of unidentified people. Dozens of people were arrested.
Many feel it's a ploy to keep Awami League supporters indoors because Awami League, the party that fought for the independence of the country, is a formidable force when it hit the streets.
“Perhaps the Government is scared of the gatherings of the people,” said Nurul Kabir.
The Army has reasons to be concerned. Sheikh Hasina's party has once pulled down a military government from power.
Meanwhile, prices have been going up and up since the caretaker government took over and now it's can have political consequences for the interim government.
In Dhaka's biggest morning market, the anger bursts out because prices of essential food items have increased almost 50 per cent in the last four months.
The drive to clean up Bangladeshi politics by the army-controlled interim government is also taking a toll on the country's economy.
Slowly, the staple diet of common Bangladeshis are getting beyond their reach. Bengalis and fish are being forced to part ways, the craze to buy fish is fast diminishing and essential commodities like rice, pulses and vegetables are getting more expensive. Inflation is at an all-time high and all new foreign investments have been put on hold.
And as the price rises, the common man's disillusionment with the military-controlled government is also rising.
So far, the interim administration has ignored the alarm bells possibly because an unaccountable military regime is not answerable to the Bangladeshi voters.
More Headlines from World
| Related links: | |
Total Comments: 0
Read Comment | Post Comment
Be the first to comment.