As the next general election in Bangladesh is now around the corner, the people expect that the next parliament would be more representative in nature where the lawmakers would debate and create more noise on the issues affecting our society, the polity and the economy.
Such optimism was also aired by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, last week at her meeting with the German state minister for foreign affairs. She expressed her hope that the election commission will be able to hold an inclusive, fair and neutral national election by the end of the year with support from all political parties and other stakeholders.
Bangladeshis, in general, are politically-sensitive. Only a few years back our common people were found to be hooked to television sets, watching and enjoying the fierce debates, arguments and counter-arguments in parliament. But with the absence of a strong opposition in parliament, people have switched their interests to political talk shows on television, which are, in effect, largely verbiage, having no concrete policy implications.
Perhaps the BNP, by not joining the general elections of January 2014, had committed its greatest political blunder since its inception. Had there been the BNP’s representation in the current parliament, no matter however small in size, much of their political agonies could have been averted. What’s more, with critical issues of national interest, they could have put the government in the dock from time to time.
So, the resultant democratic deficit, is manifested by the rise of other actors, advocacy or pressure groups; all out to fulfill their respective socio-political or economic agenda. Television talk shows have replaced parliament as the place for listening to divergent social and political viewpoints.
We have seen lately that our streets are occupied by various non-political actors as well. Many of their demands could have been discussed and mitigated in parliament. Let’s take the case of the most recent quota reform movement.
The attack on the students by the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling party’s student wing, and later the teachers’ demonstration to protect their own students, sadly, reminds us the need for a truly representative parliament where such issues could have been tackled diligently.
Many such cases can be cited here. Despite the government’s diplomatic manoeuvering, the Rohingya crisis has headed towards a deadlock, as the international community is not paying due attention to the possibility of safe repatriation. A national consensus is inevitable in this respect, but more importantly, widespread discussion in parliament could help the nation formulate proper strategy to face this unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
The BNP’s boycott of the 2014 elections has had far-reaching consequences. The AL and its allies are given a free ride in parliament and many critical issues of national interests are now not debated at length.
Regrettably, in many parts of the world, the values of democracy are collapsing and the spectre of authoritarianism is rising. Even in the USA, considered as the champion of democratic causes, true democratic spirit is steadily losing ground. States are becoming more authoritative in nature, age-old values of democracy are found dashed to the ground. Minority rights are suppressed, dissident voices silenced in both developed and developing countries.
As a result, in this rapidly transforming global political order (or disorder), sticking to a truly democratic polity seems to be an uphill task for a developing country like ours.
But we have hopes as well. Political theorists would brand the Awami League as not only the largest, but one of the most successful political parties of Bangladesh for its ability to accommodate divergent groups and voices within the party and in the society. So, when, as the leader of the Awami League, prime minister Sheikh Hasina assures anyone that the next election would be inclusive, all of us become optimistic about a truly representative parliament.
On the other hand, the BNP should also understand that if they fail to participate in the next general election, not only would their existence as a political party be at stake, but also the country’s democratic future would be considerably weakened.
History values our own people’s role in achieving numerous political and democratic goals. It is now in the hands of our political parties to materialise the people’s aspirations and make parliament a place for wider debate and discussion. Non-political actors will definitely have their role in strengthening democracy, but not at the expenses of a truly effective and legitimate parliament.
* Md. Shamsul Islam is a researcher and columnist. He can be contacted at shamsulbkk@gmail.com