Enmity threat to congenial environment

The people own the country. To manage the nation, they hand the responsibility of the country to political parties. Before the election, the parties publish their manifestos and the public choose who they think the best. Here, more than the party and the candidate, what they pledge to do should have got more priority.

But sadly that is not the case now. The politicians are fighting against one another and they care more about their own interest than the betterment of the nation.

When they think more about themselves and not about the country, mishaps are bound to happen. That is what we are seeing now in Bangladesh. The developed nations have gradually improved and they do not need to think about politics much nowadays. We need to try do the same. Once a nation gets stability, it is difficult to corrupt its political machinery.

But it is true that politics here in Bangladesh are getting better. We do not think of a third party (army solution) anymore. We do not have a caretaker government system either. This is the first time we are having an election under a sitting government. If this plan succeeds, we will never ever have to think of the third party or a caretaker government again.

However, the political parties have not developed a friendly attitude. Who are at power want to cling to power and who are not are desperate to topple the opponents. Our parties are at war now, as if failure here will spell the end of the world. We once used to have ideal elections here, but now it seems that is a thing of the past.

But there will be a change. At first we thought we were going to get another unelected government, but lately things have sprung to life. Many opposition leaders are behind the bars or unable to go to their area, something that needs to change. If they get to power some day, they might do the same to the parties that are giving them a hard time now.

Most of the respected political figures are not here anymore. We might see some qualitative changes in Chittagong's political scenario.

* Professor Muhammad Sekandar Khan is the vice-chancellor of East Delta University, Chittagong and the president of SHUJAN Chittagong district committee