Awami League's Smart Bangladesh, BNP's state repairs and questions thereof

There's only two days left of the year. When the newspapers publish the year's roundup, there'll be reflections on how the post-corona year has passed. However, to my mind, December will certainly be the most discussed month of the year as far as politics is concerned.

The two major political parties of the county this month projected their plans for the future of Bangladesh. This also revealed the organisational condition of these two parties and the ensuing polarisation. First we got from BNP its state repair programme and declaration of a movement simultaneous with others. Then on 24 December we got Awami League's political commitment to create a 'Smart Bangladesh'.

Both the issues warrant detailed analysis, which is perhaps not quite feasible in the limited columns of a newspaper. However, light can be thrown on the salient features.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted four pillars for Smart Bangladesh. These are smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society

2.

The declaration of Awami League's council may have escaped the attention of those who did not watch the live TV broadcast. The media have been mulling over the leadership issue for the past few days rather than politics. Over the past 14 years, there has not been a single issue regarding the government or the party about which the ministers and party leaders have not said that the decision will be taken by the prime minister. So it is hard to understand why the media has made such a fuss over the leadership issue in the council. Awami League's website carries a political article 'The aim is now Smart Bangladesh in 2041'.

In the article, Hiren Pandit writes, while speaking at the 22nd national council, the party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted four pillars for Smart Bangladesh. These are smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society. The government wants to build up Bangladesh as a Smart Bangladesh where each and every workforce will be smart.

Everyone will have to learn all the tasks online, the economy will be e-economy where the entire financial management will be done through digital device. It was said that our education, health, work capacity, everything will take place by means of e-governance. Digital devices will be used for e-education, e-health and everything. We will be able to do this by 2041 and work is being carried out accordingly.

Recalling that on 12 December 2008, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had declared 'Digital Bangladesh' as the mainstay of 'Vision 2021', it was claimed that Bangladesh had brought about a revolution in the expansion of advanced information technology. It is obvious, in the various events of the government, that this declaration made at the political programme is the main theme or mantra of the government's campaign too.

However, this election-oriented declaration had no acknowledgement whatsoever that a crisis exists in national politics over the election. Neither was there any initiative or hint of any intention to resolve the crisis.

Other than Awami League and the parties in its alliance as well as its subservient opposition parties, all the other political parties have said they will not take part in the election under the present system. Yet the ruling party's council had no answer as to how, given the circumstances, would the election be participatory and competitive. Is that because the people's views are not considered necessary in making the unsmart population smart?

The main crisis in politics will not be resolved unless a system is ensured where the people can freely exercise their voting rights. Delay in acknowledging this will simply deepen the conflict and push it towards violence, which cannot be warranted at all. Even after saying there can be no dialogue with BNP, in 2018 dialogue was held. At the time, the prime minister put forward a proposal for a credible election 10 months before the polls. She had proposed to the opposition that an election-time government could be formed with all parties. Our aim is free, neutral and peaceful elections, she had said. Four years hence, the question remains as to why the government has no initiative or proposal now for a free, neutral and peaceful election.

Awami League's Vision 2021 included many hopes and aspirations of the people. Unfortunately, however, restoring people's voting rights has become most difficult

3.

Five days before Awami League's national council and declaration, on 19 December BNP came up with its declaration of the 27-point 'outline of structural reforms of the state'. In the backdrop of the spirally price of essentials from the middle of the year and the worsening of the economic crisis, BNP galvanized its organistional revival through various anti-government programmes.

Despite various obstructions from the ruling party, the administration and the police, BNP held a series of divisional mass rallies starting from 22 October, proving the party had not fizzled out. Then came the 'state repair' declaration. We had first heard the term loudly declared during the Safe Road movement of the school and college students.

An organisation called 'State Reforms Movement' has also used this term in its deliberations in constitutional reforms. Now that the large political party BNP has used this term, it has caught the attention of many who are interested to see what their programme is about.

The preface of the programme states that the present authoritarian government has shattered the state structure of Bangladesh. This state must be repaired and rebuilt. After winning a free, fair, neutral, credible and inclusive election, a "people's welfare national consensus government" must be established by all political parties involved in the movement to topple the present fascist government, with the aim of returning the ownership of the state to the hands of the people.

This national consensus government will carry out the reforms for state repairs. The 27 points of the party, include setting up commissions for amending the constitution, reforming the judiciary, administrative reforms, economic reforms, media reforms and so many more commissions, that it is hard to keep track of all the commissions proposed. The reforms are not presented serially in accordance to priority, so there remains a fear of nothing actually happening in the flurry of carrying these out. So it may not be far-fetched to see this as a reflection of an over ambitious efforts to please everyone.

The main problem in BNP's 27 points is that it presents no solution as to how the 'free, fair, neutral, credible and inclusive election' will take place before forming the national government. Earlier, however, the presently imprisoned secretary general of BNP Mirza Fakhrul had said, "I want to clearly state that this movement of ours is not aimed at placing BNP in power, this movement of ours is not to make Begum Khaleda Zia prime minister, this movement of ours is not to make Tarique Rahman prime minister. This movement of ours is a movement to restore people's rights, a movement to ensure people's voting rights, a movement to establish a free, good and peaceful environment in the country." Will these programmes have any fruitful outcome without drawing up a pragmatic path to regain voting rights? And will a credible election be possible without the government's approval and assistance?  

4.

We may recall Awami League's Vision 2021. The civil society had held citizens' dialogues all around the country before coming up with Vision 2021. Awami League's Vision 2021 included many hopes and aspirations of the people. Unfortunately, however, restoring people's voting rights remains elusive.

The caretaker government that had been formed after the fall of the military autocrat Ershad, was based on political understanding. The constitution did not pose as any problem because of that political understanding. Even in the 1/11 government of 2006, the constitution had not been followed to the tee, yet their activities gained legality. A national consensus is required for a caretaker government or government by any other name, under which the election will be held. That can never happen by leaving out any rival party. Only time will tell when, how and by whom will an initiative be taken for such a political understanding.

* Kamal Ahmed is a senior journalist

* This column appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir