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Opposition under lock and key: Awami Version of ‘Democracy’!!!

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is probably the biggest wonder of the world! Do you know why? It’s because of her bizarre system of ‘Democracy’!! Does it sound weird? Ok dudes, just let me explain.

 

Awami League, as a party and as a part of the government, claims itself to be an advocate of ‘Democracy’ to such extent that a person alien to real facts is sure enough to be misled thinking of Awami League as a party of saints. But, very interestingly, they shaped up an altogether new ‘Version of Democracy’ quite unprecedented in history; such a peculiar version which always says ‘Yes’ to the government and ‘No’ to the Opposition. We’d like to call it- “Awami Version of Democracy”. Awami League together with its secular allies really deserves a great applause for this kind of nice (!) job.

 

Today, January 5, is a day which Awami League-led coalition claims to be one democracy revived on and the Opposition claims to be one democracy was slain on. This day last year, an Opposition-boycotted one-party sham election took place whereby Awami League and its allies acceded to power. Indeed, that election was merely a one-horse race. However, local as well as global media revealed the secrets behind the scenes of that farcical poll which in fact beggars description and is also an ‘open secret’.

 

We generally take Lincolnian definition of democracy for granted and that is- “The government of the people, by the people, for the people”. The ‘people’ here include both the pro-government men and the Opposition ones. Political variety is a beauty of democracy but the Awami government is not literally ready to tolerate this beauty anymore practically. Now Bangladesh is undergoing a quite different peculiar type of democracy with a government “of the Awami Leaguers, by the Awami Leaguers, for the Awami Leaguers”. This is exactly what happened today.

 

Both Awami League and the BNP-Jamaat alliance called for rallies today and the police banned all kinds of rallies in public. Even so, rallies were brought out and slogans were chanted by both the pro-government guys and the Opposition men but it is only the Opposition men (2 BNP activists) who were shot dead by the police. Many more Opposition leaders and activists have been injured but not a single pro-government thug is seen even to face any policemen. No, no guys! It’s nothing like ‘double standard’; it’s the real ‘beauty’ of Awami Version of Democracy!! What a thrill!!!

 

Under the said new version of democracy, the Awami government is very committed (!) to ensuring needed safety and security for the Opposition leaders and this is why 11 trucks laden with bricks and sand have been parked centering round the Gulshan Office of BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia. During the early afternoon, even the gates of her office were locked up by the policemen. Fine! Bravo!! Most wonderful security measures the world has ever seen!!!

Now, the pivotal query is that if the Opposition leader needs such strange security measures, the government leader needs even more. Why aren’t many more brick and sand-laden trucks placed around the office of the Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina and also why wasn’t her office made under lock and key? Oh no men, you ought not to ask like this at all lest you should be branded as enemies of ‘Democracy’; especially of that democracy coined by the Awami pundits (!).

 

With a bid to foil the Opposition’s rally, the Awami League-led government showed its utmost envy and stubbornness. Hundreds of people are just suspiciously picked up by the law enforcers. Dhaka has once again been delinked from the rest of the country by stopping movement of buses and launches forcibly leaving thousands of passengers stranded here and there. People have been nabbed even from the launch terminals. All these mean that it is only the pro-government thugs who have unconditional right to bring out any rally or procession whatsoever and the Opposition has no right to be out with any rallies, be it on the occasion of 26^th March or 16^th December or 5^th January. Are you questioning the validity of this policy? No, you can’t. Because it’s the Awami Version of Democracy forcibly installed in Bangladesh!!

 

Now let’s talk about some serious facts. Cops are again seen today on attack. They seem to be absolutely impatient at the public gatherings of the opposition parties, especially at those of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir. The current government boasts of being a real democratic government but its actions don’t contain any sort of democratic attitude. Tolerance and mutual esteem are musts for a true democracy but the government is not tolerating its political opponents in the least. It strew its cops on its opponents and the cops beat them wherever they appear, suspiciously nab innocent men, women and children, persecute them under the guise of remand and harass them in the name of interrogation. Over time, cops have turned into foes of the people.

 

To be serious enough, we should act as if we were boarders of the same boat with a common interest while doing politics. Our politics turned into some dirty games that claim innocent lives and injure harmless bodies. Such games must be put an end to without further delay; otherwise political hurdles will only get complicated to more and more extent. Politics is to save the people and not to kill them. Politicization of academia and judiciary must be stopped. Accountability and fairness must also be ensured. We should be bold enough to learn from each other, respect one another and treat one another upon the principles of justice, tolerance and dignity of all human beings. Only then, our politics will be people-friendly.

 

Click the link below to taste the original write-up on CNN iReport:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1203616

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