Election pledges left ignored

The ruling Awami League appears to have been reluctant to deliver on its electoral pledges on good governance, democratisation and decentralisation of power. Its inaction in general and excess use of power in some cases has rather worsened the situation in its first year in office.

In the run-up to the one-sided January 5 parliamentary polls, the AL had said it would take more than a dozen measures to improve the governance. After leading her party to an easy win with three-fourth majority, AL chief Sheik Hasina formed her cabinet on January 12 last year amid an unprecedented scale of political turmoil.

One of the crucial electoral pledges was to take steps to create a national consensus among political parties, professional bodies and civil societies on basic issues like upholding democratic process and ensuring uninterrupted development.

But after one year in office in their second consecutive term, it seems the policymakers of the government and the ruling party have forgotten that pledge. Some of them are even openly taking stance against holding talks with rival political parties including the BNP.

As a result, the political situation has apparently started getting back to square one with the BNP-led alliance enforcing countrywide indefinite blockade. In addition, confinement of BNP chief Khaleda Zia to her political office has undermined the democratic process, instead of upholding it.

Political unrests are diminishing the possibility of peace, discipline and stability in the country. This makes it difficult for the government to deliver on its pledges to establish peace and stability in all spheres of national and social life.

Moreover, a sharp rise in extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances allegedly by law enforcers in last one year has exposed the vulnerability of public security.

To cite an example as per an Ain O Salish Kendra report, 128 people died in "crossfire" as well as "gunfight" between law enforcers and "criminals" in 2014, while the number was 72 in 2013.

The law enforcement agencies in 2014 allegedly abducted 88 people; 42 of them never returned home, while bodies of 23 were found later. The ASK report demonstrates that instances of enforced disappearance were higher last year than the previous two years, the numbers being 53 in 2013 and 56 in 2012.

The rights situation could not be improved although the AL had promised to take necessary measures to that end.

The party's pledge for appointing an ombudsman remains only in papers with no move being visible in this regard as well.

The law enforcement agencies, especially police, were not made free from partisan influences though the AL had promised to do so.

The police and other law enforcement agencies have been used to foil the opposition's rallies and demonstrations. On the other side, they were seen remaining silent on many occasions when ruling AL men demonstrated with unruly activities.

The National Human Rights Commission looked helpless in the face of gross violation of rights, proving that the government either could not or did not turn the NHRC into an effective institution.

The AL had also promised to protect the constitution and independence of the judiciary. But it had hurriedly amended the constitution to empower parliament to remove a Supreme Court judge on grounds of misbehaviour and incapacity.

This had triggered widespread controversy as many critics labelled the government's move as an attempt to influence the apex court.

The AL had also pledged to take necessary measures to establish democracy and democratic institutions including the House on a more solid basis. But no effective move was visible in the last one year to achieve that goal.

No move was taken in line with another pledge to make rules and regulations to ensure accountability of the MPs on their collective and personal activities. The House remains virtually dysfunctional with no genuine opposition bench. And the check and balance structure has apparently collapsed.

The fight against corruption could not get sufficient space thanks to the government's reluctance in delivering on the party's electoral pledges.

The AL had promised to strengthen legal, political, social and institutional initiatives to curb corruption. It had also promised to further improve the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission by increasing its power and efficiency.

Non-action worsens the situation. The Corruption Perception Index of the Transparency International last December said corruption rose in Bangladesh with the country sliding two notches to rank the 14th most corrupt country in the world.

Moreover, the way the ACC has given clean chits to some AL lawmakers from alleged graft charges has demonstrated the commission's inability to perform independently and effectively.

There were no visible signs in the last one year to empower the local government bodies in light of the AL's electoral pledges to decentralise power to ensure people's greater participation in governance and development activities.

The government has even made no move to hold elections to the zila parishads and the bifurcated Dhaka city corporations, let alone making efforts to strengthen those institutions. Ruling AL men and government officials have been running the zila parishads and the DCCs respectively since December 2011.

In terms of empowerment, the fate of upazila parishads is almost the same. The difference is there were elections in 2014. But the polls could not offer people sufficient scopes to elect their representatives as per their choices.

In those elections, ruling AL men resorting to widespread rigging and violence in their desperate bid to win the polls not only denied people their voting rights but also damaged the electoral system.

The AL had promised in its electoral manifesto to make the Election Commission more powerful and independent through reforms but could not prevent its own men from bulldozing the country's electoral system.

The EC was unable to take any strong measures in the face of widespread irregularities. Neither the government nor the EC has taken any move in the last one year to rebuild the electoral system to restore people's confidence in it.

The government, however, keeps continuing with the trial of war criminals as per its electoral pledge. Two international crimes tribunals have delivered a number of verdicts convicting war criminals including Matiur Rahman Nizami for their crimes against humanity.

It has kept implementing several development projects taken in the previous tenure and also initiated a number of major projects in the last one year. But the government's weakness in taking steps to ensure good governance keeps overshadowing its achievements so far.