Governance at stake

Star

AFTER the January 5 Parliamentary election in which the Al won a massive majority, anxious citizens were hoping that peace would prevail. But belying people's expectation, the country is witnessing a steady a worsening of law and order.
However, despite all the odds, the people are optimistic about democratic governance. The agenda for this government is clear -- holding together a country torn by partisan conflicts and clashes; curbing terrorism, corruption, and rampant lawlessness; and healing the wounds of minority repression and looting let loose in different parts of the country after the election. The present government that pledged to curb terrorism must face down the mafia group without fear or favour and regardless of partisan identity.  
We have leaders who are capable of shedding tears or indulging in rhetoric of development they want to achieve, but incapable of assuming their duties. People wonder how many incidents of killings, looting, arson and violence will prod the administration into effective action against the criminals. The seven murder incident at Narayanganj and killing of Fulgazi mayor Ekram at Feni show that some people driven by hate, intolerance, revenge and political animosity are there to set the society on fire.
As this Al-led government struggles to address a range of social and economic ills, the last thing we need is further tension. Political intrigue, bickering and infighting have become the norm. Prices of food and daily necessaries are soaring, adding to the miseries of millions, especially in this month of Ramadan. People do not know how long they will have to wait for the kind of leadership the country now desperately needs.  
Large scale educational campaigns that will instill the values and ideals that helped nations of the world to survive and prosper in their days of turmoil must be carried out. These ideals -- primacy of human rights, rule of law, and ideological tolerance -- must be enshrined in the society. To be sure, in the state of affairs as it is these days, making these values acceptable in a society torn apart by economic, political and behavioural crisis will not be an easy task. The initiative for the revival of the society will definitely have to come from within the society itself, from its leaders and intelligentsia who are now at loggerheads with each other.
The most prominent casualty of the simmering political crisis and state of turmoil in the country is the badly needed economic expansion programme. As it appears, not to speak of foreign investors, even local investors are wary of venturing into an inflammable area, a conflict-ridden site that has largely been made so by some politicians, with utter disregard towards people's torments and sufferings. They have exploited and manipulated all the weaknesses inherent in a developing society. Social fissures which statesmen would normally attempt to bridge have been deepened by some of us seeking short term advantages.
These criminal acts of a microscopic section of the populace should have alerted the politicians and administrators to reevaluate and guard the goals of a democratic society. It is in this light that our leaders, politicians and custodians of the society must take appropriate measures to curb terrorism.
Most people now say that the country is faced with the crisis of governance, the root cause of which is the “flawed design” of our democracy. The resulting situation is that most people in the country are now deeply distressed with the failure of the state to fulfill their expectations of good governance. In such an atmosphere of despair, cynicism and fear one can see the big danger of muscle, money and terrorism creeping into the society.
 The rural areas that could once take pride in being peaceful and tranquil now appear to be heading towards chaos. Politics has not gone beyond the narrow limits of petty self-interest and extremist lines even in these areas. It is time the administration recognised the dangers of letting the extremist political groups take control of things and ride roughshod over the principle of sacrifice, and the spirit of the Liberation War. In the quagmire of dirty politics, those who suffer are the country's hapless millions.
People wonder if the rot that has started setting in can be stopped from spreading further. It should be brought home to those self-centred politicians that this is not only undermining the government but also the state, and is very adversely affecting foreign investment vis-à-vis national development. The popular perception is that the administration has flip-flopped on major policy decisions allowing divisive forces to gain ground. History teaches us that discarding reason and critical thinking in favour of fanaticism leads only to misery.
People wonder how the criminals were so emboldened to behave so recklessly. The answer is obvious, there seems to be no rule of law in the county! It seems the county operates on a very simple principle: show me the person and I'll show you the law. There is no equality before the law. Consequently, there is no deterrence either. Puzzlingly, some politicians still refuse to admit that until our law enforcing agencies start functioning properly, criminals and terrorists will continue to treat the government's fight against terrorism with disdain.

The writer is a columnist of The Daily Star.  
E-mail:  aukhandk@gmail.com