PM's welcome call to opposition

We welcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's call to the opposition to join the ruling party to register their contributions to the forthcoming session that will concern itself with amendments to prevent grabbing of state power through extra-constitutional means. Her statement in the Jatiyo Sangsad on Thursday to associate the opposition with the process should be reciprocated by the latter. We believe that in the larger interest of pluralism and with a view to securing a democratic future for the nation, the BNP should take up the government offer. That this nation has paid a high price because of past instances of coups and counter-coups has never been in doubt. The need, therefore, is now for both the ruling and opposition parties to forge a consensus on effectively putting a stop to such adventurism by ambitious elements.
It is in the interest of both the Awami League and the BNP to ensure the continued survival and strengthening of democracy. Strengthening democracy entails, however, much more than an exercise of the ballot once every five years. The restoration of democracy in 1991 notwithstanding, we have observed that it is always the majority party which appropriates all power for five years while the opposition has hardly any role to speak of. Modern democracy is all about governing, and governing well through the ruling party keeping the opposition engaged on crucial national issues. Similarly, it is for the opposition to remain focused on its role in parliament as a shadow government. The culture that has developed, of the ruling party governing in arrogance and the opposition boycotting parliament, can never be conducive to making democracy strong and fruitful.
Democracy very much requires ensuring that all the institutions of local government, so well defined in theory, are made fully operative. It is only through empowering the many tiers of democracy, especially at local levels --- union parishad, upazila parishad --- that democracy can take deeper roots and its fruits can be enjoyed by the people. The prime minister's call should now be followed by concrete action on the part of both the ruling party and opposition.