Benefits of 1/11

It seems that the nation has lost its sense of direction. The memories of pre “One-Eleven” are so horrifying that we never want to look back. The whole country was literally hostage under the then triangular power struggle between the caretaker government and the two large political parties. To the media in the western world Bangladesh was on the verge of being declared a failed state. Many observers commented that the nation was in the “Intensive Care Unit”. The social and economic activities almost came to near standstill.
Indeed, we paid a heavy price for peaceful transfer of power from a constitutionally elected government to the other! Have we forgotten the immense price this nation paid, so that a caretaker government takes over once the tenure of a normally elected government ends? Have we forgotten the farce of successive parliaments over the last one decade where the opposition leaders never ever sat in that majestic building across the Manik Mia Avenue but enjoyed all the benefits of being an MP? The bitter realisation is that there is no political leadership; rather there is constitutional dealership to have a share of the abandoned properties. Nevertheless, the by-products of “One-Eleven” will remain as an eye-opener. Without “One-Eleven” we would not have known the extent, depth and magnitude of corruption by the giants close to the immediate past government.