No good candidates

The long cherished hope of electing honest and dedicated persons as people's representatives to the national and local bodies/ institutions is going to remain a far cry. This has become evident from the list of the candidates who got nominations and were accepted by the EC for different posts in the upcoming city corporations and pourashava elections. In Khulna City Corporation (KCC) mayoral & ward commissioner candidacy, 13 are facing allegations of corruption and criminal activities. In Sylhet City Corporation mayoral election, three candidates are accused of similar crimes. The scene is not different for the other two city corporations i.e. Barisal and Rajshahi. Mostly incumbent ward commissioners belonging to two major political parties (a few of them were even convicted & now out on bail) are seeking to be elected again. Recently, the CEC even expressed frustration as very few good people came forward to participate in the polls.
Now it depends entirely on the voters who have absolute right to select the best possible candidates out of those contesting ones. The CTG is apparently trying its best to bring about a qualitative change in the process of electing people's representatives. But their effort cannot succeed if the common people do not come forward and show the courage to reject the criminals & corrupt elements whose faces are known to all. The people will get reasonable support & protection of law enforcing agencies while casting their votes in secret. We all must sacrifice and not kneel down to money and muscle power remembering that a completely different situation now prevails in the country. It is the people who must prove that they are the source of all power.
A nation of honest and dedicated people can also expect their leaders to be of the same quality and standard. Forget the slogan "Amar vote ami dibo, jake khushi take dibo." The real slogan should be "Amar vote ami dibo, dekhe shune bujhe dibo." This is one of the election posters that I saw recently which definitely indicates some positive change in our behaviour and thinking. Let us also seek the blessings of Allah for salvation of this nation.