Sheikh Hasina's welcome return
We welcome Sheikh Hasina back to the country after her medical treatment abroad, consigning any speculation mongering to the bin. With the election schedule having been announced and the emergency relaxed, the country is set on the election track. The Awami League chief's return adds to the fullness of the electoral atmosphere. Her presence and leading the party up front rather than from a long distance would surely help invigorate the party and steer it steadily on course to the upcoming general election.
Apart from giving positive vibes overseas about her party taking part in the polls, on arrival she has made an emphatic statement against any effort to foil the election and urged all concerned to be united in their bid to participate in the national poll. For our part, we have been constantly imploring the political parties to concentrate their attention on the election because the people look forward to it as a way of marking a qualitative difference in the type of leadership offered and in terms of future governance of the country.
BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia has warned that the country is in a crisis. To our mind, the solution to the crisis lies in election. We also believe that non-participation in the election by a major party can create a crisis of its own which palpably the people don't want.
The Awami League is a political party with a glorious legacy anchored in its participation in all movements for securing the rights of the people, culminating in its leading the freedom struggle. The AL needs to be revitalised through internal democracy, the party has had provisions for. Now that Sheikh Hasina is back, she is definitely expected to strengthen intra-party democracy, as a first sign of which her party is already working towards implementing the bottom-up nomination process envisaged in the amended RPO.
The AL owes it to the voters to let them know what concrete plans and programmes the party has to address the burning issues facing the country. Actually, the people are keen on seeing the major parties share their vision for the future to make informed choices in the next election.
Comments