A CHOICE OF DYNASTY
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajib Wazed Joy has formally joined national politics. It was a festive occasion at his deceased father's birthplace Pirganj, Rangpur. He was received as another crown prince of Bangladesh's politics with showering of rose petals by a colourfully dressed welcoming troupe. He inherits a family legacy.
Bangladesh's national politics is dominated by two major political parties; one in the government and the other in the opposition, the Awami League and the BNP. The Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia baptized her eldest son Tareque Rahman as the crown prince of her party quite some time ago. He lives abroad because of apprehensions that the ruling party does not look at him kindly. But his party's recent resounding success at local polls has emboldened his mother and the party officials to speak of the new trends he will introduce to national politics. The timing of his arrival perhaps will coincide with the weakening of the stubborn stance of the government.
National politics in Bangladesh is witness to fractious relationship between the two major operators of dynastic democracy. The prime minister has suggested that her son's consultation with American media experts will help her party formulate strategies to regain popularity among the mass. It has substance because American media plays a major role during election campaigns. The new entrant has a better understanding of it because of his long exposure to it. Bangladesh will have to wait to see how it works.
The opposition leader's son was in the midst of organizational work for a long time and it has given him useful knowledge of his party's network and of its leaders and legions. That will count in an election if and when his party decides to contest. But his past is a burden and he may have to answer questions about his overzealous actions in running his party and about alleged blessings to the August 21 carnage conducted by a militant theocratic party.
The fiefdom that he operated in league with his cohorts is not viewed favourably. Even then he will remain a force to reckon with if the groundswell in favour of his party remains strong in coming days. But the coming national poll in Bangladesh has portents that even a breezy optimist dares not to predict. Whatever it is these two children of politics will have a role to play in determining the destiny of democracy in Bangladesh.
Octogenarian Ershad has no credible offspring to put forward as the inheritor of his legacy known for his bargaining skills and a succession of U-turns that keep Bangladesh politics abuzz. His party has a standing principally because his region in the north is steadfastly faithful to its aging son and also because it has a collection of sons of the soil backed by their constituencies no matter which way the wind is blowing. Ershad and his coterie of followers matter albeit on a lesser scale on the ground that he has his region and they have their home seats. If the sons are the crown princes they are the dukes of democracy.
The major theocratic party of Bangladesh Jamate-e-Islami has a countrywide network and its leadership has no known record of dynastic privilege. However its nonagenarian retiree chief has a son with armed forces background who has recently come into limelight as his lone defence witness at the war crimes trial.
There is a plethora of lesser political parties in Bangladesh. These are in fact one man band shows run by former student activists, drifters from major parties, one time luminaries, and those led by clerical eminences. Their public profile and background help them to obtain a gift of a constituency in the name of grand alliance from the two major parties. Although they do not count much in Bangladesh politics these minions will love to pass on whatever little legacy they have to their descendants. There are or were however politicians of different thinking.
One can remember as a matter of reference that there was once a politician from Brahmanbaria who rose to hold high public office but subscribed to an ideology incompatible with the birth of Bangladesh and died unsung has no known member from his family aspiring to claim his constituency.
The most recent headline is the political statement of Professor Yunus. It is certain his international celebrity status carries weight which will count if indeed he decides to join a no holds barred field of Bangladesh politics. He once declared his intentions but did not act on it. A national polls campaign here is a massive display of political strength for the two parties that involves large sum of money believed to be collected by selling of nominations and by offering assurances of future patronage to those whose treasury is munificent for future gains. This kind of modus operandi will liquidate the good work Professor Yunus has done. Bangladesh will wait to see how he handles his legacy.
America has also instances of passing on political legacy. John Quincy Adams the 6th president of America was the son of John Adams, its 2nd president, Benjamin Harrison the 23rd president was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, its 9th president, George H.W. Bush the 41st president has a successor in 43rd president George W. Bush. The 42nd president Bill Clinton has an aspirant in his wife Hillary. President William Howard Taft, Henry Cabot Lodge, the Kennedy brothers and Al Gore Sr. had successors to their political legacy.
However America believes such dynasties are not consistent with the ideal of meritocracy. This looks more like royal privilege akin to Britain's House of Lords. These 'celebritized' candidates enjoy advantage of pedigree over newcomer candidates of greater merit.
It is equally true for Bangladesh. A choice of dynasty is not a fair reflection of what the popular mindset wants and deserves. Bangladesh has a long history of politics but not of constitutional democracy catering to the popular demand for competing merit. The national polls are like turn of roulette wheel - two major parties succeeding each other in turns. Over the years the turn of the wheel almost always looks like wheel of misfortune. Most people agree that the people of Bangladesh deserve a better deal not an acrimonious exercise of dynastic democracy.
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