Election has to be free without violence as voice of people has to be heard – Mainul Hosein

Our people found hope in the activities of delegations from the United States and European Union who visited Bangladesh and met party leaders and others as well as the Prime Minister.
The US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya who led an American delegation to Bangladesh, highlighted the importance of working together to achieve the goal of holding free and fair election. It is all right for the under secretary to underscore, diplomatically and otherwise, the final point that they do not take sides. But she highlighted the significance of working together to achieve free and fair election and shun violence.

Regarding the burning need of an impartial caretaker government during the election time, her observation is that it is an internal matter and she does not see any role of the United States in this regard.
We do not know what exactly the message she conveyed, during her meetings, to the prime minister and other ministers of the government. It is all right for the Under Secretary to say: I just want to underscore the final point that we do not take sides in the matter of election. She asserted this in the background of Russia’s position that the election in Bangladesh is an internal matter and others have no role to play.

However, her comment with regard to forthcoming election is now being used by the government, though not forcefully, to say that the under secretary has not objected to having the Awami League government in power during the election time. The America’s interest in free, fair and inclusive election is essential for existing good relationship with Bangladesh to continue.

The crisis of democracy in Bangladesh is deep and the influence of outside forces cannot be ruled out. We cannot deny that the greed for power among a section of our political leaders knows no limit. It is unfortunate that in general we do not have astute political leaders with due commitment to democracy. That is the political void which is unhelpful for democracy. But our people’s commitment to democracy remains as strong as ever.

The government has deliberately made free election impossible by introducing a new provision to the Constitution for continuing in power during the election to enable it to rig the election by forcing the government officials to do so.

Ironically, it is Awami League that led the urgency of having the caretaker government for election to be free. All the parties in the parliament supported the election time caretaker government. Then the BNP government also bowed to the genuine wish of the parliament.

Now the same Awami League with no hesitation of being in contradiction changed the Constitution to claim that the election is to be free and fair if the sitting government remains in power.
It is unbelievable that the Awami League that was born to fight for democracy formed a revolutionary one-party system in 1975 under which all the human rights became redundant. This system ended within a few months most tragically though.

Awami League was the strongest democratic party in Pakistan. But under the influence of leftist politics, Awami League became the killer of democracy in Bangladesh.
It is understandable that the Under Secretary Uzra Zeya was discreet to warn the others that election in Bangladesh is an internal matter and no other country has anything to do. The United States has so many other ways to see that the voice of the people matters in the election to be held. To save the people’s right to vote is not party politics.

The democratic Constitution expressing the will of the people was destroyed to forcibly impose on the people of Bangladesh the leftist revolutionary dictatorship despite the fact that our people relentlessly struggled for democracy and democratic rights. They gave lives for the cause of democracy so that fundamental human rights like the free press and independent judiciary are guaranteed. It is well known that our people belong to the free world and so by instinct pro-American.

To have the people’s voice heard, as the Under Secretary emphasised again and again, that the forthcoming election has to be free and fair with all sides shunning violence.
The government is fully aware of the anger of the people for its repressive actions by using law enforcing agencies and allowing corruption for loyalty to the government.
Our worry has been that this time without the use of state machinery for massive violence and bloodshed the government will not be able to hold the coming election, not to speak of declaring victory for itself. The fear remains that there will be the people’s uprising and anarchy to resist election rigging by the government.

Now after making the position of the US government clear election rigging will have consequences. The government will not be so sure of getting cooperation of the government officials in stealing the election. In a way the US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya has shown the government the way for reconciliation not to be over confident about remaining in power defying the people’s voice.