Caretaker govt was the demand of AL, but it doesn’t exist in parliamentary system

Anisur Rahman Khan :
Though the caretaker government (CTG) system doesn’t exist in the parliamentary process, the opposition political parties are demanding caretaker system for holding the national election free, fair and participatory.

Formation of the caretaker government was the major demand of the then-opposition Awami League (AL) and Jamaat-e-Islami during the tenure of BNP government in 1996.

CTGs were formed within the constitutional framework to manage the elections and transitions of 1996, 2001 and 2006.

Although the first caretaker government was intended to help the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, this system was adopted as the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1996 by the Sixth Parliament.

Former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman took charge as chief adviser to caretaker government in March 1996.

However, Awami League joined the national polls after formation of CTG in 1996. So, Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) demand for formation of the CTG system nothing wrong, some senior government officials, bankers and educationists have told this correspondent.

Meanwhile, some of the high-ranking government officials at the joint secretary and additional secretary levels have voiced their concerns about the dwindling public support in favour of the government, though various unprecedented development works claimed by the government have been completed across the country.

Even some of them said that the ruling party could assess their popularity by restoring caretaker government which demanded by the opposition political parties.

These officials are baffled by the yawning gap between the government and the people, attributing it to widespread corruption and the government failure to ease the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and costly services.

However, they also suggested that the nation could be on the brink of a state of emergency if political reconciliation remains elusive, warning of dire consequences which will affect mainly the general populace.

Wishing anonymity, the high-ranking government officials at the joint secretary and additional secretary levels told this correspondent on Wednesday.

They all agreed on one fact and claimed that the government has made significant strides in development projects and infrastructure improvements that are crucial for the nation’s future.

However, they expressed deep concern over the growing disconnection between the government and the people.

“The ruling party will surely be defeated in the upcoming parliamentary polls if the election held under caretaker government.

So, we think the ruling party will not take the risk and will try to hold the election at any cost,” an Additional Secretary said this on condition of anonymity.

One of the officials, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “It’s disheartening to see that despite our best efforts and the tangible progress we’ve achieved, the general public seems disillusioned and lacks faith in the government. We need to understand why this has happened.”

Others said that the pervasive corruption across various sectors has eroded the country’s economy and the real picture of the foreign reserves is not being revealed.

They believed that the rampant graft has eroded the trust of the people, resulting in higher prices for everyday goods and services and undermining their quality of life.

This situation has been prevailing for a long time and the people have become impatient to cope with decreasing income and higher prices of commodities and services.

“Corruption has permeated almost every sector of our society,” remarked another official.

“This has caused prices of essential commodities to soar, making it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to make ends meet.

The government needs to take urgent steps to combat this issue and restore people’s trust.”

In addition to corruption, officials also stated the current political impasse between the government and the opposition, mainly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Both sides appear entrenched in their positions, leading to fears that the nation may be on the verge of a state of emergency as the election period approaches, less than 100 days remaining.

The officials stressed the need for political reconciliation to avert a potential crisis.

One official cautioned, “If we don’t find a way to bridge the gap between the government and the opposition, we risk descending into chaos.

The gates of hell could open, and our nation, particularly our ordinary citizens, will bear the brunt of the consequences. Our economy will falter, and law and order could deteriorate beyond control.”

The officials urged all stakeholders to prioritise the interests of the nation and engage in meaningful dialogue to find common ground.

They emphasised that the collective well-being of the people should always be the top priority.

While the government initially took a strong stance against corruption by apprehending several mid-level offenders, public satisfaction was evident.

However, as this anti-corruption campaign appeared to lose momentum and those arrested were released on bail, public trust in the government began to erode, they observed.

They further said that confidence building among people who are grappling with critical issues should be the most important issue of the government.

Only the development works will not repair the damage, rather concrete actions are needed from the government to combat corruption.

These officials also said that people are also unhappy as they could not cast their votes as citizens in the last two elections in 2014 and 2018 when the Constitution upholds that the people are the sovereignty of the state.

Losing their right to franchise has created a long resentment among the people.

They said that the coming days will be crucial if the government and the opposition cannot reach a consensus on how a free, fair and participatory election will be held.

Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, former Vice-chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, told this correspondent that he apprehended for state of emergency if political parties are not reached in a consensus for holding a free, fair and participatory national polls.