e_Paper, Friday, August 18, 2017

Opinion 15
DT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Bangabandhu’s
dream for
Bangladesh
Development, democracy, and
decentralisation are key
• Moazzem Hossain
Every year, August 15 brings
to our nation a reminder
of our dark history -- one
tainted by the atrocity
and injustice wreaked upon
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and his nearest and
dearest, in 1975.
While the country mourns
the untimely loss of the Father
of the Nation, a victim of an
unprecedented carnage, we
also celebrate his extraordinary
achievements in life, and his
dream for an independent and
prosperous land for Bangalis.
We also remember the
tremendous sacrifices he made for
the sake of his people.
Bangabandhu spent more than
13 years in a Pakistani prison,
out of the 24 years that the two
Pakistans -- East and West -- had
the nation lost about three million
people and more than 200,000
women lost their dignity at the
hands of enemy forces.
We know well that after the
brutal killing spree staged by some
rough and inhuman members
of the then armed forces of
Bangladesh in 1975, the nation was
subjected to military rule by two
generals, Ziaur Rahman and HM
Ershad, for 15 years, until 1990.
The three Ds of prosperity
For any nation, the three Ds --
development, democracy, and
decentralisation -- are essential
attendants on the road to
prosperity.
After 1991, the nation has been
experiencing democracy’s rollercoaster
ride, including a two year
military-backed, hand-picked
civilian regime duiring 2006-08.
However, in 2009, a
The AL should put more effort on positive
campaigning, by focusing on its achievements
in the areas of development, democracy, and
decentralisation over the last two terms
Good governance will take our country a long way
BIGSTOCK
been in existence.
Finally, on March 7, 1971, he
declared his desire for the freedom
and independence of his people
in a historic speech to millions of
Bangalis at the Dhaka Race Course
grounds.
But the enemies of liberation
had different plans for the future.
Pakistani armed forces began a
bloodbath in Dhaka and other
large cities on March 25, 1971.
The Liberation War commenced
immediately on March 26, with
Bangabandhu’s declaration of
independence.
The nation of Bangladesh was
liberated from occupied forces on
December 16, 1971.
During the nine months of war,
democratically-elected
government came to power in a
landslide victory, led by Sheikh
Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu.
Since then, she and her
administration have been
committed to the three Ds of
prosperity.
The next general election is due
in a year and a half, and all eyes are
on the democracy element of the
three Ds at the moment.
A voter’s dilemma
Pre-election tensions between the
incumbent and opposition parties
outside parliament suggest that
the voters will be facing a dilemma
in exercising their voting right at
the 11th parliamentary election in
2018/19.
On the one hand, since the
14-party alliance led by the Awami
League has been in power for two
consecutive terms, the so-called
“incumbency” factor is likely to be
a challenge for them.
Voters are more likely to be
undecided at the ballot box and it
is also going to be a daunting task
for the AL-led alliance to attract
floating voters.
The opposition (members of the
alliance led by the BNP), on the
other hand, are going to face great
difficulty attracting voters (floating
and new), because of how the
BNP-Jamaat alliance turned the
whole nation into an inferno in the
name of a movement to dislodge
the AL government in 2014.
Floating voters would hesitate
to trust them so soon, due mainly
to their lack of commitment
in controlling militancy and
terrorism.
Elections and future prosperity
Bangladesh has come a long way
since 1991, and the time has come
for all of us to ask how to achieve
the three Ds, which would bring
prosperity to our people, stability
in our politics, and security in our
lives.
The incumbent has been
quite successful in these aspects,
particularly with regard to its zero
tolerance stance on terrorism and
related violence.
At this moment, the AL-led
alliance looks likely to win another
term. However, they know
well that there is no room for
complacency in the election game.
The AL should put more
effort on positive campaigning,
by focusing on its achievements
in the areas of development,
democracy, and decentralisation
over the last two terms.
Those are the keys to a
prosperous and thriving
Bangladesh, the kind that the
Father of the Nation had dreamed
of. •
Moazzem Hossain is a freelance
contributor and lives in Brisbane,
Australia.