Let them see the light….

9 March, 1996. Daily Star

Plato, widely known as the master of those who know, while talking about the very implementation of the theory of his “Ideal State” conceived in his book Republic said that ideal was more real than real itself.

Aristotle in his epoch-making book Politics-a basic document politics and political science- held that the best practicable state should have its own model and means to survive.

Machiavelli, The political thinker, whose thoughts on politics and statecraft was considered as one of the best weapons even by the democrats, opined that people should always be taken into account while a leader/statesman feels inclination to embark upon any plan or decision.

Rousseau, the exponent of social contract theory as a source of the birth of state defined his well known “General will” in three different ways:

General Will is the will of the majority aimed, of course, at the welfare of the people at large; or

General will is the will of the minority aimed, of course, at the welfare of the people at large; or

General Will is the will of a few or even an individual aimed, of course, at the welfare of the people at large.

Miller, a political scientist of repute, pointed out: Politics means Disagreement; Disagreements leading to conflicts; Conflicts based on value-rooted ends of actions

Yes, in all such cases, issues and instances the leading focal point is Man and His Welfare. Family, society and state were born or, to say more specifically, rather were created for a better, wheal their development of an individual in the rapidly unfolding, swelling society with all the opportunities and amenities.

Survival and development of a political society like ours cannot be allowed to go an unattended any more. We must go beyond the limit of the age and hence, the 23-month standing impasse arising out of differences of stands, policies and formulas of BNP and AL backed by the opposition needs to be resolved without any further delay.

People have virtually lost confidence in both politics and political parties in general and politicians in particular as they miserably failed to prove “politics” as a set of values, goals and targets and ‘political parties’ as a possible problem solving agency. People are being haunted for people’s interests but, in fact, they are not considered when they deserve it. What surprising irony!

We should at this very moment not be swayed by a sweeping conclusion that there is no light to go ahead for. One has to agree with the proposition that Hasina’s Three Thanks To Khaleda were not a mere applause rather a victory for the two and for the nation as a whole. The thanks came: One immediately after the passing of the 12^th amendment to the constitution that introduced the parliamentary system of government secondly, after the dissolution of the 5^th parliament and thirdly, after Khaleda’s acceptance of the concept of a caretaker government to conduct elections to Sangsad.

Out of the basic stands of Al now the most important two are: Cancellation 15 through which the 6^th Sangsad has come out and resignation of BNP cabinet followed by dialogue to be initiated by the President of the Republic. In response to Khaleda Zia’s written offer for dialogue Sheikh Hasina insisted that the President with BNP joining as a political party should initiate it.

We remember Sheikh Hasina’s serious pre-condition or say, a specific sacred promise she made publicly before elections, that if Khaleda Zia resigned, she would be spared from “Allegations of corruptions”. What a fantastic pre-condition or historic promise!

If Sheikh Hasina appears to be so friendly with and generous to khaleda Zia, should not she again be more diplomatic or so to say, softer in her approach to the dialogue-war?

The Daily Star in its editorial on March 5 implied a hint of a possible dialogue initiated by the President either with reference from Supreme Court or at his own as the head of the state and the custodian of the constitution.

FBCCI president urged the President of the Republic to give thought to coining an idea that a selected group of citizens with integrity and maturity might be chosen to initiate the dialogue.

In fact, if we want to get rid of the crisis, a compromise formula, of course, very close to the stands, policies and formulas of BNP and AL backed by the opposition, may be devised, provided no party concerned shall consider it an concerned from the basic stand. The possible compromise formula may be as follows:

Let the Prime Minister announce a specific date of election under the proposal non-party caretaker government-----------

· Let Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina be flexible, magnanimous and beyond the time while dealing with the fate of the nation;

· Let the Prime Minister herself take a historic step to put forward a request to the President of the Republic formally or informally to open dialogue or let the President of the Republic initiate a dialogue at his own or with a reference from Supreme Court.

· Let all political parties attend the dialogue to find out ways and means of a possible structure of a caretaker government comprising personalities of such national stature, as have enough integrity and maturity.

· Let BNP join the dialogue as a political party only and even being in power not using flag0carrier car to go to and come from the venue of dialogue.

· Let BNP resign from power immediately after the formation of caretaker governments followed by its announcement of the cabinet headed either by a chief adviser or prime minister.

· Let the great debate of getting the consensus amendment bill passed by which Sangsad be settled through dialogue and if there us any difference on the question of its passing- by 6^th or coming Sangsad- then that’s the only problem remains to be handled and if the political parties can solve the problems phase wise, should we feel that this very issue shall be left undecided?

This very formula is also in consonance with the spirit of requests, initiatives, and formulas, national and international, taken over the last 23 month of the crisis; May Allah bless and help both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina so that they can apply their good senses and thus ensure their due place in the political and constitutional history of Bangladesh. Let the posterity have a feeling that during the time of crisis their ancestors proved their excellence like anything being above time, space and dimension.