[This was published on 15 May 2015 in Bogota
Free Planet under the column ‘Voicing from Bangladesh’]
Leadership is a condition precedent for a group,
association, body or organization, whatever the circumstances appear to be. A
state sans leadership in various areas covering politics, business, education,
religion, culture economics, science and technology is like a ship without
captain. Of all types and classes of leaderships, political leadership stands
high in esteem, altitude and gravity because politics deals with approximately
all the issues in and around a state having necessary links with national,
bi-lateral, regional and global compacts. Therefore saying is ‘to become a
political leader one has to go through a series of pains, sufferings,
challenges, odds, dilemmas, sacrifices setting aside various forms and scales
of accusations, defamations, slurs both organizationally and individually.
Hence the question of an organization, which is in politics called ‘political party’,
is important and truth is that political leadership originates centering a
political party. Knowing very well that ‘field of politics is not a bed of
roses’ here a political leader remains mostly uncompromising on her/his stand,
policies and programs based on matching vision and mission aimed at going to
power through elections to parliament primarily and to local bodies secondarily.
A politician, political leader,
or political figure (from Classical Greek πόλις, "polis’) is a
person who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making. This
includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people
who seek those positions, whether by means of election, inheritance, coup
d'état, appointment, conquest, or other means. They create and or propose laws
that further the general interest of the public. Politics is not limited to
governance through public office. Political offices may also be held in
corporations. In civil uprisings, politicians may be called freedom fighters.
In media campaigns, politicians are often referred to as activists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politician)
Reality unfolds the truth that
political leadership is a product of the politics in a country depending on
time, space and dimension. Politics, from the extreme point of view, aims at
the well-being and development of the people in a state keeping rhythm with
bi-lateral, regional and international overall landscapes and realities with
all the possible limitations and opportunities therein. Speaking in the
superlative, political leadership is the highest form of leadership on all
counts since political leadership is well christened and colored with a set of
vision and mission backed by sacrifices, risks and contributions.
‘Political leadership means
more than successful political management and must also be differentiated from
hierarchical control or management concept as it is understood in a free
market. It implies a guidance function by setting a new agenda and creating
necessary acceptance for change. This is all the more important when it applies
to political reforms that initially require painful intervention in the
existing rights of voters. Warren Bennis formulated it as follows: ‘Leaders
provide a sense of to help create goals and objectives. People want leaders to
provide context’. Therefore, public leadership inevitable has a strongly
prescriptive character’. (http://www.fundacionbertelsmann.org/fundacion/data/ESP/media/EN_LiderazgoPol.pdf).
There must have distinguishing landmarks of
political leaderships between or among developed and developing countries. More
actuality is that lot of differences are discernible within the folds of
developed and developing states. Therefore, each and every country maintains
and holds politics and political system that are by and large pointedly called
home-grown/home-made. Hence, there must be marked differences between two
countries even if they belong to the same system of government whether the
system is presidential or parliamentary or mixed one in multi-party order. This
is an extension of the write-ups published in the weekly PROBE on 13 October
2012 and in the Financial Express under the title ‘Bangladesh suffers from
leadership deficiencies’ on 26 September 2012, Bangladesh and on 28 April in
the Bogota Free Planet, a leading Online Daily in South America. The carnal
point that makes political leadership distinct and distinguishing is its vision
and mission.
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic
of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia; and is bordered by India to its
west, north and east; Burma to its southeast and separated from Nepal and
Bhutan by the Chicken’s Neck corridor. It is a member of developing countries
with 160 million population and a land of 147,570 km, has no immunity from this
virtual certainty and thus political leadership here in Bangladesh nearly comes
to be known as ‘Political leadership after Bangladesh model’. In plain
language, this model comes possibly from the factual appearance of the ingredients/factors
as follows-------------------------------------
* Politics
in Bangladesh is still within the zone of antagonisms, opportunities and
privileges instead of mutual understanding, tolerance and sacrifices amounting
to responsibility (visit author’s article ‘Moot point is political leadership’
at http://sinhaearthblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/moot-point-is-political-leadership.html);
* The
nation is diametrically divided into two opposed camps, one is led by AL and
other is headed by BNP. This has given birth to the politics of ‘yes and/or
‘no’, which implies if AL says yes to anything then BNP utters no to that
immediately without giving thought to the weight, importance, necessity and
practicability and vice versa. Consequently, long-coveted ‘national consensus’
on major and burring issues, internal and external, has become a day dream
under the ongoing mode and pattern of politics(visit author’s article’
Three-phase national consensus formula: Bangladesh Perspective at http://sinhaearthblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/three-phase-national-consensus-formula.html). Interestingly enough, there is a unique consensus between
them from the seat of the position and the seat of opposition in Parliament
since they opportunistically speak in the same voice and tone while in such
standing. This may rightly be called a kind of ‘consensus behind the curtain.
·
Because of this division nearly all
sectors from professional to non-professional bodies, associational to
non-associational organizations, think-tank to non-think-tank entities, NGOs
etc have come under the umbrella of these two parties and politics of alliance
is revolving around them. A sense of politicization is hunting all emotionally
or whimsically. This has further developed undesirable currents and trends at
the disregard of right and/or wrong. What AL and BNP say that’s binding on all
under their respective umbrellas. Today, ‘brain-mortgage’, ‘brain-sale’ and
‘brain-tender’ are on in full swing. Alas! Bangladesh, alas! fast falling
conscience. Should we be contended with such negative landscapes of independent
Bangladesh?
* All
kinds of negative cronyisms, philistinism and commercialism are rampant here
providing, helping and sustaining a corruption-friendly environment from bottom
to the top;
* Politics
has been made prey to commercialization and consequently almost all the
key decision-making and law-making bodies, elected or not, like Parliament,
Council of Ministers, Council of Advisors have been captured by so-called
industrialists, traders, hoarders, bank-loan defaulters etc evicting ‘tested
politicians’ from there;
* Religion
plays a very important role in the politics of Bangladesh. Even political
parties in the left fold are very much aware of dealing their politics showing
befitting respects and honor to the necessity of religions of various kinds for
their existence and continuance. Leading left leader Mujaffar Ahmed once voiced
publicly that ‘a man can be religious in private life at the same time being a
communist in politics. Therefore, communism is for the worldly life while
religion is for the world after death’. Leaders of the leading parties
including petticoat parties Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP)
are to a large extent mathematical in weighing and using religion, if a need
arises. The very basis of Indo-phobic Bangladesh at the mass level is religion
upon which rests the foundation of Bangladeshi Nationalism as opposed to
Bengali Nationalism, two leading currents in the politics of Bangladesh. Former
President and Jatio Party Chairman HM Ershad incorporated ‘Islam’ as state religion by the Constitution (Eighth Amendment)
Act of 1989 and this has been contained and strengthened assertively in the
Constitution (Fifteen Amendment) act of 2011 by the incumbent ruling secular
political party AL as well.
Ironically
enough, people here are on the whole religion-fearing, not religion-performing
perfectly in most of cases in the true sense of the term. Practice and
application of religious teachings and lessons at micro and macro levels from
the standpoints of honesty, dedication, sincerity and transparency are not so
manifest in the life of the people, although all these are highly desirable for
the overall integrity, individually and/or collectively. On all accounts,
Bangladesh is a widely claimed moderate Muslim country where, in comparison
with other countries, maximum tolerance and harmony between or among the
different and diverse religious communities are ensured and upheld (visit
author’s article ‘Missing link in politics and statecraft http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=131583&date=2012-06-03);
* Democracy
means, mostly ostensible at this juncture, free and fair elections to
Parliament aimed merely at going to power’. This narrowest understanding of
democracy is itself a threat to the understanding and having taste and fruit of
democracy in its factual form and manifestation. No importance in practice is
attached to the free and fair elections to local bodies in line with the
elections to Parliament. Election Commission is yet to emerge as an Independent
Commission standing on its own. It is still under the command of the PM’s
office and is wrought with limitations, inherent, administrative and political;
Distrusts, suspicions, misunderstanding to each and one another are on in a
vibrant mode and manner for which the inevitability of non-party, neutral
care-taker government came to be accurate for Bangladesh. Despite the verdict
of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court about the cancellation of the
Non-Party CTG (incorporated by the Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act of
1996) by the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act of 2011, the issue appears
to be remaining alive because of the demand of the people at large including
major opposition BNP and its allies.
Politicking---manipulation of votes--- by the party/alliance in power,
visible or invisible, is hunting the very mindset of the political parties in the
opposition camp. As a result, all the three elections under non-party CTG
(number will rise to four if the Shahabuddin led CTG is included) were rejected
by the defeating parties dubbing them unfair, conspiratorial anyhow.
Confidence-building between or among the political parties and leaders is
beyond doubt tops the list of the burning issues of the day and, hence, such
issue cannot be resolved judicially. Even the full judgment of 16 September
2012 could not emotionally set aside the necessity of such CTG for another two
terms covering elections to the 10th and 11th
parliaments. But elections to the 10 Parliament were held on 05 January 2015
following the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act of 2011 under incumbent
Hasina led Grand Alliance government. It was boycotted by the Khaleda Zia-led
20—party Alliance and as a result political unrest and violence are on in full
swing. Jatio Party led by HM Ersshad has emerged as a handpicked opposition,
although it is not at all matching with BNP politically and organizationally.
* A
party is run here on a dictatorial mode and manner. Absence of inner democracy
in a party, despite its having a lively, up to date constitution, is a reality
here in Bangladesh. All powers are directly or indirectly, formerly or
informally, are concentrated in the hands of the chief of the party concerned.
No committee of a party or its wings or affiliated or friendly bodies from
local to national levels can be given birth to without the will of the chief of
the party concerned. Realistically speaking, here a party means to amounting to
the sayings and doings of its chief. It is indeed autocracy of the highest
order under the cover of’ cosmetic democracy’ (also visit at http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_27-01-2011_State-of-leadership:-Bangladesh-perspective_110_2_5_1_1.html;
* Leadership at the peak of a political party is decided and
determined in line of succession in the leading political parties and,
accordingly, a dynastic rule has become a binding rule in all the major
political parties in Bangladesh including AL ( it is Sajeeb Wazed Joy, only son
of Sheikh Hasina, who is like to replace her if a need arises) BNP( Tarek Zia,
the eldest son of Begum Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairman of BNP, is aleady
determined as the successor of Khalesa Zia. He has at present been staying in
UK apparently for medical grounds but in reality for political excuses) Jatio Party
(because HM Ershad once also appointed his younger brother GM Quader acting
chairman of Jatio Party so that in case of exigency or vacuum, he might step
into the shoes of his brother Ershad, founder of Jatio Party. He is now called
Chairman in waiting). Nearly identical phenomenon prevails in case of death or
retirement of leaders at the top and mid-levels.
* Chief
of a party in the opposition in parliament also concurrently holds the office
of the leader of the opposition in parliament while the same is true to the
chief of the majority party in parliament who not only keeps the office of the
chief of the party concerned but also becomes Prime Minister. Thus, while in
power all the three chief offices are captured by the chief of the party
single-handedly and whilst in opposition all the two chief offices are held by
its chief of the party alone;
* Going up of women
participation in politics and elections to local bodies and national parliament
is now marked a noticeable phase here in Bangladesh. It has its natural and
necessary blasts on others areas as well. Curiously, top offices of all the
major political parties such as AL, BNP and Jatio Party are at this moment held
by Sheikh Hasina, Begum Khaleda Zia and Roushan Ershad (Leader of the
Opposition in the current 10th Parliament and senior vice chairman
of Jatio Party).
·
Question
of the day is rotating around the priority of economic development over
political development. Whenever a political party or
regime sits in the position (power), it immediately starts beating the drum of
economic development. Hence, there grew and developed a kind of ‘paradoxical
standing’ in the milieu of standing in position and standing Opposition. This
is indeed a ‘double-standard’ being played by our political parties and leaders
shamelessly and opportunistically. End product is comprehensible sidetracking
and suppressing democracy and all its necessary wings and institutions. Here
everybody purposefully styles himself/herself as Lee Kwan, Dr. Mahathir, Nehru,
Nelson Mandela and so on: and
·
Process of leadership having a touch
of statesmanship is not duly attended here as a result a kind of stagnation is
persisting alarmingly in these areas.
Therefore, all together have given birth to a model of leadership called
‘Bangladesh model’, Resultantly,
when we say that X is a good leader in the politics and statecraft of Bangladesh,
it passes a message that X is a leader
definitely after Bangladesh model. In fact, no political party in Bangladesh is
functionally ready to run it politically in consonance with its declared
constitution, manifesto and electoral pledges on the one hand and on the other,
which is the resultant consequences of the former, no party is ready
functionally to play role in Parliament and run a government by demonstrating
and establishing leadership with statesman-like qualities in expectation of the
needs of the people.
So, if these are the realities then what best else are left
for us. Let us sound, sound loudly where, where are HM Hussain
Shaheed Suhrawardy,Moulana Abul
Hamid Khan Bhani, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque, Bangabandhu, father of the
nation, Nobel Laureate Rabindrahnath Tagore, Rebel poet Kazi Nazrul and many in
the respective hemispheres? Let us sound, sound loudly, where, where are the
dedicated, scarified souls of the war of independence and war of liberation?
Let us echo where, where are our living sector commanders (fie! many of them
have listed themselves as earthly personalities including with a stigma of
Hallmark financial scam)? Let us echo where, where is our long-cherished
‘Golden Bangladesh’? All behold, behold, and behold the state of politics,
leadership and statesmanship in today’s Bangladesh. Should we at this instant
lament or wake up?
·
Yes, I believe we should wake up,
wake up and guard against all these happenings that are taking us back to the
negation of our will as if we are moving unjustifiably towards a black hole
.Let our leaders, upon Almighty Allah, come forward honestly and fairly to take
these challenges without any delay.
People are waiting for such leaders for a long.
·
Let Motia Chowdhury, Nurul Islam
Nahid, Tofael Ahmed, Ameer Hossain Amu, Obaidul Quader, Syed Asraful Islam,
Surenjit Sen Gupta, and MM Muhit in particular in the wrinkle of ruling Awami
League play their role as expected by the nations in line with their oath of
offices truly. Let other members of the Council of Ministers be rightly
responsive and committed to their obligated role for serving Bangladesh
·
Let Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Shah
Moazzam Hossain, Dr. Khondaker Mosharf Hossain, Dr.Moyeen Khan, Jamiruddin
Sarcar MK Anowar, Hannan Shah, Dr. Osman Farooq, Goeshwar Roy and others in the
same fold and line in the Major political party BNP in the opposition (now out
of parliament because of its boycott of elections to the 10th
parliament) come forward and stand by the nation as national leaders not merely
as political leaders of BNP. HM Ershad, chairman of Jatio Party and former
president of Bangladesh, has a brighter chance to emerge and stand as a ‘third
force’ in the electoral politics of Bangladesh with his tested leadership and
indomitable zeal for developments, although his party is suffering from an
acute shortage of statesmen at this very moment. Let HM Ershad, Kazi Jafa, barrister Anisul
Islam Mahamud, Mostafa Jamal Haider, Kazi Feroz Rahid, Ruhul Amin Haowlade,
Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu in Jatio party stand by the nation as leaders of the
time. Let Anowar Hossain Munju and
Sheikh Shahidul Islam, respectively chairman and secretary general of JP, play
more conspicuous role from their standpoints. Although political parties in the
right wing are not so visible and sounded nowadays, up till now the presence of
Jamat-e-Islami, an Islamic religion-based political party is also a factor. It
is now faced with so many problems and allegations due to anti-human role and
activities during the war of liberation in 1971.
·
Left political parties of various
folds and ideologies are at a marginal edge on this point, although Rashed Khan
Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Munjurul Ahsan, Mojahidul Islam Selim, Dilip Borua
and ASM Rob are markedly visible while the right political parties including
Jammat-e-Islami are habitually following BNP frequently without having any
perceptible breakthrough in this regard. Jamat-e-islami is at present shattered
because of trials and sentences of the senior leaders for their alleged role
against humanity during the war of liberation. Role of Dr. B. Chowdhury,
president of Bikalpa Dhara and former president of Bangladesh, and Dr. Kamal
Hossain, chief architect of the Constitution of Bangladesh and now president of
Gona Forum, are not in a becoming tune with the hopes and aspirations of the
people at large. These two stalwarts have confined their role mainly in making
statements from time to time. Are not they depriving Bangladesh nauseatingly in
this matter?
·
Let our intelligentsia, think-tanks
and civil societies of various shades, opinions and backgrounds in particular
get rid of the oft-quoted stigma of practicing ‘brain-mortgage, brain-sale and
brain-tender’ and stand by Bangladesh to add their valuable inputs to the birth
of political leaders up to the expectations of the people and Bangladesh.
‘Third force’ in this region being away notably from the folds of AL and BNP is
a call of time.
·
Therefore, right or wrong,
democratically speaking, Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda, two leading political
leaders after Bangladesh model, are the welders of powers from their respective
seats of position and opposition in an alternative course of action (although
Jatio Party led by HM Ershad has come out as the major opposition in parliament
after so-called elections to the 10th Parliament, it is known to all
that it happened due to non-participation of BNP in the said electoral race).
And May Allah bless Shiekh Hasina, Khaleda Zia and HM Ershad, another leader
after Bangladesh model, in meticulous so that they may be committed and sincere
with a renewed vow truly to the flowering of leadership in Bangladesh from
their respective standing and platforms.
·
Yes, to comply with the mission and
goal of producing leaders, first and foremost condition is to activate the
sleeping constitutions of the political parties in practice at the respective
party levels, to constitute ‘Shadow Government’ in the opposition in parliament
as an alternative platform to the party/alliance in power and gear up the speed
of the truthfulness of the members of the Council of Ministers, individually
and/or collectively, to the oath of office. All such initiatives are in a
position to create a congenial atmosphere for a better ‘Bangladesh model’ in politics
resultantly paving way for more forward-looking leaderships. This is a dictate
of leadership that it should not sigh a sigh of relief being product of the
politics of time, space and dimension rather it should make relentless
herculean attempts to move ahead of time, which is called ‘forward-looking
leadership’. Therefore, fights are two in nature. One is to move with time,
space and dimension and the other is to move ahead of time. When a country lags
behind time, space and dimension, it is the bounded responsibility of
leaderships both position and opposition to play a role to make attempts to put
it on rail first. When it is on the rail of time then come the tasks of taking
it forward more. Let our leaders all bear in mind that all of us have to leave
this ephemeral world today or tomorrow and the posterity shall not forgive us
if we fail to leave behind glorious traditions and foundations.
There is no denying the fact that
the ongoing political landscapes in Bangladesh hardly differ from others in the
fold of developing countries and thus ‘Political leadership: Bangladesh model’
more or less represent a political landscape of developing countries.
Therefore, question again arises pertinently and logically, to what extents do
the countries mentionably in South America, Asia and Africa differs and/or
resemble?
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