Drishtipat Blog

The President has blew it big time. After days of inaction in regards to the election commission, in a pre-written speech, he criticized those who questioned his staff and more alarmingly he said a presidential form of government is running now in Bangladesh. Regardless of the fact the fact that his move to take over the chief advisor role will not stand a chance in Supreme Court, in stead of fixing the mess, such outragous comment seems to have broken the boundary of patience for some. Seems like people who were calling for respect to the chair are finally speaking out as there is no sign of him making things clearer than mud.

photo: Nov 3 cover of weekly 2000

After the blistering commentary from Mahfuz Anam today, Awami League also has taken a confrontational stand today calling his “offence” impeachable. Now Dr. Yunus joins the debate asking for clarification from the President.

from bdnews24.com
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus Friday said President Iajuddin Ahmed should explain his comment on “presidential form of government”.

Yunus said it before he left for Canada to attend the Global Microcredit Summit 2006 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.

The comment came after Iajuddin Thursday reminded that the present form of government has turned presidential.

“I would like to remind everyone that the present form of government became a presidential form of government after the responsibility of caretaker government had been rested on the president,” Iajuddin said at a meeting with secretaries to different ministries at Bangladesh Secretariat.

In the meantime, New Age reports that should Mr. Aziz resign or is removed, BNP may go for a boycott.

Some BNP leaders want the BNP-led alliance to take a hard line and boycott the upcoming general elections should the caretaker government try to force the chief election commissioner, Justice MA Aziz, out of office and recast the Election Commission

This almost points to what Farid Bakht is predicting that they will lose their shirt if their is free election. So AL is in a difficult position to consider how much rigging they are willing to accept as it is in their best interest to have an election. As the confrontation looms, in London there is a very high profile conference about Bangladesh next week where leading Labour and Conservative Party politicians will listen in with speakers from Bangladesh — topic: Rise of political Islam in Bangladesh and what is at stake in the coming election. I still would like to believe, though, that Mr. President will be able to come through and deliver and not be a puppet as he is perceived to be more and more like the cover pic above. Doler cheye desh boro!?

Have to end this with what Farid said in his piece which puts everything in perspective.

While Bangladesh seems to have a remarkable capacity in muddling through despite political standoffs, we must acknowledge that the situation is serious. These are not ordinary days.
What strikes me is how we seem to be enjoying the show while ignoring the issues raised by so many powerless people.
Who now talks about the widespread protests in the critical garments industry in the summer of discontent? Where is the debate about tens of millions of farmers and the landless? What about the hundreds of thousands of rickshaw and auto-rickshaw pullers and drivers in Dhaka? Threatened with expulsion they have always seen off weak governments. They are unlikely to retain their livelihood in the face of an iron fist. Will an Awami League regime be able to provide 2000 extra megawatts of electricity as a fitting tribute to those protestors shot dead in Kansat? Is it not strange that hardly anything has been said about just what we are going to do with the gas and coal that lies under the surface?

All strategic issues are being ignored while we lie trapped in short term tactical ploys. The quicker this show is over, the better. One way or the other.