Wed 18 Apr 2007
A group of 10 unelected people (.00000000001% of the electorate)has just decided that the lady, whose party won 22 million votes, (40%) of the total electorate in the last election and who is a citizen of Bangladesh, can not enter Bangladesh because she is percieved by them as a threat to the society. They also decided that leader of the other party that got the vote of the other 40% will also need to be exported outside. .00000001% has spoken for the whole country. If it does not make sense, don’t expect to get the answer from the newspaper.
40% + 40 % = 0 where as 00000000001% = 100% Ladies and Gents, welcome to the era of fuzzy math!
April 18th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
It is my reading that many of the so-called intellectuals and journalists applauding the current crackdown are allied with the AL camp. They were delirious with happiness because they perceived that the CTG was going after the BNP top brass. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, they may not be quite so chuffed. At least the CTG is being consistent. What is sauce for goose must be sauce for gander!
April 18th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
the 40%s you speak of are election snapshots made with limited choices available. I think that these 40%s are actually controlled by another pair of 0%s, but lets carry on with the 40%s.
heres another equation.
the opposition 40% acting through the wise guidance of its leadership decided not to take part in an election arranged by the other 40% which had an unfair control over the 0% in power , the previous CTG.
Another 0%, the foregn interests, decided with that this was not in their interests and arranged to delegitamise the next election snapshot in the series.
The new 0% are better equipped in my 0% opinion to move in a straight line and address the countries problems until the next election snapshot.
The battle of numeric legitimacy (simplified idea of democratic temporary leadership change) never makes sense because power cant really be quantified.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
We wanna see how Sk Hasina would be protested to return her motherland at the AIRPORT.
But it depends on Sk Hasina. So she would go to Dhaka Airport, and let the government send her back to exile.
Why CG fears on Sk Hasina and Khaleda? Can they move the mass people anytime against the CG?
April 18th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Agree, Excellent point!
April 18th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Congratulation to the intellects of Bangladesh.
Congratulation to Editors of some News paper
who really wanted it.
Congratulations to the some business community
who found our Patriot army did excellent wrk
At last I am really sorry to the Mass people of the country .
April 18th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I congratulate the CTG for this move. These two ladies need to be kicked out and the door slammed shut in their face. They have dragged Bangladesh down with their greedy, bloodthirsty and thoroughly amoral politics for too long. Meantime, their cronies have resembled pigs at the trough, such has been their avarice. Under their ‘leadership’, we’ve also managed to become the most corrupt nation on earth. (Excellent article by Martin Wolf in today’s FT about the link between corruption and development:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ef1a062c-ecf9-11db-9520-000b5df10621.html)
So it’s high time to clean out these family dynasties and duopolies. The Zia/Mujib family system was an immature and backward political structure. Anything that gives us a chance to start afresh is a good thing. The CTG would have to screw up really really badly to earn mass disapproval - there is a great chance that they will do so before long, but as yet they haven’t. So I’m going with the benefit of the doubt.
Ladies you had your chance - now it’s time to go! Bye bye Hasina, bye bye Khaleda!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Fugstar, the figures simply tell us that the two mainstream political parties enjoy considerable support. Some quarters are urging the CTG on to sideline these parties. Why? To create a vacuum in order to introduce a third force? Does the nation actually want that? What is the alternative? No unelected government can assume they know what the people want. Let the people speak at the polls.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Bhai Zubaer,
People like you (and us) believed in such undemocratic govts so many times in the past. Go back to 1958, 1975, 1982 and now 2007. What good has the military backed govts of Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Ershad yielded for the country ?
The last 15 years and espepcially 1991-2001 was the best time for our country and economy in any criteria you may evaluate. You are so elated right now, but it won’t take long to change ur mood, provided u keep ur eyes, ears and above all, mind open.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Zubaer, Good idea on passing the buck and responsibilities to the two ladies. I am sure you did your two bit in changing the country’s future as well. Even better idea is to replace the two with Ershad 2.0 .
You unfortunately my friend don’t represent the majority. The biggest problem with some of these elites are that they think they represent the whole country. While a lot of people may like to see them retire from politics, I am not so sure people like the forcible way this is being done.
By the way, the guy, Ashim Kumar Ukil who went to give a letter to request her security got arrested a little while ago. They are not bothering with showing any charges any more.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Zubaer,
When is the last time you spent some time in rural Bangladesh?
This is so “Gulshan-Banani” mentality.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Asif,
Your fuzzy maths is misleading at best.
Are you implying that the good old days when we were ruled by a so called “democratically elected” government was something that we should revert back to.
Please do not forget the massive nepotism and corruption that pervaded our society. Some have suggested that this CTG is not answerable to anyone. Guess what! Who would be naive enough to assume that the BNP or AL leadership was factually answerable to anyone. I don’t recall a single government official who was fired for incompetence or corruption during the BNP tenure.
Let us not dramatize these events. This CTG needs our cooperation.It is not easy to erase 36 years of misrule in 3 months. Most people are happy, let us wait and see how things end up in about 18 months time.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Dear Zubaer,
Pls save the comment#6 in a DVD and read it on the first Jan,2009.
We must say sorry to youurself then.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Asif,
A fish rots from the head down. The present state of our nation has everything to do with the quality of its political and economic leadership in the last decade. You don’t have to agree, although there’s no need to get personal. Bangladesh is where it is for lots of reasons, but the first and foremost reason is what our political leaders have chosen to do with their democratic mandate and legitimacy for the last 15 years. Sorry if my heart fails to bleed for the two netris.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Asif,
Your fuzzy math in unfuzzily catchy but cheap!
Bangladesh is big and crowded enough to survive the loss of these two particularly autocratic individuals!
Not sure the common people will miss them at all! The common people never received much from them anway, except for hartals and party supported gundamee!
They both have served the country long enough! They deserve the priviledge to retire (although I don’t agree with the forceful retirement, perhaps that is the only way left).
Let’s ask why people are so happy?
Let’s ask who are the people who are now extremely unhappy about their departy?
It is time for the next generation of leaders to step out - including from both BNP and AL and others…
April 18th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
I feel disgusted with the blackmailing move by the govt to get KZ out of the country. I am equally disgusted to see the trap laid down by MA Matin by requesting Hasina not to return on the 14th just to make sure that they can bar her on the 23rd.
The govt, instead of following the path of honesty, are now using blackmail and subterfuge for serving their purpose. Hasina must show the courage to return and then let the govt directly send her to exile.
Lastly, if Golam Azam can live in BD, why can’t SH or KZ ? I heard that back in British rule, exile was used as a mean of punishment. So are we going back 100 years ? Or are we just following Pakistan model ?
April 18th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
The government cannot legally prevent a Bangladeshi citizen from entering the country. Neither has the government any right to “banish” any person the way it is done in the fairy tale kingdoms. The State is still the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh. If Sheikh Hasina has murdered someone or extorted money from a person she should be tried according to the laws of the land. The State owes a duty to the victims of the alleged murders and extortion to bring her to justice. For that reason she should be allowed to enter the country and face the trials in a free and fair court. The same goes for Tareq Zia and Khaleda Zia.
It’s shameful that the Government is supposedly making secret deals with them in order to keep them out or get them out of the country. This isn’t the kind of transparent and accountable governace we expect from the Caretaker Government.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Khaleda and Hasina have their faults, but they also have considerable popular support. If there are specific accusations against them, try them on Bangladeshi soil I say! But can any government decide who will be in politics and who wont? And where are the people in all this? All this is being done in the name of the people!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Reza,Just want to ask you Two things-
1) will the massive nepotism and corruption that pervaded our society be diminished
If there is no freedom of Speech and transperency?
2)what sorts of honesty it is if you start to do or undo any thing with out people’s verdict?
April 18th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Asif,
A small clarification why I termed your fuzzy math cheap!
You equate this ladies synonomous with the 40 percent votes. Is that really fair? Isn’t that an indirect claim that 40 percent of the people voted ONLY FOR them - not the party?
My guess is that 40 percent of the people voted for the parties - DESPITE these ladies.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
what a funny thing Kabir! you defended party
which u guys already declared these are huge corrupt org.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Everyone who is saying people are happy in the last three months, please let me know you all have been to the villages and small mufassil towns lately and can tell from first hand experience that the poor people are happy. Please speak for yourself and not for the people whom you don’t represent. I just gave you some numbers — cold, hard numbers in the fuzzy math.
Perhaps this email I got from someone with grassroot touch can give you a reality check
durnitibaaj dhora niye manushjoner prathomik je uchchash chilo, ta ei muhurte ar eki matrae ache bole amar mone hoena…gujob gulo shoktishali ebong drishshoman hoye uthche, je shorkar markiner ongulihelone cholche…durnitibaj dhora holo eye-wash…egulo nichoki bhodroloker choto gondite alochito hochche ta bhaba thik hobena…mofoshshol theke ghure asha ekadhik manushjoner kache shunchi, trinomul porjaye manushjon bhito, birokto, otishtho; uchched obhijaner naame graame graame bosha hat-bazar porjonto tule deya hoyeche, manush joner kormoshongsthan, doinondin totporota badhagrostho, kono kono shohore dhukle mone hobe judhdho poristhi…ei poriman bhanga-bhangi hoyeche…jela porjaye sthanio beshamorik proshashoner shathe jukto manushjon bolchen je, obostha bhoyaboho…majh porajayer shamorik kormokortar kache, shoptahe shoptahe jelaproshashon ebong tar shathe shongslishto shokol office ke jobabdihi korte hochche…puro shamorik shashonamoler moto.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
FZ I am definitely open to changing my mind. When the growth rate slides down to 2-3%, when there’s the blood of innocents on the streets, when the top tiers are crammed with relatives of Moeen and Fakhruddin, I will register my disapproval. Until then I’ll wait.
As for passing the buck, it was Harry Truman who had the sign on his table - The Buck Stops Here. When political leaders seek the vote, they are saying to the electorate, give me the buck, I will take charge, I have a platform, I will sort your problems. The whole point of seeking power is to DO something good with it. Otherwise why the hell are people in politics? Oh wait, I think I have an answer. In Bangladesh, politicians sought power mainly for self-enrichment, not for addressing the problems, the many many problems facing the nation. So yes, the buck WAS indeed passed to Khaleda and Hasina but only because they actively asked for the buck. What they did with the buck is open for all to see.
Salam Dhaka, when was the last time you spoke to a neighbour or a cousin you grew up with who was leaving the country because of lack of opportunity? When was the last time you heard someone say to you - ei desh borolok’er lega, amago lega na? When was the last time you heard people utter the words London or Italy or Spain like they were magic spells? When was the last time you paid 135 taka for a cup of coffee in the capital of a country where some people still starve? When was the last time you rode around in a Hummer or a Beamer on Dhaka’s potholed streets? You could have done ALL of the above during the previous era.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
I am amazed by the short-sightedness of some of the comments here. I am no supporter of the Begums, but does the CTG have the mandate to decide who will remain in politics and who will be exiled? Dont you see what a dangerous precdence this sets? Does any government have the right to detain a son and hold him to ransom in order to force his mother to leave the country? I am truly disappointed in the CTG. The CTG came in promising to deliver a level playing field, not to create a political vacuum!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I think everybody forgotten the background of ‘State of Emergency’. As we know it is mandatory to conduct National Election within 90 days from the date of taking power of a Caretaker Government. This was scheduled to expire on January 25, 2007 as per our constitution. The problem turns to a crisis when Mohajote withdraw their nomination papers on January 2, 2007. There is no alternative other than impose of ’state of emergency’ as per constitutions. How Ershad became the main factor of Mohajote? Ershad is now in Dhaka and Sheikh Hasina can not enter Bangladesh. That is example of bankruptcy of our politicians.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I argued in another forum that sending both Khaleda and Hasina to overseas was the best bet for the current government to do what they are preaching (reduce corruption, handover power to honest and competent ones through a free and fair election. Whether they will stick to their promise or not, that’s a different issue. Here is the excerpt:
“”In an attempt to destabilize the monarchic politics in Bangladesh, a concerted effort might be undertaken by the military-backed interim government (MIG) to weaken both AL and BNP simultaneously. The big question is: How could it be accomplished? Is it possible to weaken either BNP or AL while keeping Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia at the helm of their respective party? My gut feeling is that it would be a real challenge to weaken both BNP and AL to the level when their chances of winning an election are substantially diminished without removing both of them from the top position of their respective party.
In other words, as long as either K Zia or S Hasina or their family members for that matter are at the helm of BNP and AL, it would be very difficult to reduce them at the desired level. The next question would be then: How to remove them from their respective top party position? Well, the MIG might put them behind bars on the corruption charges as it would not be that difficult to bring genuine corruption charges against them. But there might be a potential problem to put both of them behind bars at the same time. Whatever transparent path the MIG takes in prosecuting them, the supporters of both parties may not accept the conviction of both Hasina and Khaleda simultaneously. After all deep down into our psyche, we still harbor a strong serfdom type of mentally where Zia and Mujib Families are regarded as our today’s counterparts of the bygone day’s monarch.
Many are saying that the MIG might send them to overseas for long vacation. How viable is this option? This one again may not be a cake walk either but may be a bit easier than putting both of them behind bars for prolonged period. If this is the path the MIG considers seriously, then, BNP/AL’s supporters may not feel that bad considering the fact that their venerable leaders at least will have a comfortable life instead of languishing in the jail. Moreover, this option was successfully applied several times in the past both by the military rulers of the then Pakistan and the modern day Pakistan. After ousting the then Governor General of Pakistan Iskander Mirza, he was sent to London and it’s a relatively recent event that the two former Prime Ministers of Pakistan are now leading an exile life.
The sending overseas option might be very attractive to the MIG considering the fact that this one will surely clear the path of emerging a formidable third force. Once K&H are out of the scene, it will be much easier to put relatively clean politicians at the helm of both BNP and AL while the corrupted ones may be put behind bars. If this formula is followed through, it might also usher in the beginning of the end of Paribartrantra in BD – the real curse of our democracy.
This option also has the potential of killing two birds with one stone; on one hand the real chance of emerging a loyal & powerful third party and a much weakened AL and BNP that may not be able to challenge the third force in the next election, on the other hand, it would be much easier to practice intra-party democracy within a KZ/SH less BNP/AL..
The exile option might be attractive for some other reasons too. Assuming that the current military-backed interim government is pledged bound to hold a free and fair election participated by only the honest and competent ones. In the BD history, starting from the first AL era to the Ershad regime, it never happened that an incumbent government allowed of holding a real free and fair election, mainly because of perceived fear of losing in such an election. Keeping Hasina and Khaleda within BD either in the jail or outside, the MIG might be very reluctant of holding a free and fair election in which their loyal third party may have a chance to be defeated. This is equally applicable for referendum too in case the MIG wants so before holding the general election.”"
=Afsar
April 18th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Zubaer, instead of continuing to develop the democratic process, you want to try an experiment along the lines of Ayub Khan, Ershad or Musharraf? You will change your mind when the going gets tough? Wake up, there is no such thing as a benevolent dictatorship!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Whither the rule of law?
April 18th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
A couple of points:
1) It’s true that the BNP or AL govts were not accountable to the people like they should have been. But at least people of Bangladesh got a chance to choose. If they don’t like one of them, they went back to the other one. What choice does the people have regarding the current govt.? What happenes if the people don’t like it? How do they raise their voice against it?
2) Someone said (#14) people are happy! Who are these people? The people who writes columns in the newspapers? The people who lives in upper-class society of dhaka city? The people who lives abroad? What is the base of this claim? WHat percentage of people of Bangladesh are we talking about here? Who went to ask the farmer or fisherman in the “Ojo-para-ga” if they like it or not? Do those people really care about who is sitting in the Tejgaon office of chief advisor?
The problem is, we like to generalize our own opinion. That’s why AL last October claimed that 14 crore people are with them, supporting the gherao-oborodh. For the same reason, BNP claimed everything was nice and cool. This tendency brought us to the point where we again face another army rule.
The problem in Bangladesh was not democracy. It was the people involved in the democratic process. Those people did not allow the institutions to grow for their own benefit. And now we are blaming democracy for all that happened. Unfortunately, it’s the educated elites who are turning away from democracy. Of all the governing systems known to human to date, democracy is the one with minimum flaws. But you have allow the process it’s due time to develop institutions, create checks and balance so that it can work for you. Turning to military rule will only get you along a circle where you’ll get to the same point in history again and again.
One more thing: it’s time like these the democratic process needs the urban educated elites the most. This is a crisis time for our democracy and we need to find a way out of it. Revenge killing or revenge exile or jail time will not take us anywhere. We need to establish checks and balance, establish democratic institutions, respect the due process…only then we can expect to move forward as a civilized society.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Excellent Question by Tamanna:
Does any government have the right to detain a son and hold him to ransom in order to force his mother to leave the country?
Through the question to Zubayer to answer.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
I was reading the commenst of Zubayer& Sensible.
Thanks Sensible for Excellent Posting.
Zub It seems you never had experience of Martial Law. I will wait and see if your mind changes or not after getting taste of So Called Honesty.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Unfortunately, martial law may be the price we have to pay as a nation for making the stupid, collective judgement error of believing that the Hasina and Khaleda clans, and their inept political parties, would secure us with the flowering of full-blown democracy in our green and pleasant land.
Wake up kids - democracy under AL and BNP has been the most destructive generational exercise we have collectively agreed to.
It’s time to bite the bullet and flush the poison out.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Asif Bhai,
Well said. We, the so called economic and intellectual elites, always seem to generalize our own stand as the stand of the nation.
However, this elite actually plays an important role in forming public opinion. This class has always given its support for all sorts of unconstituitional govts in the past and will continue doing it in future. And due to their support, the general people’s opinion had been influenced to some degree which ultimately helped the military backed govts to survive longer than the democratic govt. Look at the history. Zia served 6 years, Ershad 9 years as compared to Khaleda and Hasina who could serve 5 years in a single term and got rejected by the electorate in the next election.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
I for my part would like to ask Tamanna about what exactly she meant by “continuing to develop the democratic process”. Please discuss, in the context of last winter.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Days are coming when we, the BLOGGERs, would not be allowed to write here in DP.
COS, AMRA JEBHABE CG ar birudde matabbari kortechi…
Welwishers of CG in this forus will inform our MATOBBORI to M A MATIN SAB very soon.
So ASIF BHAI, sabdhan…
April 18th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
CTG is in the process of creating martyrs who may end up having heroes’ welcomes when they return to BD (Khaleda + poribar as well as Hasina etc)
Someone should remind them of the desperate measures Musharfaf is now engaging in to win support of Benazir in order to cling to power (if he doesn’t get assassinated first)
Maybe the respective Generals’ wives / children should schedule appointments with Hasina and Khaleda to seek advice on how they should approach stepping into power say 6 or 7 years from now
April 18th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
what i don’t understand is why they couldn’t let her in and let khaleda also stay in the country - and keep them both under virtual house arrest if necessary. keeping the two leaders in exile only leaves scope for a future return from exile to save the country if the CTG fails - a la Hamid Karzai (first name that came to mind - but there may be better examples)and countless other leaders whose popularity grew in their absence.
this present move only creates more negative publicity for the CTG and reaffirms the distrust that an increasing proportion of people are beginning to hold for it/
as things stood, there were no signs of unrest or civil disobedience. now there may be ripples.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
You conveniently chose not to answer my question Zubaer. But let me answer yours. Before 1991, the people of Bangladesh had little or no say in the affairs of their country. The country was run by a succession of military and civilian autocrats. After the fall of Ershad, we found out that we could change the leadership with the ballot. Three successive elections were held, and the people of Bangladesh went to the polls with enthusiasm. Democracy is not a quick fix, you have to nurture it. The level of awareness in Bangladesh grew and grew. Come the end of 2006, certain quarters created gridlock in the poltical arena, others fanned the flames of discord. Emergency had to be declared.
The current CTG came to power vowing to initiate much needed reform, and call elections as soon as possible. This is their stated intention and this is what I mean by developing democratic process. We should not do away with democracy because of the faults of Khaleda/Hasina and other vested quarters. That would be like throwing away the baby with the bathwater!!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Saeed
“Let the people speak at the polls.”
Yes and let them express all their ability aspirations and talents with a vocabulary of 4 words (well 2 really) which they can only speak one of every 5 years.
The polls logic just doesn’t answer the problem of creating a beautiful political architecture for bangladesh, one that is dialogical, not crude, problem solving, not problemmatic, partners with the people, not trapped by or nasty to them.
Ershad 2.0,
if we run with the web 2.0 analogy is naturally more participatory and interactive than Ershad 1.0 which was autocratic and just barked out commands for people to follow. With some clever aggregation code and search engines there are endless possibilities.
Tamanna.
There is no political vacuum, two trees are absent and they were hogging the sunlight and the water. Now is the time to grow and have a go. Bangladeshi will now think a bit about revisiting lazy assuptions and creating better ideas because they are forced to.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
It is nice to see that this topic has evoked such a massive response. That definitely a big plus. It suggests that the participants are well wishers of Bangladesh and want a bright future for it.
We have reached a fork in the road. Simply speaking, we have two options ahead of us: the “pseudo-democratic” option, that we have had for the past 36 years, or a reformed democratic one that is being proposed by the CTG. I would go so far to call it a “perestroika” of BD politics.
Which path do we take now.
The results of the 36 years of “pseudo-democracy” have been in my humble opinion a total disaster. We have succeeded in creating a class of nouveau riches, who have amassed fortunes at the cost of denied opportunities to our poor. Remember, every misappropriated dollar that ended up in a politician’s bank account belonged to our common folks. It translated into lost health care, lost job opportunities, poorer schools, fewer roads, insufficient electricity and so on. The parties never had or have to this date any internal democracy, any respect for the law or masses. All they cared for was power.
What this CTG is offering is a new paradigm for democracy in Bangladesh. It entails a serious restructuring of our current thought process and wants to bring a form of government that would really represent the BD masses. The corrupt and the greedy would be kept out. There will be accountability and transparency. But can this be done easily and quickly - certainly NO.
Please remember Gorbachev’s prestroika. The major geo-political changes that it unleashed, continue to this day. The first few years were painful but Russia today has a strong economy and most people are very happy with the current political situation in that country.
What we need is something along those lines. A Bangladeshi prestroika. Let us not try to make issues out of non-issues. Let us not get into the slogan-mongering mode. The shortest ditance between two points is a straight line but in politics, one is forced to take the path of least resistance which is not necessarily the shortest path.
I am willing to give this CTG all that it needs to bring about this change.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
A simple poll: a) Elective Democracy b) Selective Autocracy.
You choose!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Reza I think First make research . are u counting 36 years to pseudo-democracy. Just let me tell you one thing This Govt is simply Un elected and Just care taker and they have no right to decide who will be in the Politics and who will be not.
Rather People of Bangladesh will decide If they will be in the Chair or not
April 18th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
We did choose. I voted for Awami League in Dhaka in 1996. I didn’t vote for the BNP.
Does anyone remember the levels of vote fraud, polling intimidation?
What did it matter. Millions of dollars were siphoned out of the country in both administrations since 1996. And the poor have gotten poorer and the rich have become exponentially richer.
With BNP, with the Queens of Convenience in power, the following maxim has been true:
Pseudo Democracy = Despotic Autocracy
You want real democracy, get rid of the cult of personality and remove the dynasties. Forcibly, if necessary.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
40% + 40 % = 0 where as 00000000001% = 100% Ladies and Gents, welcome to the era of fuzzy math!
All the Illeterate will make the most numbers of this 40% person vote, who don’t even know their own rights except Boat and Paddy symbol.
You know the problem of Bangladesh is its people’s lack of education and knowledge and information, because this people are kept poor and uneducated so they could be manipulated by 100 taka, ciggarate, Bangla modh, tari, before the election to cast the vote, which most of them just put the seal, not knowing what that seal of boat and paddy would do for them in the future.
There was only one election which was fair and educated and learned people gave their verdict for democracy was in 1970, that brought essence to democracy and peoples right National Awami Leageu won 167 seats out of 169 in East Pakistan. The party was lead by Sheikh Mujib.The Bangali 54% voters than and the hindu and the non-Bangali ( mainly Biharis who migrated from India to than East Pakistan) voted for Sheikh Mujib with love and respect and his ideas of economic and social freedom.
Any election after that in Bangladesh was all manipulated and cheated out.Even the one in Mujibs time. We are talking history here and not making it up. Go ask your educated and informed fathers and mothers they will tell you.
So I don’t even care even these ladies got 1% vote, they don’t don’t mean anything to me its like “nada”
It’s good than these ladies faith are keeping them alive and exiling them rather than be killed by mob beating someday in the near future.
I still have respect and will have respect for my fathers friend Mr Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( Father of the nation) and Major Zia who helped the force a lot during the liberation war but I don’t have a penny worth of respect for Hasina or Khaledah and next to none for Tareq Zia and Arafat and their gangs.
These two ladies don’t deserve any better. Have they been nice and good in running the state in their respective term do you think they would have seen this scenerio?
My mother or your mother aren’t exiled from Bangladesh? are they?
Than as you sow so you reap.
These two families made enough money that they can live like king any where in the world and tell Joy specially to stop making fun of peoples education and knowledge by saying he has to work hard to make a living, those jokes are good for the uneducated village people of Bangladesh not to the educated Non-resident Bangladeshi, who are more educated and informed and passionate about Bangladesh and have had been and their family living in USA for 2 2 /3 decades now. Its USA information are all available like a click of a mouse, who owns waht on what Zipcode and who is running what venture.
I thought he would atleast not lie not looks like they all are the same.Just do their work in different getup.
Thanks
Kawser Jamal
http://www.changeBangladesh.com
April 18th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
There are those who prefer to ride rough-shod over the basic principles of law and justice, to whom democracy means nothing, people who would welcome a dictator with open arms. These are the quarters that have propped up and given legitimacy to military rulers all over the world. They are either naieve, or have a vested interest - or both! Wake up, these experiments have been tried before, and failed!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
In line with sensible’s post, I want to add my two cents. All those happy people see not beyond their nose tip.
Democracy is built by the people, not presented by anyone. The process needs time to mature. We had only 15 years. How many of you happy people were matured as a person when you were fifteen? How many of you expect that your fifteen years old boy will provide every support for you and meet all your need? The point is, 15 years is not long enough for a person, and it is definitely a minuscule period if consider a country’s life frame.
We had a process, where people at least had the right to choose. The assumption that people are going to support these two party even if they do not reflect their aspiration is ill conceived. Remember Muslim League - one of the biggest party once, it vanished from political radar because it could not adapt with peoples wishes.
Now come to most recent past. What was the number one issue in 2001 election? It was not corruption, it was security. How come security took the back bench to corruption? Because BNP govt has to work on their promise and reduce the problem of security etc. In 2006, it was corruption and electricity problem. If the election was held, whoever would have come to power would had to work on these issues. If they failed, people might oust them from power in the next election.
Only people has the power to punish the political parties, not another group of self proclaimed “ferestas”. It is long, painful path, but that is how you build a durable democracy. Not by destroying it!!
If every kid were born with a masters degree and could join work force day after birth that would have been good for parents. Unfortunately that is not the case, they have to take care of them, nurture them and support them for almost one third of their life. Thats how you build a human life. There is no short cut. Democracy is like that, you need to build it painstakingly. It is messy, it is not perfect, it is time consuming, it requires patience - but that is the best option we have. Any short cut will deform/derail it totally and only can bring us misery we are trying to avoid!!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I hope to goodness that the cheering of these quarters do not go the head of the CTG. They command respect as a unit that has arrived to carry out specific tasks, and restore democracy. Let them be true to their stated intentions. Only then will history judge them honourably.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
There are those who prefer to ride rough-shod over the basic principles of law and justice, to whom democracy means nothing, people who would welcome a dictator with open arms.
If only you raised such a hue and cry about those who rode rough-shod over basic principles of law and justice, to whom democracy means nothing at those who have thus far been DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Sid, if you have read my posts you will know that I advocate a change in leadership. But I oppose those who want to take advantage of the chaos to do away with democracy. I dont believe martial law is healthy for any country. I hope the CTG does not go down that road.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Aren’t you jumping the gun then? Why does the removal of the Hasina and Khaleda clans from Bangldeshi soil (forever, I pray, forever!) necessarily mean the dismantling of democracy from Bangladesh?
I’ll be the first to fight for democracy in Bangladesh. For me, the first step is to lance the influence of the Dynasties from political discourse in BD.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Re #43:
“The Bangali 54% voters than and the hindu and the non-Bangali ( mainly Biharis who migrated from India to than East Pakistan) ”
I don’t want to throw a tangent into the discussion, but not sure I understand the calculation here. The Hindus weren’t/aren’t “Bangali”?
April 18th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Those who are despising dynastic character of political parties either don’t know what democracy means or don’t want democracy at all.
In election you want vote, if your ancestors had good reputation in electorates, that is a positive thing in your candidacy and help you to win. It is true in our everyday decision making - when we buy something we want the brand name product over any unknown one.
It is part of human decision making, and a well known weakness of democracy or any collective decision making process. With maturity of democratic process this weakness is minimized, but you never get rid of it.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Sid, Im glad you want to fight for democracy. However, you do NOT fight for democracy by indirectly inviting military rule. You fight for democracy by upholding basic democratic rights and strengthening democratic institutions. I still believe that the CTG will carry out these tasks. But there are signs that certain quarters are trying to influence them to carry out their own agenda, just as they influenced Sk Mujibur Rahman to declare one party rule. There are people among the politicians and so called intelligensia who could never come to power through popular vote. There are signs that they are looking for a backdoor. Dare I name a few: CPD, Dr. Kamal Hossain et al. This is why we must raise our voice in favour of democracy and the rule of law! The advisers are honourable men - Im sure they will remember their duty to the country.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
jx3, thats a joke right?
April 18th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Saeed
We’ve just lived through 15 years of democracy. Our economy is weaker than it was 15 years ago, the law and order situation went down to their lovest levels, the value of the taka is now over 100 to the GB pound. Those in power operated the system as if the national wealth was their own private property. The Islamists are on the verge of claiming large swathes of Sylhet and Chittagong. Millions of dollars wiped off the national income every time there’s a national hartal declared. And there are any number of such a year.
All this under Democracy. What good has it done the country?
Are you saying that you’re willing to support Khaleda, her sons and/or Hasina because they operate in a democracy? Well you’ll be glad to know that you may think like that, because they don’t give a flying f### about democracy. Excise my language, but I’m getting exercised over here.
If you want democracy in Bangladesh, I suggest you support the CTG in removing these criminals from using democracy to gain power in order to operate as an autocracy.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Saeed
Go read before you get too exercised!
Take any country where you think a perfect democracy exists, and find how they were in their first 15 years!! None of them built their democratic system overnight!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Ref: The original post.
Some decades ago our society had two experiences with maths and democracy and they failed because we mistakenly thought number meant power.
#1 1947 United Bengal Scheme
Suhrawadhi, Abul Hashem and Bose proposed the Muslim bloc to sacrifice its numerical majority of 55:45 to share seats with the Hindu block 50:50. It failed because the pull of India was greater politically.
#2 1955 East Bengal - West Pakistan Parity
We weren’t able to transform our numerical dominance into power at that stage. Even after voting out the Muslim league. 4 provinces of WP were united and 150 seats given to each. What a mess!
Both political ‘tuning’ events are both products of political bargaining and show that numbers don’t necessarily matter. Of course they are wind in who ever’s sails and slogan worthy, if you have nothing else. They are just used to fool us into consenting to things. We shouldnt get fooled again.
You cant add imaginary numbers and come up with something real dude, even if you invoke every piece of allegedly democratic common sense.
This regime has what others before it didn’t, a concensus. That is more powerful than destructively interfering vote banks.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Zubair wrote ‘when was the last time you spoke to a neighbour or a cousin you grew up with who was leaving the country because of lack of opportunity?’
I think this is an opportunist argument. You left the country not because of ‘lack of opportunity’ but because of the fact that you have an opportunity to leave the country. Your father had a good bank balance to show in the embassy (without this you are very unlikely to get a Western country visa unless you have all covered scholarship which is only 0.1% case), you had good connection, good english or good education that most don’t have any access with. Not surprising why these people see Khaleda, Hasina leaving the country welcoming. Cause now they can come and take the place of them. I am not supporting or opposing anyone, but I always talk for a due process without which there is no difference between Khaleda, Hasina, Ershad, Moin U Ahmed, Fokhruddin or Shahabuddin.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Saeed,
Please disregard #55! Sorry!!!
Dhanmondi Sid
Go read before you get too exercised!
Take any country where you think a perfect democracy exists, and find how they were in their first 15 years!! None of them built their democratic system overnight!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
The government through its Press Information Department and other agencies has instructed all newspapers not to carry any comment of Sheikh Hasina. An SMS received from an army major said: “You are requested not to telecast/print any views/comments of Sheikh Hasina from today till further order.” It may be mentioned that Hasina’s comment on the government’s ban on her return was aired by BBC Bangla Service which has been heard by the radio’s audiences in Bangladesh.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
The govt is now censoring Hasina’s words:
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/19/d7041901085.htm
April 18th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I notice bdnews24 has removed the earlier quotes from the interview Hasina gave - I guess this is following on from the Government instruction that was issued.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Govt is also censoring Hasina
thedailystar.net
Govt blacks out Hasina’s views
The government through its Press Information Department and other agencies has instructed all newspapers not to carry any comment of Sheikh Hasina. An SMS received from an army major said: “You are requested not to telecast/print any views/comments of Sheikh Hasina from today till further order.” It may be mentioned that Hasina’s comment on the government’s ban on her return was aired by BBC Bangla Service which has been heard by the radio’s audiences in Bangladesh.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
The biggest challenge is not to change Hasina(AL) or Khaleda(BNP). The biggest challenge is to change the system through which Hasina or Khaleda would change.So let Hasina justify herself why she should not be in political scene with her rights as a citizen and let Khaleda justify why her acts are above law for a compromise.In the process let CTG justify why they are doing what they are doing.As people of republic everybody is accountable to us and through the system we hire or we fire politicians including CTG - can we?
April 18th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Another interesting piece in today’s Daily Star
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/19/d7041901096.htm
According to party sources it is now clear to party members and supporters that departure of Khaleda Zia is only a matter of time but they believe the fashion in which her departure is being ensured is creating popular sympathy for her.
Now it is clear to the people that the actions taken against her and her family are not merely related to the anti-graft drive, the sources said.
“An adviser to the caretaker government said there is no graft allegation against Khaleda Zia so why they are creating pressure on her to leave the country?” a mid-level BNP leader asked.
He said the arrest of Tarique Rahman did not anger the people, as there were a lot of allegations against him but everybody should understand that Khaleda established herself as a political leader through a long struggle for democracy.
BNP leaders and activists are now comparing the present political climate of the country with that of the regime of former military dictator HM Ershad, since he had also usurped power from the then BNP government in the name of creating a corruption free country, who himself was later prosecuted and sentenced to jail for corruption.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
0.00000001% > 100 corrupt “leaders”!!
April 18th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Take any country where you think a perfect democracy exists, and find how they were in their first 15 years!! None of them built their democratic system overnight!!!
That’s easy for you to say, your family can probably afford 3 square meals a day. How long do the abject poor have to wait before the Anwar Hossain Manju’s of the world wake up one morning and feel the burning desire to establish accountable government?
Don’t fool yourself. Bangladesh wasn’t a perfect democracy but there is an old saying that goes “morning shows the day”. What kind of day do you foresee for Bangladesh with the kind of politics operated by the Hasina-Khaleda dichotomy, continuing for, lets say, the next 3 elections? Thats another 20 or so years?
Doesn’t bear thinking about does it?
No, Bangladesh was never a democracy. But it was a picture-perfect kleptocracy.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
This is for those who do not know the rules: No government has the right to force a national of Bangladesh out of the country. The state has no power to bar a national of the country from entering it.
As regards Khaleda Zia, the govt was putting the pressure on her ‘unofficially’. In public they were denying that. (Remember the statement by the law adviser? You may call him a liar but he did the right thing, and he lied because he knew the rule!).
The CTG did a grave mistake today by issuing an official order regarding Sheikh Hasina. (May be there was pressure on the Home Ministry officials by people who do not have the slightest idea about citizenship and consular rules !!!). However, note the language of the office order- it only says that there is a threat regarding SH’s arrival in Bangladesh. It does not say that she is not allowed to enter the country. If SH really wants to enter Bangladesh, nobody can stop her. She may be arrested upon arrival, but no authority has the right to stop her entering. Also the foreign airlines are not bound to obey the orders from the CTG, if SH holds a Bangladesh passport.
In order to prevent her from coming to Bangladesh, the CTG has to cancel her Bangladesh passport first,and then ask its Embassies and consulates not to issue a new passport to her. But in that case, her stay abroad would be illegal and the host country will have the right to ask Bangladesh to accept her.
It would be wise for SH to stay in UK, and not in any other country. She has good relations with many members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Also the majority of British Bangladeshis, specially those from greater sylhet, support AL.
Those who want to see the success of the present CTG should urge them to handle the ‘banishment’ cases with care, otherwise it might prove their greatest mistake with grave consequences.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
1.If the present caretaker government is so popular then why are they so afraid of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia?
2. If these two ladies are so corrupt and unpopular, why the government thinks that these ladies will call for political unrest and the public will listen to them?
3. The caretaker government has power, authority, the country is in the state of emergency, the government has the backing of the military, most of the political leaders are in jail or absconding, the government has support of the civil society, donors and foreign countries… everything is in their favour! Then why they fear the two flesh and blooded women so much? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
April 18th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
It is time to drain the family based political system in Bangladesh. It’s time to drain Hasina and Khaleda!
April 18th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
So, let me get this straight. The military accuses Hasina of murder and than forces an accused “murderer” to stay outside the country. That seems like a dereliction of duty to me.
First, the people have a right to demand a trial of an accused “murderer”. By refusing the accused entry into the country, the government is denying the people it serves the right to demand justice for the “murder”.
Second, it seems downright unneighborly to foist upon a foreign country someone who the government claims is a “murderer”.
The government should be doing its best to get this person brought back to Bangladesh to stand trial.
Shame on the government for letting down the people.
Oh wait a minute! What the heck am I saying?
I think it may be time to acknowledge that the military is simply involved in a power grab and is trying to gut the political parties and any return to democracy.
You’ve got to love the blatant disregard for anything resembling the rule of law by these Generals. You have also got to love those who are cheering them on. Sad, but kind of funny nonetheless.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
It appears that the CTG is in total mess! There is no coordination between the civil administration and the ‘u-know-who’s! The advisers are saying something, the UKW (u-know-who) doing something else! If this goes on, I foresee a clash pretty soon! What is going on in the country now is literally ‘porer ghare bonduk rekhe shikar’, and the advisers may not be willing to take the responsibility for the actions of the ones who remain behind the screen, u-know-who!
I foresee a change very soon!
April 18th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
As much as I blame the two ladies for much of what is wrong with BD politics, and as much as I felt there was ample justification for the state of emergency, I cannot agree with forcing these two leaders to exile.
As a precedent this is most disturbing. The implications will reverberate for years to come–army brass is likely to interfere whenever it thinks the government is not doing a good job–this will not allow democracy to grow.
If the purpose of the government is to make the two ladies irrelevant to BD politics, these actions may actually backfire. It may not be long before these leaders will come back and be greeted with garlands, particularly if this government or a future one falters, and this is the last thing I like to see.
It would have been far better for people to make these ladies irrelevant. With so much corruption and misrule charges against Khaleda and cohorts, and with AL leaders speaking out for the first time against Sk. Hasina for her loose tongue, there was a genuine chance for an end of dominance of dynastic politics. But, the army does not seem to want to take a chance.
I have to assume the real force behind these actions is General Moin and his army cohorts, as these actions go against some of the previous statements of the advisers. Perhaps, self-preservation is a motivation. With no established politicians in the fore, they stand a better chance of avoiding vindictive retribution from an elected government that is to follow.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Naive are those who believe that the ‘deshpremik U-Know-Who’ are doing everything for the country.
Remember, they revolted against Yes-uddin only when there was a possibility of dismissal of the head of the U-Know-Who from his post prior to the declaration of emergency! The change came NOT because the fundamental rights of the people were being violated, but because their own positions were in potential jeopary!
Remember that they have not taken over officially as yet, and are still ‘helping the government being totally under the rule of the civil administration’ NOT because they have any love for the civil administration, but because if they do so, they might lose the UN peacekeeping assignments. Here also they are considering their own benefits, and not that of you and me!
Extremely naive are those who are still singing the songs of the patriotism and honesty of the U-Know-Who! Let me tell you that no matter how Deshpremik they are in your eyes, to them, you are just a bloody civilian!
April 18th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I think it’s more important to see how things turn out in the next few months. “Angul baka kore ghi othano” has been a thing desparately declared by these two “netri”. Now that it has been applied on them had become a “chitto daho” to them (Alas!).
Sorry- I can’t feel anything but happiness at this.
Unfortunately, I am neither hopeful about my coutry’s future that CTG is just going to bring about a huge change nor that we’ll be losing complete democracy etc.
But it’s kinda fun to see these two extremely powerful but completely incompetent ladies going through all these troubles.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Let us not play with numbers. Before percentages are thrown around it should be noted that both parties complained about the voter list and vote rigging when they lost.
Numbers should only be qouted when a scietific poll is done by a credible independent body.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Nagorik, nobody is lamenting over the fate of the two ladies, we are concerned about the country and its 140 million people.
Forget about Hasina and Khaleda, are you happy that 140 million people do not have the basic fundamental rights? You might be living in a foreign country I am sure, and you enjoy the right to say whatever you like even in a foreign land. But those people in Bangladesh do not enjoy the freedom of speech, freedom of press, right to constitutional remedies, right to vote and have a say in the formation of the government. Ok, during the last 15 years, they suffered, but at least they enjoyed some rights! People started hating BNP-Jamat govt. becaue they were planning to deprive the people of their voting rights! Thats why peple welcomed the present caretaker government and supported their reformative measures.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:02 am
Khaleda, Hasina, and other godmothers/godfathers could become elected rulers only because of the fact that the elections were not held on a level playing field.
I can bet for anything, if the next election is held on a level playing field - with no black money and muscle - the godmothers/godfathers like Khaleda and Hasina will not only lose it, they may even lose the ‘deposit money’.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:13 am
It is easy to critique the ARMY right now about how the 2 Madams have been handled, better methods could have been applied, maybe.
But, in their Indo-Pak subcontinent wisdom, the army/CTG applied the method most known to them (exile)- not necessarily the most optimum and innovative, like say, make them politically disqualified, or change constitution to ONE TERM only, or rule anyone with corruption record cannot stand in election, or force them to RETIREMENT, etc.
But without a doubt, the ultimate NEED was to retire the two Madams. They were basically becoming too counter-productive, too damaging, and too obstructive for nation-building, with their divisive hair-pulling politics.
People did vote for them - but that was only because their corrupt cronies campaigned on their SENTIMENTAL values, of Mujib-Zia itihash.
Their leadership and nation-building values were obviously nothing to write home about, un-inspiring and un-suited to the challenges of Bangladesh.
But here is the bottom-line:
Let the 2 madams now be HISTORY, forget them as fictional characters of past politics, and for the future of Bangladesh - move on - replace them with competence, talent and capable leadership, so that BD can grow, out of the negative history of corruption and bad systems, into the futuristic dreams of the 150m people.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:31 am
who will win Aziz? You? how much percentage of people do you represent?
April 19th, 2007 at 2:34 am
sr,
Fundamental rights?!? Ha ha ha! funny we talk about the fundamental rights of Bangladeshi people. The majority of our population never had the fundamental rights in any time since independence (actually never). The rights are food, cloth, education, medicine and housing. The freedom of speech or votes play a role wayyy later- and who cares about voting or speaking right if he doesn’t have sth to eat or some place to live? The truth is- we come here to share our thoughts because we do have our fiundamental rights somehow fulfilled.
“People started hating BNP-Jamat govt. becaue they were planning to deprive the people of their voting rights!” WRONG!! People, (if you really meant the ordinary people and not the AL activists or middle and upper pro-AL supporters only), might have cared for food, for electricity or driniking water or a house to live or some social justice- and that’s what they always wanted from a government and unfortunately these two “deshnetri” and “Jononetri” and their gang failed to provide so.
If it’s the army that can give so, or a third force or a group of angels from west- who cares who it is- I salute them. I feel it’s more important for the poors to get what they need and not something what would be only fruitful for a minor intellectual middle class group.
Some may argue that - well, those poor ppl want these two ladies and thus we need to satisfy their democratic hunger. If so, I would request everyone to stop bulshitting at blogs- because you know it very well that you can not expect those illiterate people to judge and decide what would be the best for them. Had it been so, Bangladesh would not end up in parties and leaders like these!
April 19th, 2007 at 2:46 am
This is the problem, Tanoy, we cannot think beyond Khaleda and Hasina. ‘Who will win?’ is not important. It does not matter how much percentage of people I represent, either. The important thing is whether honest people will get elected to power or not. I believe that the people of Bangladesh will be able to get themselves out of their myopic mindset, which restricts them to think beyond Khaleda and Hasina, if a level playing field is ensured.
April 19th, 2007 at 3:11 am
All of you who support the CG are missing an important thing- A quick fix would only deter the process of a system’s growth.
You know all my life, whenever I stumbled, my mother came and bailed me out. In turn, I never learnt how to look out for hazards and stand up when I am down…
The ppl in BD are not learning how not to vote for a person who is PROVED (in the court of law, not by some x-drug-dealers’ allegation) corrupted.. the Jolpaiees (ppl who are swarming the media with their Jolpayee dress) dont just get it that leaving a growing system is more important than BEING one.
Look around the world. Do you know any country whose military has offered a (any) working system (where the corrupted get exposed)? I dont…
It’s said, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Kaps
April 19th, 2007 at 3:37 am
Dear all,
Nothing is impossible in Bangaldesh.
No Math is Fuzzy Math. We are so good at math that nothing will fuss us too much. If we just jerk little bit of grey-matter, gyri or sulci or math center of our brain all answers will be crystal clear to us.
What Asif think as fuzzy math it’s so easy to me and I believe to almost everybody, if just we try with a scrape and pencil, even we don’t need to have calculator.
40+40=0, not eighty to us, especially in the last 15 years we have learned so much such awesome maths.
When any party is voted to power, the defeatee Hasina or Khaleda said elelection was not fair and winner had rigged the election.
Again, when the opposition did street anarchy they said the whole country is with us. So, according to Hasina, Khaleda’s 40% or whatsover is Zero [0] and So’s the claim of Khaleda, people have sent us for working for the people and we have been doing the best job. So, again the whole country is with Khaldeda. So, with Hasina there is nobody [nil/nada/cephor/Shunnay/Cero].
So, what asif, count as 40% for Hasina or Khaleda they themselves count them zero. So, it is simple, what your math says to be 80%, Zero by by the amazing addition knowledge of our great leaders like Hasina and Khaleda.
We are a bit biased to blame these two leaders for wrong headed maths. The other great so called political stalwarts like Kamal, Mennon, Enu, Ershad, Badrudozza, Oli, Aminee so all, when talk they claim they talk for the whole country, 150 millions. Many a times they inflate the number of total population. \Wwhen there are 10 crores people in the country, they sexify the number to be 11 crores, when 140 millions, they make it 150 millions. Thus, as if, they not only speak for the present population but also they represent or speak for our unborn future generation. So all those zeros [kamal, menon, enu, ershad, bodruddoza, oli, aminee ] make together or alone [0+0+0+0+0+........= 150 millions] and the otherhand, all the 40%+40%….=0.
So to our people and politicians no math is fuzzy math. A zero bank balance MP become the millioneers, owners of BMW/Mercedes Benz/Hummner or number of cozy flats in posh residential area. Yet, they claims they are transparent and our incomes are pure and halal!
All math answers are correct, no math can fuzz our solid brain matter.
I’m not supporting all of the activities of PIG [Paramilitary Interim Government]. But it is enjoying to note how thing are unfolding and we are fighting for our great leaders like Hasina. At the end of the day people gets what she/she deserves to get.
Now we feel sorry for Hasina, but do you folks remember! up until now, Hasina was so eager to get credited for the take-over. She used to brag about, how great sacrifice she and her party made for paving the path for SOE declaration. How she was so excited aoubt and how she congratulated the jobs of this government. She was so happy about that government could net the Mohacchor.
Even before taking aboard tht airplane for the USA she declared if she is voted to power she will ratify all the activities of the PIG.
So, current step of government of force- exiling KH and Herself should have implicit approval of her. Shouldn’t she be credited for such ill or good luck? I think, she can ratify the act of depravation of her basic human rights of returing to the country where she was born and of what of country her father is quasivocal father of nation.
Hi poor Hasina! this is called, Khal Kete Kumeer Ana. Nejar Nak Kete Onneyer Jatra Banghakora!
Thanks.
April 19th, 2007 at 4:49 am
Aziz who are those people Matin and Moinul?
who gave them this right to speak on behalf of
our people. In the morning they speak one and evening they change another.
Both of them are big controversial character.
Gazi This is not subcontinent Culture. In India Army is always far away from the power
neither in Lanka , Nepal and Maldives.
So Having so much Civil war Srilnka is much respected in the globe.
Country Pakistan is nothing but the brand of corruption.
Because It is very natural Ignorant Genarls
were destroying the base of this cuntry.
I hope Bangladesh will not follow any type
of uncivilized dictatorship which is known as Marital Law.
We are in the democratic process and our democracy is new. It is not as old as Britain and India.
So we need time.
and Let me tell you one thing. People of Bangladesh has got the taste of democracy
in Last 15 years. A few generals and one
Barrister Moinul Hossain can’t ignore the
this taste of people.
Gazi Bangladesh does not mean Gulshan, Banani,Baridhara, Uttara and Dhanmondi
April 19th, 2007 at 5:24 am
Fuzzy math indeed. I was once present in a meeting of a student wing of one of the major political parties where two belligerent fractions came face to face. One very insignificant student stood up and said, “Let us practice the politics of addition and not subtraction for greater cause. We should remember that two and two will make four but two minus two is zero”. Of course no one paid any heed to that. Unfortunately that was the case with AL and BNP. It was indeed 40-40=0 for Bangladesh.
To me, a democratic election alone does not constitute democracy. It is the democratic processes and institutions that determine the quality of democracy in a country. In Bangladesh, most of the democratic institutions are corrupt from top to bottom and democratic processes are manipulated by the government in power and major political parties at every administrative and socio-political level. Majority/large share of our voters are bribed, coerced, or brainwashed by the political leaders and their lackeys. The governments from 1991-2005 were democratically elected but not democratic governments. If we deem them as democratic then democracy is:
1. SK Hasina/KZia will be in power till their death because the majority will vote for them
2. People like Falu and Mokbul will be elected from the two of the most educated areas of the country because the majority wants them
3. TZia will run the country from ‘Hawa bhaban’ because majority doesn’t know about it or doesn’t care
4. Ershad will be elected from Northbengal because majority will say, “Nijer gachher fal tok hoileo bhalo’
5. People like Hazari or Shamim Osman will be the MPs as majority votes for them. Honest people will not get elected because majority thinks they are incompetent to deal with bureaucracy and will not be able to bring developments to the locality. They believe in the corrupt leaders ( ‘nijera khaibo, kintu amago kamtao hoibo’).
This is not the majority’s fault. They were taught to believe that this is what they want. They were taught to accept corruption and exploitation as parts of their lives. They were blinded so couldn’t see better things and made to believe that corruption/exploitation free societies do not exist and even if they do, it is too much of an asking.
I think some of us wanted just a free and fair election and some of us wanted a ‘change’. If the CTG did the voter list, overhauled the EC, held a free and fair election, and left power to the elected party(ies), I guess, some of us would’ve been very happy. But what difference would it make in reality? The same people, same party, same corruption and five years later same status quo and advent of another CTG? ! Could we ever get out of that vicious cycle?
That is why we need complete overhauling of the system. That is why I think that the CTG needs more time. I am hoping that they are breaking up the democratic institutions only to build a more robust one. I am concerned, I am skeptical of their intentions. But then again, what alternatives are we left with but to believe in them at this moment? Can someone please outline a solution to the Bangladesh problem for me?
April 19th, 2007 at 6:13 am
So much for the honesty of the CTG:
April 13:
M.A Matin denying media reports that the government was planning to force Hasina and Khaleda into exile, the adviser said that they had not taken any such decision.
April 17:
The government on Wednesday made an announcement of taking special cautionary measures on Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s return home.A Press Note issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the measures were taken for a temporary period.
&
The government is processing travel documents for Khaleda Zia and her family members to send them abroad, although Khaleda, who has reportedly agreed to leave the country under intense government persuasion, is yet to finalise a specific time for the departure.
April 19th, 2007 at 8:04 am
*sigh* - if only mere human rights issues such as the bnwla hostel campaign could evoke even a fuzzily mathematical percentage of these comments.
April 19th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I liked Shahed’s piece.
Tanoy: I would like to know about the controversy of Maj Gen M A Matin. I’m just curious here, nothing else.
Salemin
April 19th, 2007 at 9:43 am
It is the dynastic nature of BNP-AL politics that needs to be changed first and foremost. The hereditary connections of Khaleda-Tarek and Hasina give them permanent immunity from suffering any consequences of their misdeeds. Think of all the corruption, the nepotism, the graft, the incompetence, the vendettas, the greed, the violence, the bloodshed, the peshi-shokti, the mastani, the chandabaji, the pukur-churi of the last 10-15 years. Through all of this, through everything, Khaleda-Hasina-Tarek have presided supreme, serenely confident that they are the Anointed Dynastic Successors to Mujib and Zia. Therefore, their position at the top can never change. They never need be held personally accountable for any of their personal or parties’ failings.
That’s not democracy. The other thing that needs to be addressed urgently is the politics of mastaan-goondas and the arms-based, cadre-based party politics that we have. Such is the quality of internal democracy that when several leaders split from BNP to form LDP, some of their houses got BURNT down. Everyone remembers what happened to B Chowdhury. This man was in the same building the night Zia was murdered. He doesn’t need to prove his creds to anyone. And yet he was hounded out of his own party, chased down into a slum by goondas for being insufficiently respectful towards Zia. Where’s the democracy in that? Where’s the tolerance for difference?
Lastly, about this idea that our democracy is ‘progressing’ through trial and error. I don’t know what progress is supposed to mean here, but it certainly hasn’t brought us good governance. Instead it’s getting worse. 91-96 was the first cycle. 96-01 brought us the Most Corrupt ranking. 01-06 gave us Tarek Zia and ever spiraling records for corruption. As well as militancy, Islamism, the bombings, the RAB, the price inflation, the power shortages etc etc. So all those who want to be happy with a vote every 5 years can have that, but they have no power to influence what they are getting in return for their vote. Just successive governments that are worse and worse.
That’s why I support those who advocate a root-and-branch cleaning of the party leaderships. What happens after that, I’m willing to wait and see.
P.S. Andrew I feel your pain too!
April 19th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Quote
People of Bangladesh has got the taste of democracy in Last 15 years. A few generals and one Barrister Moinul Hossain can’t ignore the
this taste of people.
Unquote
This sort of understanding, as expressed by Tanoy, is responsible for the state where ‘democracy’ and ‘corruption’ become synonymous, as was in Bangladesh in the last 15 years.
Does ‘democracy’ mean only change of govt. by people’s vote and giving mandate to loot for 5 years?
This ‘taste of democracy’ can only be savoured by the looters, not the general people.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Selim Reza
1) Barrister Moinul is the one who was the loyal supporter of lots unconstitutional activities. Even he was supporting shamelessly to Iazuddin and Co against Dr Kamal on the condemn of court. Now I am not the anti corruption commissioner that I will start to speak about his character. But Greatest example is Ittefaq. we really don’t know actually who run this news paper. It is like
Pendulum that some times Anoar Hosaain Monu,
some times Moinul who are taking care of that.
Even lots of rumors are there which easily made him controversial .
Secondly even being a Law adviser his speeches are simply funny . AT the morning
he speaks one thing and evening he changes the thing. Even Aamader shomy editor complained Barrister Moinul shows false Circulation of his New Nation to get advertisement from Govt
2) Matin was Unsuccessful in anti corruption.Even If Just went to the all news paper of three years Back you will get details about Matin
April 19th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Shahed, Nagorik, Zubaer.
Thanks for expressing my precise thoughts, albeit in a much better way.
The core ingredients of democracy are accountability, transparency and a system of checks and balances. All three of them have been absent from our political culture since day one. Our leaders have acted as Kings and Queens but never as public servants. Hence the need for a major change.
To those who are gushing about democracy, let us not delude ourselves. All we ever had was dictatorship under the guise of democracy. Just because people go to the polls, does not mean we have democracy. People need to have real choices as to who they can elect and what they can do if their representatives do not respond to public needs.
This CTG is committing mistakes but that should be expected, after all they are trying to build a new mechanism within a very short period of time.
Let us wish them good luck and success.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Aziz
Does ‘democracy’ mean only change of govt. by people’s vote and giving mandate to loot for 5 years?
ok ” Change of Govt by people’s Vote yes.I think None gives any one mandate for looting.
Actually Un constitutional Govt is completely responsible for that.Not people, democracy and Political Party.
after 1975-90 we had a long Martial Law and
have created some Junk Politicians Via some corrupt business men .Judiciary, Election commission, Anti corruption, Army every institution has been corrupt. so called Business men are taking loan from the Bank never returned.
At least by vote we have chance to change Govt. Any other form is simply unconstitutional and It is a crime brother.
Be patient. we are still student of democracy. 20 years of Undemocratic system has already destroyed our base. Now world is
far a head and age of Technology.
Today one Tarek Zia is exposed in five years
But even 15 year back we did not have resource even to discuss.
Don’t u think you are debating with me is the result of this 15 years.
we need at least 3 more free and fair election then we will be winner.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Sid
(Post#66)
Do you know why there is so much corruption in our country? People like you who look for short-cut, and doesn’t have the patience to build something (as it is time consuming, painfull, messy) but wants all the benefit of it.
Morning shows the day? That was my point, I suggested you to read about the mornings of other democracies. Democracy doesn’t come free or easy. It is messy, it is not perfect, it is time consuming; but it is the best option compared to other form of goverment. Given the histroy of military, they are the last group to build a corruption free democratic system.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Let me ask you one question iqo:
Do you regard the practices of the former “democratically” elected governments which involved politicisation of the independent judiciary, and the civil services to be symbols of good democracy? Or do you think a democratically elected governemt can behave like a totalitarian state once they are in power?
If you answer ‘yes’ to both these questions, then your definition of democracy is far different from my definition.
April 19th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
No, I do not say that we had a perfect democracy. But it started to grow. Read my post #45 and #51.
Again you are expecting everything of a democracy, but do not have patience to let it grow.
April 19th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Iqo, - “No, I do not say that we had a perfect democracy. But it started to grow.”
The slow rate and wrong DIRECTION at which it was growing was a recipe for disaster. Nation was basically a “failed state”, and at the brink of a civil war. End of 2006 showed us true pictures of anarchy.
With 150m people and a threadbare economy, we never had the luxury to “develop” democracy over 200 years or so. We need the system to be posted RIGHT NOW - as an emergency.
Good governance, anti-corruption and Law&Order are not rocket science, the wheel has already been invented - all we need to do is follow the system set up in one of the EMERGING economies - HKong, Dubai or Singapore.
But we cannot afford the system to “grow” in the wrong direction - where the govt is flooded in black money, corruption scams and rackets, and expect people to believe that we have a “democracy”.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Tanoy, how can you be so sure that the common people ‘will be winner after at least 3 more free and fair elections’?
Don’t you know that film like ‘Rang de Basanti’ is a box-office hit, and thousands of peasants are commiting suicide due to utter poverty even after 60 years of ‘parliamentary democracy’ in India???
April 20th, 2007 at 2:00 am
Aziz This is process and that’s why Chandra Babu Naidu had to go. But Martial Law No Way.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Tanoy, the departure of Chandra Babu Naidu from power has not been able to prevent poor peasants from committing suicide in Andhra Pradesh. That’s the failure of democracy, without a level playing field, the key for success of democracy.
April 20th, 2007 at 4:34 am
Those yelling down with democracy conveniently avoided questions posed on this thread. Its all too easy to criticise democracy, but what is the alternative? Excellent post by Sage on the “Political vacuum” thread.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:03 am
Aziz, It is not the failure of democracy.you can share this information to us . But In Martial Law it is almost Impossible.
On the other hand recent development of India
is indicating that.
Even look at NRI community . where are they not?
yes Socialism is a very good system. But people want freedom of speech.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Ahbab Aziz,
So if India were a military autocracy rather than a democracy, these peasants would be better off? The generals in uniform would be closer to the peasants that the grassroots politicians?
April 20th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Tamanna,
Even though many think the civilian govt of past 15 years was a democracy in BD, it really wasnt.
The pre-conditions of a democracy were missing.
See my list in #36 of “Towards Their Next Meeting”.
What BD actually conformed to more (from 1991-2006) was a MONARCHY, like in the medieval ages when people fought and warred, to chose the queen they supported to be ruled by, in the absence of the democracy pre-conditions.
The elections just picked one queen to be ruler, the other monarch rebelled (hartal and boycott).
In BD the queens were SH and KZ - and people were blindly led by them in a pure feudal dynastic monarchy.
April 20th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Gazi why do the people take their Leader ship then?
Have u ever thought? why don’t the intellect and upper class like you to reach towards grass root?
Actually you, I even your IG don’t have capability to influence the people.
Army should be in side Barrack. Not out side.
They should practice to develop the skill.
In last some years If I am asking some question how strong Bangladesh army is compare to other SAARC nation and even Burma?
Besides Bangladesh Army is getting all sorts
of facilities more than a Common civilians.
and This is our money. So they should perform their duty not any extra things.
Judiciary, Election Commission and Anti corruption are there for all those tasks.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Hello guys,
I am new in Dristipat. It has been a eye-opening so far.
Just read some facts on democracy in India and its suiciding farmers. I wrote a piece on this few months back. I guess some of you may be interested to read it:-
http://subhan.blogspirit.com/archive/2007/01/23/suicidal-tendency-among-the-indian-farmers-how-much-do-we-kn.html
April 20th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Kazi,
Give me one example where democracy was not built but installed.
Give me one example where military established a corruption free, honest government.
April 20th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
And we are not reinventing the wheel, we are trying to assemble one and make it work. That is called building something. Those who proposes “a new brand of Democracy is needed for our country” are the one who are reinventing it.
Again you want a wheel to work but do not want to build it. You want “system to be posted RIGHT NOW - as an emergency”. Then do not talk about democracy. There is no ready made version of it, but you have autocracy in different colors. You are a perfect customer for that.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Iqo,
see my response in #50 of “Towards Their Next Meeting”, to save me repeating.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Democracy is not only the best, but also the only way to human emancipation. I have never ever advocated Martial Law or socialism or communism. But for democracy to succeed, a level playing field is a must, that is what I underscored.
However, I beg to differ about the ‘development’ of India. Now India is witnessing not only unprecedented growth, but also alarmingly widening gap between rich and poor, like never before.
April 21st, 2007 at 12:30 am
CROSS-POSTED FROM UTTORSHURI
This is in response to recent posts that suggest that the caretaker government is about to: (a) end the free press; (b) usurp power; and, as a result of (a) and (b), end democratic governance in Bangladesh as we know it.
On the first issue, the recent statement to the media from the Press Information Department contains the following: “You are requested to be more vigilant to ensure that the mass media do not provide any room for activities, propaganda or reports that are unnecessarily harassing or misinformative about anyone.” Judging from the negative reaction to this statement from some observers, it would seem that there is some support for the media sponsoring “activities, propaganda or reports that are unecessarily harassing or misinformative about anyone”. What isn’t clear is how this request indicates that the press is–or will be–censored. There is nothing in this extract, or any other part of the statement, that suggests the press is being warned off criticizing the caretaker government.
More important, what seems to be absent from the criticisms of PID is any understanding of the intentions behind the statement, which for the purposes of my point I will link to the decision to bar Sheikh Hasina for returning to Bangladesh. The political dysfunction of the Khaleda-Hasina years should be fresh in everyone’s mind. We are fortunate that the economy remained sound during these years because a combination of political and economic volatility would have brought Bangladesh close to becoming a failed state. The PID intervention is part of a broadbased attempt by the caretaker government to restore and maintain political stability (I thought this was obvious but it seems necessary to state this in the wake of the derision being directed at the government right now). Is there any doubt that Sheikh Hasina, for all her millions of votes and airtime on the BBC World Service, would bring further chaos to public life in Bangladesh if she were to return? Is that what we
want? What alternatives are available to the government? Can the critics of current government action offer any?
On usurping power, some members of this mailing list seem to think that this has already happened, or will happen by stealth. Let me be a little provocative and ask the question, “So what?” This is worth asking if the alternative means a resumption of the blood-strewn Khaleda-Hasina hate fest. Which brings us to the end of democratic governance in Bangladesh, with some of us, hammer in hand, already striking nails into the coffin of the caretaker government. Here’s some news: there are more than three nails. In fact there are dozens and those who are inclined to judge should be ready to hit them all on the head before we consign the government to the grave. Let us investigate government positions on:
1. Domestication of international / regional conventions of human rights
2. Ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Court
3. Death penalty
4. Watchdog institutions
5. Forms of discrimination
6. Minority rights
7. Freedom of movement
8. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
9. Freedom of expression
10. Independence, impartiality and credibility of the electoral authority
11. Equal campaigning opportunities
12. Validity of election results
13. International verification of election results
Now try out these:
14. Separation of powers
15. Powers of Parliament
16. Existence of political parties
17. Political pluralism
18. Control over law enforcement institutions
19. Type of judicial system
20. Independence of judges
21. Performance of judicial system
22. Rights of citizens
23. Security of citizens and respect for law
24. Incidence of corruption
25. Legal system for fighting corruption
26. Implementation of legal system
27. Adherance to international law regarding anti-corruption efforts
28. Reform measures for addressing corruption
29. Institutional capacity of state organs
30. Competencies for extending democratic reforms
31. Transparency and participatory nature of budgeting process
32. Openness to investment and start-up time for new business
How about:
33. Access to capital
34. Customs regulation
35. Labour regulations
36. Transparency of extractive industries
37. Incidence of illegal extraction of natural resources
38. Incidence of civil unrest
39. Accession to conflict preventing international / regional agreements
40. Respect for international law on managing external conflicts
41. Contributing to multilateral peacekeeping efforts
42. Peace mediation
43. Enforcement of multilateral resolutions on terrorism
44. Prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
And finally:
45. Signing and domestication of ILO conventions
46. National strategic plans on environmental sustainability, women’s empowerment and responding to HIV and AIDS (and other communicable diseases)
47. Political will for national response to crises (as set out in 46 above)
48. Implementation of regional economic integration agenda
49. Degree of integration into regional economic processes
50. Involvement in peer review mechanisms for governance
51. Interest in addressing migration issues in multilateral and bilateral fora
52. &c. &c.
There are many such ‘indicators’ that allow us to see how well a government is doing. An assessment based on the above might be helpful, if anyone cares to try. Without this, comments praising or deriding the caretaker goverment mean nothing. Indeed, the caretaker government would have to flunk on a majority of such indicators before we can take aim with our rotten tomatoes.
But why are we already casting doubt over the caretaker government? The comments now appearing on this forum about the actions–and by extension the legitimacy–of the caretaker government are not contributions that befit a serious situation. On the contrary, they reveal the impatience, immaturity, political illiteracy (and maybe even partiality) of people who wish to do right through the written word. Apart from venting spleen, which everyone is entitled to do from time to time, these contributions offer nothing by way of substance that is relevant or useful to the current situation in Bangladesh.
April 22nd, 2007 at 2:40 am
Mr. Hannan, my question: what constitutes “activities, propaganda or reports that are unnecessarily harassing or misinformative about anyone” and who decides that a certain report falls into this category? What recourse does a reporter or a publication have to fight such branding by some overzealous government/joint forces official?
Without clear definitions, together with the fear of arbitrary branding with little recourse for the accused, I am afraid there is good reason to equate such PIDs as an attempt to gag the press, even if that is not the intent. A government should be thankful for a free press, even if there is a segment of reporting is inaccurate and biassed. On the overall, this is the only way it will get to know what’s on and stay in touch with people. The CA already claimed that this as the basis for its legitimacy. Why issue this PID, knowing fully well the chilling effect it will have.
About the other issues you raise concerning the caretaker government and the criticims in this forum, perhaps you are unaware that most people in this forum are not political partisans rooting for their favorite parties. You can look through past writings during past governments to confirm that this is indeed this case.
The care taker government has done quite a few good things and should be rightly lauded for it. However, some of the recent actions, particularly forcing exile of dynastic political leaders is quite ill-conceived and unwise, and should be rightfully criticized.
For my part, I have very little good to say about these leaders and the governments they led. But, as a matter of precedence, the recent actions have been disturbing. What prevents similar actions by the military in the future against elected representatives for reasons that they feel are justified. This is now way to grow a democracy.
Why not be satisfied with strengthening the election commission, anti-corruption commission, ensuring depoliticized bureacracy and judiciary. This by itself will ensure a new dawn for Bangladesh politics for which the people will be eternally thankful.
Besides one of the netris would have had hardtime being electorally relevant in view of the patently massive corruption and misrule she presided over. The other was being challenged for the first time by members of her own party, and I believe would have declining influence in the future. Her continual oborodh movement has also left a bad taste for many.
Why give them a good chance to resuscicate their political career as I am afraid it will, should this government or the one that follows falter in public opinion.
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Dear Saleh: Post # 112
Allow me to interject. It is important to state some of my opinions so that we get it right. Please consider this as a co-operative non-partisan discourse and nothing personal. Actually you wrote a very important post that allows me to highlight some important things. We learn from each other, and this forum seems to be a good learning place from people with versatile expertise. here I go.
Your question:
“what constitutes “activities, propaganda or reports that are unnecessarily harassing or misinformative about anyone””
Answer: Pretty simple. Any information that does not have factual evidence, is defaming without proof, based on rumour, intended to hamper public life and public peace, list goes on and on…..Lets say hypothetically, one publish that you are a paid agent (just an example - not personal) of India / Pakitan / any XYZ country….without any proof, or evidence. Would you like it under absolute freedom of speech! Should media have such freedom? No, Never.
Freedom of Speech does not give freedom to write anything. Example: I can not write on a paper that some one is a thief, Khaleda is a Chor, Hasina is a Dakat, Prophet is a whatever negative, Mahatma Gandhi was a murderer, …… If you take the meaning of freedom of speech literally, that I can presumably go and defame you or anybody writing nonsensical things about one with malacious intention. In reality, for all practical purpose, I am not free to write this and this is not freedom of speech. Freedom of speech comes with a huge responsibility and so long it is not harmful to anyone else, falsifyingly, then be it. Of course you can write about me that I am a bad person if that is substantiated with proof and if that is in public interest.
Next Part of the Question:
“… and who decides that a certain report falls into this category?…”
Since none can do that with authority, it is the job of government to regulate every thing for the greater good of public. Most of us are in North America, assumption. Who knows better that every thing in these seemingly beautiful countries are regulated! You can’t even see a patient if you are not licensed. Can’t even sell hot dog without permission. Think this ultimate fun: You can’t even beg without license (fact as in Canada). Isn’t it friend!
What will happen under following situation: