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Bangladesh : Interim Government takes over |
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In Bangladesh, ahead of the general elections possibly in October this year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned leaving the Government in the hands of a neutral care-taker, former Chief Justice Latif Rehman. This is a Constitutional provision in order to ensure that elections are held in a free and fare manner and the defeated party has no room for complain about the alleged rigging. This is however for the first time in Bangladesh history that a government has completed its five year term. Large scale demonstrations had brought down the previous BNP government of Begum Khalida Zia well before the expiry of her term in office.
It is, however, unlikely that the coming 90 days during which the elections will be held, will be a smooth affair. The two rival begums, Sheikh Hasina and Khalida Zia have been known for their intolerance and indulging in a politics of corruption to score points over each other,. The entire five year regime of Sheikh Hasina was marked by street demonstration led by the main Opposition alliance led by Khalida Zia whose party boycotted the Parliament session for much of the five year period. Political observers say given the animosity between the two rival Begums, the caretaker government headed by former Chief Justice Latifur Rehman is going to face more difficulties than the Interim Governments in 1991 and 1996. The then Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmad (today president of the country) and Habibur Rahman, respectively looked after the transitional arrangement.
An indication of what may happen between now and the day of election was available on Friday when the four-party opposition alliance led by Begum Khaleda Zia’s BNP observed the day as the end of the “autocratic rule” and took out a midnight march and the ruling group headed by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League began what it called “Democracy Festival”. The result was countrywide violence in which at least 10 persons lost their lives and hundreds suffered serious injuries. Any laxity on the law and order front may paralyse the system throughout the country. Justice Latifur Rahman, who heads the interim government as Chief Adviser, will have to grapple with the situation in a firm manner, the only way to effectively immobilise the law-breakers operating as party workers. A large number of party workers and sympathisers belonging to the two leading alliances are in possession of illegal arms. Unless these “political terrorists” are brought to book and their arms and ammunition are seized, it may not be possible to hold peaceful elections. The interim administration’s moves in this respect will be watched with anxiety. At a massive rally last Monday Begum Khaleda Zia had made two demands, which in her opinion, were essential to ensure smooth and peaceful polling. One is that local observers should be allowed inside polling stations and the other is that the army be accorded judicial powers for the purpose. Sheikh Hasina is opposed to the first demand and her argument is that this will lead to lawlessness at the polling booths. Who is right or wrong is not the question. The problem is that the interim regime may be accused of sympathizing with either of the two political alliances, threatening the efficacy of the fragile system. So far as the issue of judicial powers for the army is concerned, the Awami League leader wants the troops to be deployed at the polling stations but under civilian authority. The serious decline in the law and order shows that the use of the armed forces is unavoidable for a peaceful conduct of the elections.
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