Fifteen years of democracy
Ashish Ahsan Uttara, Dhaka
Our forefathers fought for liberation because they wanted us to live in a free and democratic country. In reality, the democracy remained elusive for a long period. Finally, it triumphed in 1990. Since then we have plucked some fruits of it. At least once in five years politicians have to face the people. And the verdict of mass people can be very ruthless, as both the major political parties learned the hard way. They learned that no matter what they show on TV, people are not fools.They know. Another fruit of democracy is that newspapers, a pillar of democracy, are a lot freer in expressing their views and publishing news. However, a lot of expectation still remains unfulfilled, which makes the achievements look small: 1. Parliament remains ineffective because of opposition boycott. The government shows little interest in creating an environment for their participation; the opposition also seems more comfortable in avoiding the duty voters have given them. 2.Politicians still depend on thugs and goons to further their political goals. It is not clear why they do so despite the fact that it is mass people who vote them to power 3. The black laws like Section 54 still remain a big hindrance on the way to asserting people's rights 4. An independent judiciary is a must for proper functioning of democracy. Despite repeated promises by political parties, the judiciary has not been separated from the executive body 5. Electronic media is not yet free enough in their broadcasting. Since they reach a wider audience than print media, they should be allowed to do their job without interference.
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