The caretaker government system in the interregnum between two successive governments is an ad-hoc arrangement only for a limited period in a nascent democracy. Once democracy is deeply ingrained in the socio-political culture of a country, caretaker government system becomes redundant.

In an ideal democracy, political culture should be such that leaders have tolerance and respect for each other, adhere to norms of compromise and give-and-take, and place national interests and people's welfare above everything else. Power should be reckoned as responsibility. Power without responsibility is like a child toting a gun.

I wish to here raise an election related issue which I believe is fundamental to the future of our democracy.

Disconcerting news appeared in most of the major English and Bengali dailies following the recently held Chittagong mayoral election that minorities were intimidated and harassed by ruling alliance cadres and prevented from coming to some polling stations.

The disposition of the law-enforcement agencies deployed at the election, particularly the armed forces was positive, as they were reported to come to the assistance of minorities as and when they were subject to harassment.

While I do not think the government is insensitive to the plight of the minorities, no statement was issued assuring the minorities and cautioning those who attempted to cause violence and disrupt polling during the election and those who might resort to similar means in future.

Such a step by the government would have been ideal and welcome to all democracy-loving people. The government, for its part, perhaps might not think it fit to get into such a small issue as this when it has a very long list of pressing national and international issues to tackle.

But whatever is the thinking of policy-makers in the government, the emerging scenario is far more compelling and complex to minority communities, who are apt to draw parallel between the atrocities unleashed on minorities in the aftermath of the 2001 general elections and the recently held mayoral election, though in a much smaller scale, and fear a repetition of similar violence in the forthcoming general elections, or even worse, depending on which party wins election.

As a member of a minority community, I worry about reprisals in the elections and so also do the overwhelming majority of minority communities, and their worries are not unfounded, as the short history of Bangladesh attests.

Political leaders in the ruling alliance should have been more forthright in making public pronouncements in support of the minorities to reassure them. Among the opposition leaders, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been expressing her concern and support for minorities when there is any disquiet, as do leaders like Dr Kamal Hossain, Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury, and left-leaning parties like JSD, CPB, and a few individuals who proclaim to be the followers of the ideals of liberation war.

Members of civil society and a good number of NGOs are quite sympathetic to the cause of minorities -- some in the latter group are in fact quietly doing good jobs for minorities -- but they have not been able to combine their strength in support when there was any crisis, probably because some of them, while championing human rights and minority rights, were subject to harassment, intimidation, and physical assault, and a few even had to lay down their lives.

However, the print media is generally vocal in support of minorities and the socially disadvantaged, and a good number of newspapers have been consistently reporting on any incidents of repression against minorities and human rights violations. But despite active support from some progressive quarters, the situation has not much improved for minorities, particularly in rural areas, who still live in fear, because the perpetrators are emboldened by government's reluctance to recognise that the minorities do indeed suffer and have a genuine case. Crimes and infringement of laws should not be left unaccounted for; otherwise civility will be gradually replaced by wildness, reason by brute force, and respect and tolerance by hate.

The minorities constitute, according to unofficial estimate, close to 15 percent of the population, and 11.7 percent (Hindu 10.5; Buddhist 0.6; Christian 0.3; and others 0.3) as per official estimate. However, their representation in the administration, judiciary, and legislature, that is, in the government overall, and in business, academic institutions (particularly in universities), and other organisations, is palpably insignificant. At present there is no cabinet minister, no ambassador, no Supreme Court judge, no vice-chancellor, no head of any corporations, no secretary to the government, and no senior armed forces officer (except one major general in the army and one secretary posted outside of ministries).

In fact, there are very few MPs and mid-level offers in the ministries and other government departments. Out of seven and a half lakh non-military government employees, more than one lakh statutory bodies employees, 1.35 lakh armed forces and 5.75 lakh MPO-listed non-government teachers, the percentage of minorities ranges, as per an unofficial estimate, between 1 percent in some bodies and 3 percent at best in some organisations where intake of minorities is the highest.

Land owned by minorities in cities is less than 0.1 percent and in general less than 1 percent country-wise. Few are in major businesses and fewer still have industries. The economic condition of minorities is miserable to say the least. Nevertheless, they are subject to physical assault, forcible seizure of their properties by neighbours, assault on the places of their worship, intimidation, and fear. I have also reports that lands belonging to Hindu and Buddhist temples and crematories are being encroached upon and slowly grabbed.

Many in the government are apt to say that the minorities are enjoying their rights peacefully and better off than those in India and other countries. Minorities in Bangladesh detest any comparison with citizens of other countries, and believe their rights should be protected in Bangladesh as per Bangladesh constitution, not according to what minorities in India and other countries enjoy. However, an example may be cited for the information of readers that three most powerful positions in India -- the Prime Minister (Sikh), the President of Congress Party (Christian) and the President of India (Muslim) -- are presently held by minorities.

Contrary to popular belief, minorities were no better in a significant way during Awami League rule than in other regimes. In the so-called golden days for the minorities during the period 1972-1975 and thereafter in 1996-2001, the Enemy Property Act was only renamed as Vested Property and slightly modified, retaining the diabolical provisions, by which minorities are being evicted from their own lands by unscrupulous people in connivance with land administration people. The minorities tend to believe that except for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a few leaders, many in Awami League have no love lost for minorities, and some of them even worked against their interest. There is also a growing feeling among the minorities that the Awami League should not regard the former as its vote bank while it cannot protect them.

While I generally salute our press as the champion of human rights and democracy, I am inspired to specifically refer to the editorial captioned Murder of NGO Workers of the Daily Star on July 31 as an admirable and logical piece of writing and an example of heroic and adept journalism.

I quote the relevant portion: "The majority Muslim population of the country is very concerned about the rights of the Muslim minorities in other countries. Just as we want Muslim minorities in other countries to enjoy equal rights with the majorities, so we must be prepared to give unfettered rights to followers of other faiths in our country. We lose the moral high ground of demanding equal rights for Muslims in other countries, if we fail to protect the same for the members of any minority community in the country. Let there be no mistake about it."

It is the constant endeavour of the minorities to find out what options are available to them so as to extricate themselves from the onslaught of groups of armed cadres belonging to major political parties. The minorities yearn for a peaceful life, a life that may not give them affluence or even economic security, but gives them peace and freedom from fear, thus providing them at least a fighting chance to survive. A life of economic well-being, bereft of freedom from constant fear of threat, intimidation and torture in case of towing an independent posture is not at all desirable. The minorities look upon the government, the opposition and the conscience of the majority to give them guidance or a course of action, which ensures their peaceful co-existence.

I feel they have two options. The first option is that they may opt for representative democracy, meaning that there should be quota for minorities in all spheres of life from parliament to administration and the judiciary in proportion to the percentage of their population. They will elect their MPs as do women in the reserved seats of parliament. Quota should be fixed for all government jobs, both in the administration and the judiciary, barring a few posts, which will be obviously out of bounds for the minorities. Verily, the minorities will be treated as second-class citizens, but at least they will not be subjected to inhuman treatments during and after elections. Second, they may vote in future elections as a bloc and forge strategic alliance with a party that will protect them from assault, whatever may be its ideology.

Lastly, may I take this opportunity to appeal to the conscience of the majority, whose religion Islam means and propagates peace across the globe, to consider seriously whether minorities get equal treatment as citizens as enshrined in the Bangladesh constitution. Should there be a sound option that will guarantee safety and security of lives and property and religious freedom, I am certain it will be acceptable to all minorities, whatever may be the pre-conditions.

The writer is a former Ambassador.