By power is meant every opportunity or possibility existing within a social relationship, which permits one to carry out one's own will, even against resistance, and regardless of the basis on which this opportunity rests.

Political power is a type of power held by a person or group in society. There are many ways to hold such power. Officially, political power is held by the holders of sovereignty. Political powers are not limited to heads of states, however, and the extent to which a person or group holds such power is related to the amount of societal influence they can wield, formally or informally. In many cases this influence is not contained within a single state.

Power almost always operates reciprocally, but usually not with equal reciprocity. To control others, one must have control over things that others desire or need. Of course, politicians in Bangladesh don't believe in any equal reciprocity. They always try to control the desire or need of Bangladeshis. They know that the people of Bangladesh might have an interest in democracy, the constitution, human rights, or a fair adminsistration.

Bangladesh experienced everything from autocracy, bureaucracy, dictatorship, marshal law, a presidential system, democracy, and finally an interim government system. Now Bangladesh really wants to know what's next?

Part I asserts that all power belongs to the people and the constitution, being the supreme law of the country, which supercedes any other laws and regulations. Instead it seems that all the people of Bangladesh belong to the power of politicans. Politicians in Bangladesh like to say that the rule of law is a feature of democracy.

Debates over the court's balance or real justice are now common in Bangladesh. Over time the justices have failed ever more conspicuously to understand what decisions might happen. The court, in other words, is now intimately engaged as a ground for political combat. Something is more powerful than the courts in Bangladesh.

Former president and head of the Jatiya Party Hussain Mohammad Ershad lost his appeal to the Election Commission of Bangladesh to take part in the upcoming election. It's clear that he is not a man of good character or ethics but he should still be treated according to the law of Bangladesh.

Ershad, a military ruler in Bangladesh, who ruled Bangladesh between 1982 and 1990, is now facing a lack of true democratic spirit. The Election Commission ruled that General Ershad was ineligible to contest elections because of his conviction for corruption. Ershad's participation in the upcoming vote is the result of a conspiracy as his party always plays a vital role in the political combat in Bangladesh.

Earlier, local election officials declared Ershad's applications to contest five constituencies ``unacceptable,'' saying he was not eligible because of legal troubles he is facing over corruption charges for squandering state funds in a deal to buy patrol boats from Japan while he was in power. Yet the officials didn't have any order directly from the court or election commission to ban his application. They mentioned that they read about the charges and conviction from the newspaper that was not obviously enough to take this kind of decision.

Like others, the court verdict against the former president was entirely controlled as he refused to make an alliance with 4-party, lead by Begum Khaleda Zia, who now wants to keep him off the race. An ideal example of using law and order for personal use and power.

According to the Article 11 of the constitution: "The Republic shall be a democracy in which the fundamental human rights and freedoms and respect for the dignity and worth of the human person shall be guaranteed and in which effective participation by the people through their elected representatives in administration at all levels shall be ensured."

Grand alliance, headed by Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, finally declared not to participate in the upcoming election because the country's interim government in charge of holding a free and fair election has failed to create a congenial election atmosphere. In addition, a bigger movement will be imposed to oust president Iajuddin from the post of caretaker chief. A countrywide protest on January 5, followed by transport blockades on January 7 and 8 has been reaffirmed from the grand alliance.

At least 45 Bangladeshis have died and hundreds were injured in political violence since the caretaker government took over to steer the country to the polls. 374 in total have been killed in 2006, compared to 310 in 2005. It marked a 21 percent rise, according to a report of human rights watchdog "Odhikar."

The people of Bangladesh can supersede any laws and regulations, the constitution of Bangladesh says. But in reality, general Bangladeshis are always being superseded by biased and dishonest politicians, officials from election commission, and even by the present interim chief. Probably, Bangladesh needs some more lives to ensure a fruitful result from country's experiment lab for democracy.

On a campaign trail in Gazipur on January 4, Begum Zia urged Bangladeshis not to be misled by the propaganda of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. She mentioned that they (grand alliance) have ulterior motives.

People of Bangladesh can scarcely ascertain who has ulterior motives! The BNP, who has manipulated the whole administration during its last tenure and wants the election held on January 22, as per the Election Commission schedule, regardless of who participates in it or not? Or the Awami League, who is undertaking crippling strikes one after the other, and wants to resist vote rigging? Actually they are using the people of Bangladesh as guinea pig and Bangladesh as experimental lab.

Politics is never as simple as it appears. The study of political behaviour explores the various ways citizens can influence government. Voting, joining interest groups and political parties, no discrimination against any citizen and a balance political power are the fundamental necessities of democracy. Experiment with the people of Bangladesh for democracy is now a matter of exchanging power between these political parties. But the people of Bangladesh don't want to be treated as guinea pigs any more.

Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York.