The question, however, arises if allegations of corruption made with malafide intention against persons who have wide public appeal can have disastrous consequences, more so if the country is going through a critical period necessitating declaration of emergency.

The point one is trying to establish is not for exonerating a person of eminence who has committed wrong, simply because that person can command significant political influence, because in the eyes of law all citizens are to be treated equally.

But one has to be careful in bringing serious charges against such people which, if found to be untrue, can be destabilizing for the country and have implications for national defense. The US Supreme Court noted: "Implicit in the term national defense is the notion of defending those values and ideals which set this nation apart.

For almost two centuries our country has taken singular pride in the democratic ideals enshrined in our constitution ... It would indeed be ironic if in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of those liberties which makes the defense of the nation worthwhile."

One could also remind oneself that during the American Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus or the right to petition ones detention, the District Court of Maryland found the power exceeding presidential authority.

The point to be considered is the line between the right of an individual to seek legal redress against powerful people, and sabotage to fuel popular unrest through subversion of legal instruments.

As it is, Bangladesh is looking forward towards a free and fair election as quickly the Election Commission can possibly hold it. If the 2000 US presidential election can be cited as an example, then it would be utopian to expect a perfectly flawless election in Bangladesh, even after 18 months.

The unconditional support extended to the interim government by the people in general is because they feared the inevitable conflagration that awaited the country had the manipulations of the four party alliance government been successful.

It would be repetitive to chronicle the reforms and the cleansing measures that the current government has undertaken to clean the Augean stable, reforms and measures which have earned both national and international support.

But it would, perhaps, be judicious on the part of the government to declare a timeline for the elections without shifting the burden to the Election Commission. If the delay in declaring a timeline is for bringing to fruition the ongoing and future corruption cases so that the convicted can be "EBDOed," then the government should come clean and tell the people that.

After all, the elections are meant to select persons upon whom the people will put their trust for take the country forward and ensure human security, a post-Cold War concept that grew out of multi-disciplinary subjects including development studies, international relations, strategic studies and human rights.

As the UNDP has defined it, human security includes economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security. The traditional concept of security as explained by Walter Lippman, "the state's ability to deter or defeat aggression," has gone through a sea-change due to increasing global interdependence.

Besides, one has to be aware of the 2001 International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which puts the protection of the individual over that of the state and calls for addressing the root causes of humanitarian crisis.

International support given to the interim government appears to be time bound, as both the US and EU have reportedly asked for a timeline for holding of the elections. The US in particular has expressed itself for an election as early as possible and expects the interim government to respect fundamental and human rights.

It also expects the government to conduct a proper investigation into the assassination of S.A.M.S. Kibria, the August 21 assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina and the murder of journalists by terrorists.

To some, Bangladesh would seem to be a fractured country politically, where the two biggest contestants for power are still on a confrontational course, and where an erstwhile ally of the previous government has opened up the door of ideological differences between secular and Islamists, degenerating into each charging the other of murdering their respective adherents.

Socially and economically the country remains divided, as almost half the population, being female, continues to suffer from gender inequality, and the inequity between the rich and the poor has increased due to plutocratic oligarchy's rule for the last five infamous years. Yet, the country's economy has done well despite political turbulence, reflective of the resilience of the people.

One hopes that Bangladesh, endowed with human resources that need to be properly utilized in consonance with global requirements, would have miles to go as predicted by the World Bank.

Any faulty step taken by conservatives who momentarily wield power but cannot see beyond their noses can spell disaster for the country. One hopes that such a thing will not come to pass.

Kazi Anwarul Masud is a former Secretary and Ambassador.