US lawmakers
Saad Huq ,On e-mail
I am a Bangladeshi residing in Montreal. I am, of course, observing the political situation in Bangladesh and I am quite concerned. One thing I feel, and I think there is consensus on this, is that the present caretaker government needs time to sort out the problems, which are manifold, of the political scene before returning Bangladesh to the path of democracy. Democracy is essential for Bangladesh. But we cannot go back to the kind of leadership we had before. I am certain US lawmakers will fully understand this concern. Therefore, for the US to put pressure on the Bangladeshi government to come up with roadmaps within the next 2 months, lift the state of emergency and thereby return the country into the grip of the politicians who the people do not want, is unjust. Yes, the US must make sure Bangladesh does eventually return to democracy. But the country needs time. And all western powers should do a realistic evaluation of what that timeframe should be. You simply cannot ask us to have our old politicians back in power. It is not what the vast majority of the people want. Only people with vested interests would want that. And given how the main political leaders are being treated now, if they are ever back in power, they will inevitably wreak havoc on the entire nation - no holds barred. And the US must make sure it does not have a role to play in any such calamity. I understand US Senators and ex-presidents are far removed from the ground reality of Bangladesh. Therefore they must listen to Bangladeshis with no party affiliations and not to Bangladeshis who are associated with any party. They will then get a clearer picture of what our country is going through and what needs to be done. I do hope the US will play the proper role in keeping Bangladesh on the right track. ***I am utterly dismayed to see the news item of 15 American Senators calling for early election in Bangladesh. Are we the people who have to be always guided ? Do these Senators feel more for this country than us? Are they the people who suffer in the hands of political hoodlums? Then why should they meddle in what is absolutely our own affair? It is right that some of your men might have acted as catalyst to bring about this epoch-making change, but does that qualify you to abandon us in the midway? Perhaps not. Moreover, the people wanted this change. Only we did not know how it would occur. We used to look up to the sky for divine interference and that was it, emergency came into being. Now, please don't try to interfere with an all important issue relating to our existence. We were totally down in the last fifteen years under the clutch of so called democracy. In the name of democracy they grabbed govt. property, evicted minorities, amassed incredibly large amounts of money, siphoned off ill gotten fortune to unknown destinations, dictated the administration according to their whims and what not. You may be knowing Bangladesh to be a poverty ridden country, come and see how the most luxurious vehicles ply on our roads, ridiculing the majority. You will be surprised to see that people who with their good money can barely build a tin-shed house, have dozens of pompous apartments in posh areas. Now with the caretaker govt. in power we hope to see an end to such malpractices. Please do not ruin our dream and compel the present govt. to fall prey to petty party interest. Remember a clean Bangladesh could add to your benefits, more than a corrupt Bangladesh could.
G.M. Chowdhury, Kafrul, Dhaka
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