Editor's Note

The locking of horns between the ruling AL and the opposition BNP on a party government versus caretaker arrangement to hold the next general election is the prime national concern at the moment. As some plausible formulas are informally under discussion to resolve the impasse, the key players of politics are unmoved in their respective positions being staunchly non-committal to any recipe making the rounds.

Perhaps the long lead-time before the next general election provides scope for playing with the future of democracy as the people are placed under the hammer of unsettling circumstances. This is the time for political leadership to demonstrate their 'willingness and ability' to lead the nation. Unfortunately, much that we have achieved materially in the last 40 years, in terms of political maturity, far less statesmanship, we have drawn a blank.

Is any new voice in ferment? Hardly; because the old order prevails. Parliament is far from redeeming its true purpose, smart as it does still under the cosh of Article 70, which though amended to allow for an abstention from voting, falls short of complete freedom to vote against party whip. To top it all, three-fourths majority of the ruling party is as overwhelming as the opposition's boycott of parliament is for the most part under-whelming.

"When means becomes all-important to the detriment of the end, the process of democratic governance becomes counter-productive."

Student politicians, supposedly the blooming leaders of tomorrow, have nothing to do with ideology; rather they are given to power, money and arms. But as rightly pointed out by the writer, "Why blame the puppets when the puppeteers are our political leaders -- and to a large extent, us?" Thus, we highlight 'the use and abuse of politics within the education system.'

The priorities of media have been examined through the prism of profit, politics or public (service). Pursuit of originality and self-searching should be the cornerstone of media approaches to its obligations as the Fourth Estate.

True, as for the social media, 'the rules of checking facts, the sources and basic common sense still apply to twitter or Facebook updates -- just as these do for the press.'

Religion and politics, politics of judicial appointments, political infantilism and the spirit of Mujibnagar government are interesting contributions to this issue.