Where
is the limit to Political Violence
Ayreen Khan
A
very common feature of democratic practice in the developing countries is
election. However, democracy does not merely deals with elections only but also
deals with other essential components, e.g., rule of law, ensuring human
rights, level playing field for the oppositions, free and fair media presence, checks
and balances to limit the power of the elected government, right to information
and the right to question the accountability of the ruling government. After the
Second World War, lots of countries adopted democratic ideology and the number
even increased after the end of the Cold War. But the sad part is what
initially looked like a spread of democracy was actually the spread of election
among the third world countries. Bangladesh earned its independence ingrained with
democratic values in exchange of millions of lives. Yet the country’s
democratic practice, which is limited to electoral democracy, is still at
stake. Elections became an inevitable part of the political culture of the
country, whoever government comes in power venerates elections, maintains
timeliness through crafty-strategic planning of winning them. As there are no
limits of the power to the winner, election becomes a matter of life and death.
The struggle follows no rules of conduct which has thrust the contestants to
the limit of no limit.
Awame League came in power with a landslide victory
through election five years back. Root cause of the current political impasse lies
in 2011, amendment of the constitution that erased the provision of a caretaker
interim administration to oversee elections. The current opposition party, BNP
led 17 party alliance boycotted the upcoming election poll scheduled to be held
on 5 January 2014, on the demand of re-establishing a non-party, neutral
administration to oversee election. But the ruling party has banished the demand
of the opposition calling it unconstitutional and undemocratic. This has led
both the parties at the forefront of violent political clash against each other,
where the only victims are the mass people. The current political violence
overthrew the record of mayhem of any past incident. A lot of scholars,
activists of both the political parties and media spokesmen addressed the
current situation as the most crucial phase in history since the time of
independence in 1971(cited from various print and electronic media). Political
killing is no exception in Bangladesh, especially during the election year, a
significant rise in number of death has been observed over the years. In last
22 years, from 1991-2013 (till 27 December 2013), 2,602 people were killed due
to political clashes and the number of casualties during the same years is somewhat
around 150,000 people. If we look at the data we can find that the number of death
due to political clash has increased consecutively over the years.
Graph1: Source- Prothom-alo, 5 November 2013, 27
December 2013
|
Ruling
period
|
Number
of death
|
|
1991-1996
(BNP)
|
174
|
|
1996-2001
(BAL)
|
898
|
|
2001-2006
(BNP led alliance)
|
872
|
|
2007-2008
(Caretaker Government)
|
11
|
|
2009-2013
(BAL led alliance)
|
647
|
Table1: Source-Prothom-alo, 5 November 2013, 27
December 2013
We can see in the graph:1 that the number of death
increased over the years, which is: 18 in 1991, 45 in 1992, 20 in 1993, 24 in
1994, 29 in 1995, 49 in 1996, 69 in 1997, 31 in 1998, 233 in 1999, 208 in 2000,
500 in 2001, 310 in 2002, 203 in 2003, 52 in 2004, 34 in 2005, 120 in 2006, 7
in 2007, 4 in 2008, 42 in 2009, 76 in 2010, 58 in 2011, 84 in 2012 and 492 in 2013
(till 27 December 2013). It is worth
mentioning that every election year counts higher number of political killing.
Extent of vandalization also increased and made more violent over the years.
Method of atrocities took more brutal form. Besides the use of various
conventional weapons, vehicles full of passengers were torched with fire and
various kinds of hand and petrol bombs. The burn unit at the Bangladesh Medical
College overflew with patients, who are merely the working people of the
country, victimized by the political atrocities of the Hartal supporters.
The current political impasse hampers the economy of
the country. Each day of strike or blockade mount huge loss to the economy of
the country, estimated an amount of BDT 15 billion BDT (USD 193million) per day.
Every sector of the economy gets affected for political clash, e.g., Garment
industries count loss of BDT 2 billion (USD 25.8 million) per day, Transport
sector BDT 2.5 billion (USD 32.2 million) and Small Retailers face an amount BDT
6 billion (USD 77.4 million) loss per day. The current deadlock has affected
every economic-monetary sector possible, e.g., hotel, restaurant, tourism,
housing, raw materials (low growth in cement production: 3.6%, iron and steel
production: -8.72%), remittances (-8%) (“Unrest to weigh on GDP growth”, Star Business, The Daily Star, 20 December 2013, pg: B3). Transport owners counted
loss of BDT 42 billion (USD 540.8 million) while 4000 (3000 vandalised, 1000
burnt) vehicles were damaged in one and a half years (ibid, 13 December 2013,
pg:1). Agricultural growth weakened from 3.1% in 2012 to 2.2% in 2013. Service
growth declined from 6.3% in 2012 to 6.06% in 2013 (“Bangladesh Development
Update: Resilient Economy Facing Internal Risk”, World Bank, accessed on 29 December 2013). Investor’s confidence
declined 1.2% in the real private investment rate (ibid).
Due to the inevitable political clash during the
election time, economic growth declines in every election year. From the above
table we can see that the GDP growth rate declined during the election years in
1996, 2001, 2008 and in 2013 from 4.93% to 4.62%, 5.94% to 5.27%, 6.43% to
6.63% and 6.32% to 6.01%. The recent escalation of the nationwide blockade and
existing thrust hampered the average rate of 6.2% GDP growth of the last four
years. Whoever party remains in power expresses their vehement dislike against
strikes/blockades and vandalization but repeats the similar process while being
in opposition. Economists estimated that a loss of 1% of capital due to
hartal/strikes mount loss of an amount of BDT 45 billion (USD 58 million),
which is 0.9% of gross domestic progress (GDP) of the country. One day of
strike counts loss of 0.12% of the GDP (Prothom-alo, 5 November 2013, pg:6).
Graph2: Source-Trading
Economics (accessed on 23 December 2013)
The upcoming poll is the biggest sham in the
history. Out of 300 elected parliamentary seats 154 will be uncontested. The
elections held by BNP in February 1996 and boycotted by all the other major
parties, had only 49 uncontested seats, and in the aborted January 2006
elections boycotted by the AL and its allies, had 18 seats uncontested.
According to the current condition, out of 52 million voters only 44 million
would have at least some voting options but the rest 48 million voters are left
unconditional (Z. Sobhan, “You cannot be serious”, in Dhaka Tribune, 20 December 2013). Thus about 50% voters of the
country would not get the opportunity to even cast their vote.
Politics of Bangladesh are prone to attract
candidates having criminal records due to lack of transparency in the process,
lack of information to distinguish between accusation and reality, and for lack
of voters’ own responsibility in choosing a candidate beyond favoritism. The
system also adulterates candidates involved in this process. Recently, media revealed
the information of personal treasury of various Member of Parliament that they
submitted to the election commission. An astonishing increment of personal
belongings and property is observed by the MPs in last 5years. Awame League
lawmaker Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and his wife has increased their
personal belongings to 29-fold compared to what they had pose five years back. Their
personal possession is amounted of BDT 701.5 million (USD 96 million). State
Minister for Home, Shamsul Haque Tuku and his wife increased their wealth 6-fold
which amounts BDT 43.5 million (USD 6million). The wife of the Minister of
Health, Dr. A.F.M. Ruhul Haque has increased her wealth 782% in the last five
years (Source: The Daily Star, Prothom-alo, Election Commission).
The nation
has always experienced the practice of “Illiberal Democracy” by the political
parties in Bangladesh. But the democratic practice that the nation observed by
the ruling party during their tenure knows no bound. Cancellation of the
registration of the political party Jamaet Islami, not letting the opposition
to hold political rally for a long time, arresting activists from the
opposition indiscriminately and to the extreme not letting the opposition
leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, to go out of her residential premise to take part in
her program for the demand of a neutral caretaker interim administration to
oversee the 10th national election on 29 December 2013 are some of
the kind worth mentioning. Security forces and
opposition activists clashed into the capital to foil a mass rally calling on
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to cancel the upcoming election. Thousands of
police were deployed in front of Begum Zia’s house and the roads were blocked
by parking sand-laden trucks on her way to take part in the rally. Since 28
December 2013 to 29 December 2013, 650 people had been detained as part of a
nationwide crackdown for the 5 January 2013 election.
The political strife has hampered the country’s
image internationally. In spite of consistent request from most of the powerful
nations and international organizations both the political leaders from
Bangladesh Awame League (BAL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were not
able to come to a consensus or agreed to sit for a dialogue. Therefore most of
the nations and international organizations e.g., European Union, United
Nations, Commonwealth, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Canada, have
addressed the coming poll as sham and have denied to send their observers. Current
situation is also considered as “great concern” at the US Senate Committee. In
a press statement on 22 December 2013, Spokesman for the US State Department
expressed their disappointment by saying “the major political parties [of Bangladesh] have not yet reached consensus
on a way to achieve [free and fair] elections, since more than half of the
parliamentary seats are uncontested for the January 5 polls. In this context,
the United States will not deploy observers for this elections” (“Election
Monitors to Boycott Bangladesh Poll” in Aljazeera,
29 December 2013). Spokesperson from European Union, a group of 28
European country and a major trading destination for Bangladesh, “regrets that Bangladesh's main political
parties have been unable to create an atmosphere for transparent, inclusive and
credible elections, despite many efforts, including most recently under UN
auspices" (ibid). A European diplomat described the current
situation at The Economist as “A coup by instalments” and has also questioned
the legitimacy of the upcoming poll adding “The ruling party will win
Bangladesh’s election. The country would lose” (“Bangladesh: The Campaign
Trail”, The Economist, 21 December
2013). Daily Star has reported that the US, the UN and the EU might decide to
apply indirect pressure on the political parties for holding a peaceful and
fair election (22 November 2013, pg:1). “Ms. Hasina seems determined to hang on to power in advance of general
elections scheduled for January and to neutralize her opponents by any means
necessary” reported the Newyork Times (“Political Crisis in Bangladesh”,
20 November 2013).
Relation between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been
jeopardized over Pakistan’s passing a national assembly resolution protesting
the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami former Assistant Secretary General, Abdul
Quader Mollah for his committed crime against humanity during the liberation
war of Bangladesh against Pakistan in 1971. On such a
deed people of Bangladesh showed their deep discontent against Pakistan by
trying to take position in front of the Pakistan Mission Premise in Bangladesh.
Missions in both the countries came under threat of violence. Although
Bangladesh's police managed to stop a protest by Ganajagaran Mancha, a youth
platform that has supported the war crimes trials in Bangladesh, a threat from
the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to attack the Bangladesh Embassy in
Islamabad has further discomforted matters. Since the time Pakistan recognized
Bangladesh in 1974, the two countries have never been under such disgrace
against each other. The only country that is supporting the BAL and their
activities is India.
Thus we see that the current political turmoil has
devastated the whole nation affecting every possible sector. It has crossed the
limit of every limit. It has crossed the past limit of killing people,
vandalization, atrocities, limit of favoritism, patrimonialism, limit of
destroying economy, keeping the lives of mass people at stake, limit of
violating the country’s image internationally, and limit of disrupting
democracy in any past time under democratic rule. After 42 years of democratic
quest we have stepped into a political system, where democracy means winning
elections by any means, leadership is preceded by favoritism, practicing
neo-/patrimonialism and erosion of democratic institutions of the state. As
soon a government comes in power there comes a massive shift in every sector,
say it in business, education, monetary and financial sectors and in
bureaucracy. New set of rules of laws are integrated, constitution is amended,
laws are changed, armed and security forces used for personal purposes. The
leaders get surrounded by sycophants who help to maintain a huge gap between
the mass and the leader. The leaders remain completely unaware of the real
facts of the citizen (I believe!!) or reluctant to deal with them.
Election is only scheduled by the ruling party in
government when they are sure they would win or they have crafted properly to
win. Necessary laws are amended in favor of the party to remain in power or to
cast vote, which may be changed or ameliorated in times of need. Election plays
vital role in legitimizing certain rights of the ruling party. It gives them
mandate to do what it promised or beyond. It also helps them survive or go to
the extent of violence against any opposition in accomplishing their desired
programs. Thus, even though abolishing the caretaker government system was not
mentioned in the election manifesto of the current ruling party, it has been done
one-sidedly with promptness, overlooking public opinion or ignoring opposition
demands. In spite of domestic and international requests and demands of solving
the current political deadlock, and urge for a dialogue with the opposition to
come to a consensus, both the leaders of the big allies have taken stern stand,
not compromising with their demands. No matter how many lives it cost, how
deeply it affects the economy or how it may hamper the existing foreign
relations with big powers, our uncompromising leaders would not bend a bit,
would not sympathize with the victims or would not show their softness by
compromising with the other. In a condition where the lives of the citizen is
now at stake and the issue of the Interim Caretaker Administration has become
so vital nationally and internationally that a simple solution, nationwide
referendum could have solved all the unresolved deadlocks. The irony is, the
provision of “NO” vote and referendum has been scraped by correcting the
constitution in 2011.
Politics of hatred has a long and electorally
successful pedigree. Scapegoat a minority or a foreign government, using the
politics of hatred has always helped to grab votes from the candid voters of
the country. Constant politicizing the identity of the nation has divided the
whole country into two blocks. It has left the country at the brink from where
either a protracted conflict (some scholars have already called it Civil War!!)
is inevitable or restoration of liberal democracy is the only way out. Bangladesh
is the 7th largest populated country in the world and 4th
largest Muslim populated country. Economy of the country is earned by its
people. The growth came from construction and manufacturing and also from
significant contribution of the service sector. Bangladesh was ranked by IMF as
the 44th largest economy of the world (IMF 2012). For the positive
economic development the country is listed as a potential actor at the N-11
(Next-11, the list of countries having potential of the world largest economies
in the 21st century by Goldman Sachs Investment Bank and economist
Jim O’Neill) and D-8 (Developing 8, potential economic powers) categories. But
the current political strife has hampered all these positive booming factors.
More than the tangible loss, intangible loss is innumerable and tough to
recover. Vandalization of public properties, torching public transport,
destroying roads, railways, and unrest in the garment industry has stabbed the
image of the country as a safe environment for investment and business. No
earning from selling natural resources or foreign aid donation feed the mouth
of the 160 million people. Over the years, it is the hard work of the people that
has earned the present international image of the country, which has brought
foreign investors, made the country the 3rd largest garment
exporters, and major exporter of human resource. These people would not accept continuous
suppression, by strikes, blockades, killing innocent-unarmed people on their
way to work, hiking price of the regular food items, not letting the children
attend education institutions, and keeping hostage of their social-economic
lives for long. In this globalized world no nation can survive alone. Only
friendship with India would not help survive the country in the long run. Bangladesh
holds high geostrategic importance that made all the important international power
players pose concern for the stability of the country. A destabilized
Bangladesh would be a threat to the tranquility of the region, especially to
its neighbors. Unrest in a country with 160 million people would have spillover
effects on other countries. A protracted instability is undesirable globally. Thus
we have come to the brink where we should limit our limit, not let anymore loss
to the nation, fight back to restructure our desired nation and exemplify practicing
a participatory, all party inclusive liberal democracy.
The
Author is a diligent researcher at the Peace and Security and Democracy and
Governance fields. For any
comment and feedback please write at khan.ayreen@gmail.com
