
"A polling agent at the Char Boro Dhopli government primary school polling centre in Companiganj, Noakhali is seen trying to manipulate a voter into casting her vote for a particular candidate.Photo: Focus Bangla, Source: Daily Star, Jan 23rd, 2009."
Yesterday Upazilla election ended on a very different note than that of Dec 29th parliament election. Just by reading at the daily newspapers, it looks like the
Upazilla election was a joke. Bangladesh just achieved a milestone towards a mature democracy on Dec, 29th. Now it looks like we can't even have a free and fair election when a political party is in power!
Prime Minister Sheik Hasina and EC warned minister's and MP's not to influence the Upazilla election, but did they listen? Sheik Hasina has a big challenge ahead of her just like US president Barak Obama. When people gave landslide victory to Awami League in the last parliamentary election, people put their trust and faith on AL leaders.
Bangladesh Awami League needs to respect that trust and faith.
Prime Minister Sheik Hasina had a very good start with forming her
cabinet with clean-honest MP's. That was game changing and got popular support. Then series of
violence created by AL's student wing, home minister's partisan comment about the post election violence, robbery in Bangladesh railway, and at last Upazilla election makes me wonder, are we sliding back to the good old partisan politics of revenge and "
do anything to stay in power" sort of political environment?
If AL Minister's and MP's don’t stay above the partisan politics, the hope of 15 million Bangladeshi's will fade very soon, just like before. Their dream of a prosperous Bangladesh will be destroyed again, just like before. If AL electorates don’t stay above the partisan politics, the Digital 2021 vision will not be realized. It will just be a vision then.
I urge our
honorable Minister's not to think about how they can be re-elected in five years, but to think about how they can help build our beloved country. You are in power because of
people, please don’t forget us. You are our
hope, please don’t destroy that. I am counting on you and you have my support. But remember, I will question and criticize you when you are looking after your self interest than our peoples, because I love my country above anything else.