Bangladesh: Can the power of one save the nation?

The hottest topic in Bangladesh now is that the Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus has expressed his intention to start a political party and run for the next election. In an open letter he has asked the people to provide their support and feedback to him and suggest how he can organize the party from the grass root.

Dr. Muhammad YunusSalam Dhaka says this move of Dr. Yunus will draw a new equation in Bangladesh politics, which is battered by bitter political acrimony between the major parties and their devastating political moves. Some people welcomed his entry and wished he can be successful like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia. Trivuz comments that he has the ability to break the tradition of nominating corrupted musclemen or business persons for election and winning by spending millions of black money. So people will have an option to support credible and competent politicians under his leadership. However there are also apprehensions whether he can do well in Politics. Journalist Shiblee Noman, while answering Yunus's letter, questions his experience in politics and warns that if he thinks he is the savior of Bangladesh then he is wrong. In democracy the power comes from the grass root, what people wants. So the question is whether Yunus is really being wanted by the public as a politician or the notion is imposed.

Addafication thinks that not a good man but a good system can save the country:

Dr.Yunus has an important role to play in Bangladesh society. But it is not in politics. His role is best fulfilled as part of the civil society, to strengthen it in lieu with politics which has to be strengthened by politicians, not civilians merely because they might be bigger achievers. No country is led simply by its most prolific achiever. We dont have to be too. And no country's problems can be solved by one man's initiative, or even two or three. It is the institutions that have to be cleansed.

Bangladesh is back to normalcy after the declaration of the state of emergency on the 11th of January. There is an operation of the security forces going on against corruption and and many powerful ex-members of parliaments, ex-ministers and business tycoons are behind the bars under the new state of emergency act. The general people are delighted by the prospect of cleansing the political arena. Drishtipat blog confirms The Economist magazine's latest assertion on Bangladesh ‘Everybody but the politicians are happy’. People are excited with the performance of the new caretaker government and are even calling it a ‘A silent revolution by the people of Bangladesh’. The 3rd world view analyses the mass mail going round in the mail boxes of Bangladeshis urging for a referendum to make the interim government stay for four years to help them clean the house.

However, if your only tool is hammer, all your problem can look like nails. People are questioning the caretaker goverment's drive for cleaning up slums and forcefully evicting these people and breaking illegal roadside structures which were used by poor businessmen as small shops. The problem is that they are not providing any alternative place for the slum dwellers or compensate the small businesses atleast for now.

Addabaz blog is supporting the clean up drive whereas Drishtipat group blog is vocal about the evicted people's rights.

4 comments

  • Shahriar Mullick

    I think a good government is necessary in Bangldesh. Good is something that is secular, democratic, not corupt. Good government requires good leadership. And nobody really expects that from Hasina or Khaleda. Grameen bank can operates well even if Dr. Yunus enters politics. But I think he can make a lot of difference in Bangladesh by becoming a politician.

  • HR Khan

    Every nation deserve a good and honest government. So do we. We Bangladeshi suffering since the birth of our nation and have seen many government comes around goes around but what the nation and the people got? Answer will be nothing but crimes and uncertainty. Due to unlimited corruptions Bangladesh was heading for a bankrupt. We must stop all dynasty family in politics and must stop to create any more dynasty family. Recently another politician kicked out from his own party and open his new political party and what he did he was busy to established his own son to be a politician like to create another dynasty political family. We must stop them. All corrupt politicians must be prosecuted and must be barred from practice any future politics in the soil of Bangladesh. All dynasty political family must be overthrown to exile for an indefinite period of time. I personally support the Nobel Laureate Dr. Yunus decision to join and open new political party. He must work to change our political environment of Bangladesh. He must not compromise with criminal and corrupt politicians. He must keep open his eyes who is joining his party. Any body like to join his party must be well checked. He must start his politics from the villages. Peoples from all walk of live must be welcome to join his party. He must invite and welcome all NRB(Non Resident Bangladeshi) to join his party. It will be great help for him and his party. Because those NRB can input many year of experiences honesty to re-build our nation. I was a freedom fighter, I fought for my country and I love my country Bangladesh. I love to join his party to re-build my country.Some people are talking that it will be effect on Grameen Bank operation but I do not see any problem. I believe that Dr.Yunus can make many differences by becoming a politician and our nation will get a great leader who has a vision to change our nation.

  • […] 原文: Bangladesh: Can the power of one save the nation? […]

  • Jamil Ashraf

    Dr. Yunus will be a big flop. He is the only Nobel laureate who has deviated from what had earned him the coveted prize. He is being propelled into the forefront by a super group who have eyed Bangladesh as their next destination for exploitation.

    Dr. Yunus can never be an alternative to Bangladeshi politicians. He is no match for AL and BNP without the pollutants within such big parties. His Nagorik Shakti is reminiscent of Gonoforum.

    He is being backed by a pseudo-intellect circle acting on instructions from abroad. Yunus may turn Bangladesh as the first spot to ignite a Thirld World War that started with pilferage of Bangladesh’s natural resources. The world order will soon change and Yunus should not do anything to annoy the next rising Asian superpower trio of China, India and Russia. His shallow political skills will run us into a sticky quagmire.

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