| by Swadesh Roy
( December 28, 2013- Dhaka- Sri Lanka Guardian) Half of the elections of the 10th parliament have been over without any contest. The government has understood that the 10th parliament elections will not get hundred percent legitimacy therefore, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Awami League; Sheikh Hasina already has said that they will go for 11th parliament elections soon after an understanding with the opposition takes place. Besides that, many responsible leaders of the ruling party have said that they have to go for this election for the obligations towards the constitution and it is a process of constitution continuity.
Now it is easy to ask a heard debate regarding this, what is responsible for this condition of the 10th parliament elections? It is a heard debate and no one can say that those who are in the election process are the only ones responsible. However, that debate is not relevant now because the train of the election has almost reached its station. The opposition party of Bangladesh has failed the train and according to the constitution of the country, there is no way to postpone the election schedule now. If the country goes to postpone the schedule, that may be a cause that will lead to hampering the continuity of democracy and the constitutional rule. So if the political parties want to reach a consensus they should go forward for the 11th parliamentary elections. But there is an important issue here that if all the political party want to reach a consensus they must have to make sure that the consensus will be on the spirit of our freedom struggle. Because last one year, it has been proved, besides some young terrorists, all of the young generation of the country has made a strong unity on the spirit of freedom. That is why any political consensus thinkable, has to be reached on this issue. If any of the political parties want to deny this issue in any way, they should quit politics today or tomorrow from this country.
In any way, before this political consensus or charting out how the country will go for an 11th parliamentary elections in a comfortable and peaceful time, the country should think immediately how she would get rid from the terrorism and genocide which is being carried out by the opposition. Before getting rid of terrorism and keeping it out of our ways, one thing has to be admitted that there is no way for this country to back off from the trial of war criminals. The trial of war criminal is not only the trial of some people; it is the focal step for the country to establish the rule of law. Including America, the entire west did it. Even Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ghana, Ruanda, Bosnia etc went through the process. Bangladesh started it from their very beginning but the counter-revolution of 1975 made it stop. So it is a pending issue of Bangladesh not only for ethical reasons but it is also the cause of establishing the rule of the law. That is why Bangladesh has to continue the war crime trial and with it promote democracy. Now it is clear, without the trial of the war criminals Bangladesh will not get democracy. Besides, last one year, it has been cleared that war criminals have created a huge number of terrorists in the country. Even then, now it has to be acknowledged that for a long time being allies with the war criminals has led a huge number of young members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) into becoming terrorists. They are chopping trees, hurling bombs to buses packed with passengers, trains and other vehicles arson homes and people including children like the Jammat E Islami, the terrorist organization. So if the war criminals continue in the politics and the society above the law; terrorism will be increased in the country. It must be understood that democracy and terrorism cannot go in parallel dimensions in any country or society.
Last one and half months the people of Bangladesh is observing that the west is very much worried regarding the elections of Bangladesh. According to their speech and behavior and some reports, they have mentioned it that, they are thinking if Bangladesh is going for an election participated by all the parties Bangladesh will get democracy and after getting democracy all the problems will be solved including genocide and terrorism, which is going on now. In Bangladesh, from 1991 to 2007 there were four elections where all the parties participated. In spite of that what has been happening for two decades? Terrorism has increased in last two decades. Last two and half months, the people of Bangladesh have seen that terrorists are trying to occupy some places which are suitable for making a safe ground for terrorism, where they can stay safely and carry out their operations in many places of the country and even abroad. So they had chosen the place Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar, Sitakunda of Chittagong and Shatkira district. Ukhia and Sitakunda have hills and are near by the sea; on the other hand Shatkhira is nearby the Sundarbans and the sea. They gave more emphasis on Shatkhira because if they could make their authority for a long time in Shatkhira they could take shelter in Sundarban; it would be their safe ground. The hills of Ukhia and Shitakunda might be used as their safe ground as well. Similarly, in all the places, they could use the sea for bringing their smuggling arms to the country. However, the government is trying to establish its authority in those places and already has achieved success in this regard to some extent. Despite in the name of elections and under the shade of the opposition party BNP the terrorists are doing their terrorist operations all over the country even the capital of the country is not completely safe.
In this position of the country, it should not be justified that the elections and the participation of all parties, is now the main agenda of the country. But the activities of the west are indicating that they are thinking Bangladesh can get relief from all problems if the country goes for an election where all the parties would participate. If they think like this, they are not correct; they have to think that, how the country can get rid of the terrorism and genocide first, because that is of paramount importance.
Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh
 Half of the elections of the 10th parliament have been over withou...){kind=link}