The time has come for Tarique Rahman to exercise leadership and guide his party through the reform process. Leaving it to local leaders threatens to put BNP on the wrong side of history.
An Upper House based on proportional representation would be the single most valuable reform that all sides could agree to that could truly make a difference to the Bangladeshi body politic. The BNP should take that deal.
How BNP’s tactical chaos could trigger a national referendum. The more the party questions the legitimacy of the interim government, the more fraught the political situation becomes. This is something Bangladesh can ill afford
From Day One, the interim government has been dogged by its inability to explain its decisions to the general public. But it is still not too late to change course, and not only its legacy but also the sustainability of good governance post-elections depend on it.
An orchestrated whisper campaign now paints Bangladesh’s July-Revolution youth as saboteurs of democracy. The allegation is as thin as it is dangerous, for it misunderstands both their mandate and the moment the nation inhabits.
In this era of internet and social media, people are not allowed to forget. Every information, every statement, every image lives forever. When we were given a rare opportunity for a new Bangladesh, people will remember who were for them, against them, and who betrayed them.
The only meaningful item remaining on the reform agenda is whether an Upper House should be based on PR or not. Everything else can be sorted out without difficulty. We are closer to consensus than you think.
BNP should be careful what it wishes for. A post-Yunus Bangladesh may create more problems than it solves.
