The conventional view of politics is an old-fashioned journey
Politics is not a moral monastery. It’s a battlefield of imperfect allies and temporary truces. If the NCP keeps attacking everyone around it, soon it will have no one left to fight beside. Reform may begin with rebellion, but it survives through relationships. And without those, no revolution lasts long enough to write its own constitution.
Proportional representation sounds fair, but can lead to fragmentation and fracture of the polity. In the Bangladeshi context, it may deliver instability we don't need.
NCP’s hesitation is an act of political commitment to the people of Bangladesh. It seeks to ensure that Bangladesh’s long-awaited democratic transformation is not undone by legal fragility or political opportunism.
What many observers miss in the drama surrounding the NCP boycott is the fact that the July Charter still represents a significant step along the way to implementing lasting reforms to Bangladesh’s broken political system.
While this kind of hooliganism is shameful and unacceptable, this was not the first egg-throwing incident on foreign land by Bangladeshi political activists, nor will it be the last
Sometimes, it’s not about what you say, but what you stay silent about that defines your politics
Provoking what was an entirely predictable response from AL activists and supporters in the stronghold of the deposed political regime amounted to a de facto open invitation for confrontation
In the coming weeks and months, there are likely to be other similar confrontations involving rival political factions as elections approach. The pro-democracy forces need to understand this and avoid playing into the hands of those who want to turn back the clock.
If we are serious about democracy, the path of confrontation must be abandoned. Someone must blink -- not to lose face, but to lead. It is time to reimagine strength not as stubbornness, but as the courage to compromise.
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.
The NCP’s leaders must prioritize meeting and talking with the people. Moving away from social media-driven politics, the NCP should focus on fieldwork and direct engagement, as this is the path to building genuine public support.
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.
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.
