Now everyone has to work for change; every citizen must come forward – no one should merely play the role of a complainer to the interim government, said Hossain Zillur Rahman, an adviser to a former caretaker government, today.
“Today we have an opportunity. Are we willing to take responsibility for changing the state, or will we complain all the time? Everyone should work for change instead of merely being a complainer to the government,” he said.
He made these remarks during a discussion on a book titled “Democracy in Crisis: Problems of Civilian Rule Post-Military Rule,” held at Pathak Shamabesh in Shahbagh, Dhaka. The book is authored by journalist Amir Khasru.
Hossain Zillur, also an eminent economist, stated, “The previous government had brought the issue of ‘development’ to the forefront to legitimise itself.”
He emphasised the need for more discussion and dialogue about the relationship between the army and civilians.
“Currently, we are in the process of transitioning from dictatorship to democracy. We should be discussing this transition, and the army cannot be neglected here because they are also partners,” said the former adviser.
“If there were no army today and India attacked tomorrow, we would have no means to respond. But does the military have ambitions for power? It is essential to close the path to any opaque desires; this needs to be addressed,” he added.
Journalist Amir Khasru said just as democracy is in dire straits, so is the habit of reading books.
“When this book was printed during the difficult times of 2023, I constantly feared arrest because we were telling everyone that there was no democracy in the country,” he added.
The author said when democracy is weak, military rule tends to emerge, pointing out that at least 12 countries are currently under military rule. “You can better judge what kind of governance is currently in place in Bangladesh. We civilians must think about how to prevent military rule. The state only oppresses the people when the social contract, as described by French philosopher Rousseau, is violated,” he continued.
Amir Khasru said the two-party system is essentially a fascist system and claimed that students took to the streets because fascism had been present in Bangladesh for the past 50 years.
Anu Muhammad, a former professor at Jahangirnagar University, said, “The previous government kept the army satisfied to maintain its grip on power. It will take a long time to rectify the damage the Awami League has caused by undermining all institutions to stay in control.”
He also mentioned that currently, the army exerts its influence through the civilian government.
“The previous government assigned the army tasks like constructing roads and bridges – projects that could have been completed for less money – but they spent significantly more, likely to keep the military content,” he added.
“After the 1971s, and even after the 1990s, we have not been able to reap the full benefits of the movements. We now need to assess how much we can achieve this time around,” said the professor of economics.
Anu Muhammad further stated that to resolve the crisis of democracy, a dialogue involving all is essential to address the discrimination based on class, gender, religion, and the rights of hill communities.
