THE political context that changed after the fall of the authoritarian Awami League regime and continued during the interim administration for more than a year and a half created aspirations in people for some democratic changes and their consolidation. But the continuation of these aspirations, as reflected in the ordinances that the interim administration promulgated and even in the July charter, runs into problems as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won a thumping victory in the February 12 national elections and formed the government on February 17, is opposed to some of them. The issues that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is opposed to are essential to sustainably effect some reforms that would make state governance strong. They would help to stringently deal with issues of involuntary disappearances; add to the power of the Anti-Corruption Commission and effectively help it in its fight against corruption; stand the National Human Rights Commission in good stead; help in the investigation of complaints against the police in the event of violations and breaches; and effectively separate the judiciary from the executive by doing away with the dual influence of the judiciary and of the executive on the subordinate court judges and by granting financial independence to judicial budgeting.
Whilst the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party remains unwilling to effect some important reforms by passing some ordinances into law, at least for now, the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which believes in the shariah and does not believe in people’s sovereignty, appears to be willing to effect at least some reforms. The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, in its efforts focused on reforms, is working for some democratic changes inside the parliament and outside. Jamaat leaders, at a rally near the north gate of Baitul Mukarram, the national mosque in Dhaka, on April 4 put out a call for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to take steps to accept the July charter in the parliament. Jamaat-e-Islami is also reported to have agreed, as the media have reported on the report of the special parliamentary committee that has reviewed the 133 ordinances of the interim administration, to the passage of some of the important ordinances in their current state into law. Opposition members of parliament on the special committee, for an example, supported the passage of ordinances on the National Human Rights Commission and on the Supreme Court affairs into law unchanged. The BNP also appears unwilling to go by its own 31-point outline for structural reforms that it thought would redefine socio-economic development.
When the right-wing Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has inched forward from its standing, it is shameful that the centrist Bangladesh Nationalist Party is unwilling to go back even to its own outline for structural reforms that it earlier said it would accomplish.
