I despair of the fact that truth and justice seem to have fallen into a bad state in Bangladesh due to bitter political rivalry and ineffective judicial systems. Absence of good governance and lack of political will have played their nasty roles for sure.
In Bangladesh, the catchword "governance" is being used widely in seminars and symposia and with no end to the rhetoric, but action is lacking. Some changes, however, do take place, but, sadly, too slowly. We look forward to more meaningful changes.
First and foremost, we need to set the bureaucracy under an e-governance initiative, with a transparent file tracking system that the public can access. This will, right away, reduce corruption, because everyone involved in the process can be tracked down. When I heard of a case that had been put on hold for more than four years, the possibility of digital governance dawned on me. Why shouldn't the justice department be under the purview of digital governance?
Why should the people of Bangladesh be always in the dark and not know if the case has been running without any interference? Can we not introduce a semblance of order in this field, and in many others, through ICT enabled governance parameters? Why should we not get the parliament under the jurisdiction of digital governance also? Can the city corporations and the myriad government and semi-government institutions not be made transparent through digital governance? Why not get all the land transfer and recording systems on a similar platform? We can and we must do so.
We talk of ICT revolution, but why can we not use ICT to get our house straight? Many foreign governments have moved on to e-governance. Why shouldn't we? Yes, I do understand that it is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, but let us have more responsible parliamentarians who would rise above sectarian politics and petty bickering and set a plan of action that they would share during their campaigning period so that the public can hold them accountable and judge their achievements and failures before bringing them back to power. The parties need to put forth similar efforts and be judged accordingly.
The political parties need to introduce e-governance on internal issues as well. Let party people be allowed to vote on certain issues and let these systems be ICT enabled and transparent for all to view. These essential changes must be in place otherwise the entire democratic system in Bangladesh will ring hollow and politicians will not be able to raise the consciousness of the people. This will make democracy ineffective and put us on the slippery road to anarchy. Do we want that? Of course not.
We want a healthy democracy where politics will bring back the glitter of the golden times when there were statesmen with far-reaching vision and who were rightly considered the guardians of the nation along with the intellectuals of the time. Do we honestly feel that way now? Should we not reverse the process and bring back the great institution called democracy with the help of people with vision, patience and unflinching objectivity?
We live in a deeply divided society where BNP and Awami League are blowing their own horns without realizing what cacophony they are raising. Smart people with a vision for the nation are drawing away from politics, and political goons and thugs are taking center stage. This is painful for sensitive citizens like myself who feel that politics is rationality, understanding, and fellow feeling. Politics is about becoming a team player, keeping everyone connected so that none feels ostracized.
Politics, driven by digital governance, needs to be the cornerstone strategy for Bangladesh and all other countries. We cannot, anymore, be pawns moving at the whims of the politicians. The country is not the private property of any seasoned politician, but the right is equally shared. So let us reduce the obstacles to people's participation and rights by vigorously introducing e-governance initiatives in all walks of life.
Unfortunately, politics in Bangladesh sadly bemoans a conflict-ridden ride to glory at the cost of economic dislocation and innocent lives. Change is needed and change is inevitable. I think part of the change can come from pressure groups of Bangladeshi citizens living abroad who can push the government machinery to introduce digital governance. They can also volunteer their time and energy to designing an effective digital governance platform and then let the government, public-private partnerships or citizens' groups improve upon it over time.
With 150 or more Bangladeshi associations across the globe, a strong force can be organized to set the political landscape in order. I am not saying that it should be a formal or informal intervention, but these groups can try to sway the decisions of the politicians, bureaucrats, and citizens of Bangladesh to objectively seek out our positions on case-by-case issue, while keeping away from political patronization.
A voting system needs to be introduced for Bangladeshis living abroad. In an effort to extend the benefits of digital governance, voting can be placed on the net, allowing citizens of Bangladesh to vote with unique keys assigned to them against their passports. We can start by selecting cities overseas where large numbers of Bangladeshis reside.
I thank all of you who have been thinking about improving the lot of Bangladeshi citizens through digital governance, and laboring to put justice and peace back in their rightful places. With pride, commitment, and, above all, a feeling for our people and our martyrs, let us collectively effect positive changes in Bangladesh.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Ziaur Rahman
Quelle/Source: The Daily Star, 01.09.2006
