Bangladesh questioned due to a distrustful political culture

No sooner had the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election ended than the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JACSU) election began, but the counting of votes in that election went on for three days. Everyone already knows what the result was. Yet elections no longer stand for transparency or trust, but rather have become a stage shrouded in rumours, counter-rumours and the shadow of party politics. Meanwhile, it is being heard that although several parties including the BNP took part in the election, they later rejected it.

Questions are also being raised on a larger scale – has Jamaat now begun to dream of building the state of Bangladesh? At the same time, there are rumours that on the orders of none other than the autocrat Sheikh Hasina, student supporters of the Awami League allegedly contested on behalf of Shibir and ensured their victory. During the last DUCSU election, too, we heard that the independent candidate Shameem Hossain allegedly stood as a candidate as an agent of the RAW.

All in all, it is a bizarre political drama. It is almost impossible to tell who is speaking the truth and who is lying. Some have no information, others only have stories. And yet the truth is buried – no one wants to speak the real facts, or perhaps does not get the chance to say them.

This reality is not confined to the campus, but is a reflection of the country’s political culture as a whole. The generation that should be shaping the future leadership of the state in the university campuses is today trapped in the cycle of rumours, conspiracies and dark politics. The result is a confused youth society, a distrustful political culture, and a Bangladesh under question.

Our present generation is thus compelled to raise just one question – what’s going on? But no correct answer is found.

The universities are the central points of the country. They are not only places of education, but factories for producing the leaders of the future state. Yet if such confusion, rumours and political tricks penetrate an institution as important as the university, then what will be the state of Bangladesh as a whole – have we ever thought about that?

The current interim government wants to reassure the nation – everything is fine, everything is under control. But reality signals otherwise. On the other hand, what is BNP’s digital leader, the acting chairman Tarique Rahman, thinking? This picture is not confined to one event; rather it exposes the inherent crisis of our political culture. Blind loyalty to party and leader, personality cults and dynasty-centred politics repeatedly conceal criminal tendencies.

Supporters ignore the truth of crimes and instead, in political emotion, describe it as a ‘heroic return’; but the democracy of a country survives on competence, honesty and accountability. If a criminally inclined person is established in leadership solely due to family identity, then it reflects the weakness of political institutions. No matter how lavish the reception, it is actually a mirror of the decline of our political and moral standards.

Therefore, the biggest question before the nation at this moment is – what kind of leadership do we want? To welcome criminals or to establish competent and honest leadership? The long-term future of the country depends on the right answer to this question. Another strange question arises – if the Awami League supports Shibir, then will the BNP’s Jubo Dal be supported by the Chhatra League? Or the reverse – will they one day again form a secret alliance with Jamaat? The history of our politics says – nothing is impossible.

So what is the real picture? There is no answer. Only questions, only rumours, only distrust. The country is flooded with hundreds of questions, yet not one correct answer is found. Because the political culture of the country has long become habituated to the practice of lies. Concealing truth and projecting falsehood seems now to be the daily routine.

In this situation, ordinary people, especially the younger generation, are extremely frustrated. They no longer see politics as a trust for the future. In their eyes politics means corruption, privilege and a game of power.

I firmly believe that if politicians of the country are not brought under accountability now, then the future generation will turn away from politics completely. Perhaps the time has come to bring all corrupt politicians under legal punishment – to build a purified political culture.

The nation is now exhausted; there is no longer any room for tolerance – enough is enough. Since the independence of Bangladesh, a painful truth has appeared time and again – politically this nation has continued to hear one story of defeat after another. The dream of liberation through independence has been tainted by corruption, false promises and incompetent leadership. Those who have long held power but failed to regain people’s trust can never again keep this country safe in their hands.

In fact, a change in the mentality of these corrupt politicians is necessary – because they have forgotten the truth and practised falsehood so much that they can no longer distinguish between reality and illusion. To let them steer the country means pushing the future into darkness.

So what is the path ahead? To move the country forward, the only reliance is on the ordinary people. History testifies – these people have always stood against injustice. What is now needed is their united effort, a moral revolution. The demand of our time is to hand over power to honest, courageous and responsible people. Only they can restore broken trust and truly lead the country towards democracy and development.

Today Bangladesh stands at the threshold of a new political imagination. If we can dare to break away from the politics of lies, if we can sever the chains of corruption, then this country will once again dream – of a free, just and prosperous Bangladesh. What today’s Bangladesh needs is a new beginning – where truth, unity and responsible leadership will be the driving forces of the nation’s future.

Rahman Mridha: Researcher, writer and former director, Pfizer, Sweden