Asif Saleh in
Himal South Asian magazine on the new caretaker Government of Bangladesh:
If democracy can be manipulated to serve a chosen few, is it practical in developing countries? If democracy is defined by an election in which the winner takes all for the following five years, and where non-governance replaces accountability with the cost of destruction of democratic institutions, how is it possible to have a system in which checks and balances are required in order to prevent abuse? For the time being, Bangladesh seems to be trying out a pseudo-innovative model.
Call it anything you like. But what I hear from Bangladesh is that the general people are satisfied with this Government and its anti-corruption drive. One relative of mine is trembling with fear because she has received a query from the authorities to cite sources of her wealth with which she purchased an apartment. If one is honest there is no need to fear. And people should start realizing that law and order prevails in the country.
