Anisul Haque is a tested businessman and an untested and unknown quanta in politics. Tabith Awal is a novice businessman and also is an untested and unknown quanta in politics. Selection, as opposed to be popularly nominated, of these two persons for the highly prestigious mayoral office of Dhaka City Corporation North (DCC-North) is tantamount to political blighting or bankruptcy of the two major parties of today’s Bangladesh.
It is a shame that none of the party-supreme can find an untainted man/woman to steer the capital city to its rightful glory. And the reason behind is very simple – today’s politics nourishes neither politics nor political leadership for the morrow. It’s all about the supreme leadership – her wishes and the wishes of her kowtowing lesser leaders who have learned the art of playing kerfuffle so well …
Both Mr. Haque and Mr. Awal are from outside the rigid establishment of two political Ghoranas. It is possible that they will be able to think out of the box, and steer the city for better days. But history of the recent past forces us contemplate the opposite. If Mr. Haque wins, he will win because of the good grace of his mentor. Without any popular support (that a good politician usually can have), he will have no power but to succumb to the wishes of the Prime Minister. On the other hand, if Mr. Awal wins, his situation will be much more precarious. He will have to honor the wishes of his leader (Begum Khaleda Zia). At the same time, while navigating the murky alleys of political Dhaka, he will have to give way to the wishes of the perpetual nemesis of his own leader. An impossible feat to accomplish even by slickest of all slicks …
Any pragmatic mind, I think will give Mr. Haque a definite edge. He is smart, articulate, rich (does not own a car though … ha ha …), and above all he is in the good book of an all-powerful Prime Minister. If he works hard, and I think, he will, his chance of delivering on his promise is more than 50/50.
Mr. Awal, if elected, will find himself stranded between the rock and the hard place. Unless he switches his allegiance (yes, he will not be tethered by that awful Article 70), he may be able to finish a 5-year fruitless term and end up with a laurel of multiple politically motivated law suites; and if lucky will be dismissed by the LGRD ministry for some 'God-knows-what-reason' leaving the citizenry of DCC-North stranded in the same old “trishonku” position. However, fugacious glory, like cherry is never forever. Hence, who can tell for sure, what the fate of a Mayor Awal shall be?
Well, I am not a pragmatic guy. I voted for Professor Muzaffar Ahmed when the lesser Rahman (I mean, General Ziaur Rahman) bagged the presidency of Bangladesh almost effortlessly. I am a political romantic. When a very elderly Professor Muzaffar Ahmed politely declined to be honored with the highest state honor, my 'kind-of-dystopian' political romanticism got its highest credence.
Political romanticism still remains infectious. The primordial days of Shahbag is a testament that such romanticism can still capture the imagination of the nation. I am a hard core hater of capital punishment. I never believed that the slogan of “Fashi Chai” was the reason why the whole conscience of Bangladesh was moved so much by a handful of Shahbag Youth. An overwhelming, yet subliminal anti-establishment yearning was the essence of Shahbag-to-its-True-Core. The entrenched establishment, early on, understood the power of Shahbag. They rapidly moved in. Took it over. And entropy ensued.
That anti-establishment yearning is still in the air. The youth and the politically non-aligned majority of the citizenry can still pull an awe. Mr. Haque or Mr. Awal, even their all-powerful mentors can be dumb founded. Yes, this very romantic spirit of Shahbag is alive and well. When the right spark arrives, Shahbag shall roar again like a dragon and shall breath fire to burn the entrenched coterie to their ashes.
I still see the spirit of Shahbag in the blogosphere, in the twits and in the face book statuses. Some of the prime movers Shahbag are hyper-vocal and writing incessantly in support of the dark horse candidacy of Junaid Saki. I have seen him once in a television talk show. He came across knowledgable, thoughtful and well spoken. For Saki, being tall and handsome is definitely a plus in politics! Mahi B. Chowdhury is smart and articulate and handsome. He is likable and I like him. But his politics remain rooted in the non-kosher politics of BAL/BNP paradigm. I do not believe that he has the right innards to light up the aspirations of the Shahbag masses.
I am not sure, how things shall play out. My pragmatic brain is willing to settle for something like Mr. Haque. But my heart cries for something more, something that shall make make soul soar to its romantic self. Yes, my heart pines for the 'break-out-of-the-pack-dark-horse-candidate'.
If citizens of Dhaka desires an AshwaMedha Jagya, they have to look for and find out the right horse to run and claim the terror-laden territory once and for all.
