If you listen to the gentle cold breeze of February, you can now hear the bells of winter’s farewell. The wind is simultaneously blowing the message of the arrival of the king of seasons, spring. At such a juncture in the transformation of nature, the historic national election and referendum on the 12th. The day is surrounded by a lamp of hope, as well as a shadow of a sigh.
We have witnessed the ups and downs of the past 12 elections in Bangladesh. Except for a handful of three or four national elections, the history of the rest is mainly written in the ink of controversy and unacceptability. That day of January 5, 2014 comes to mind. No voting took place in 153 out of 300 seats—the candidates were elected unopposed. On the other hand, many of us, while exercising our democratic rights in the 2018 election, found out that someone else had cast our vote the night before. I returned from the polling station with a sense of hatred and pride. I have not been to the polling station since then.
I have had the opportunity to see firsthand how voting works in the developed world. It was March 23, 2019. It was the national election in Australia. I was in Sydney. The memory of the New South Wales (NSW) state election is still fresh in my mind. There was no sight of paper posters plastered on the walls of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, no election noise pollution-loud miking, no election campaigning by blocking roads, or tagging politics. Liberal and Labor Party candidates are often seen seeking votes together. There was no mud-slinging at each other; rather, I saw everyone focused on development plans.
Voting is mandatory in Australia, and if you don’t vote, you have to pay a fine. But in our country, going to vote is like a ‘courageous battle’. For people in developed countries, elections mean seeking service opportunities, and for many of our candidates, elections are like a ‘profitable business’. We may be moving forward in terms of education rate, infrastructural development and per capita income, but it is difficult to understand how poor we are in healthy political practices and mentality without going to those polling stations abroad.
The July mass uprising has given us the courage to weave new dreams in our hearts. People now do not just want a change in power, but are looking forward to a ‘healthy political culture’ and a ‘new Bangladesh’. The bloody revolution of the students and the masses of ‘24 has opened our eyes. We have seen how the illusion of power blinds people, how the country goes into the abyss. Therefore, February 12 is not just a date for us, it is a test—a day of our national enlightenment.
The realization of that orderly environment in Australia can begin by exercising our right to vote in this election. Let us leave those bitter experiences of the past behind and go to the polling station on the 12th with the aim of making a change. Our one vote can elect a truly worthy and patriotic candidate. May the next five years not be a time of regret, but a time to live with our heads held high with pride. I believe that the people of the country will not vote blindly this time. They will vote based on competence, honesty and patriotism. With the right leadership, it is possible to free Bangladesh from the curse of corruption in the next 5 years. Let’s make Yes for change a winner. Let’s build a new Bangladesh without discrimination and harmony.
