Bangladeshâs chief justice said violence and corruption were weakening democracy in the country, which is deeply polarised between the two major parties.
| Oh, is that what's doing it? |
In rare public criticism, Khandaker Mahmudul Hasan told a seminar on Friday: âPolitics in our country is increasingly acquiring a non-democratic and aggressive force, with violence becoming endemic.â
| Saying things like that'll get you kill, Khandaker... |
The âconfrontational and inimical politics and lack of reforms have been weakening the house (parliament) that was supposed to represent plural interest,â the chief justice was quoted saying. âMore unfortunate is the size of black money in the hands of a few who are undermining the efforts and works of the ... law enforcers,â he said. âThe corrupt go unpunished and the country and its citizens pay a heavy price through increased cost and impaired development,â he told the seminar, which was organised by rights group Odhikar.
| Sounds like they need more shariah. This sort of thing never happens in countries where shariah's implemented, does it? |
The comments came as Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said impoverished Bangladesh had wasted about 52,000 dollars in the past four parliament sessions because of quorum problems caused by lawmakersâ absences. The main opposition Awami League boycotted nearly 70 percent of sessions in the current parliament elected in October 2001. Both the Awami League and the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party rejected the report by Transparency International, which earlier stirred their anger by rating Bangladesh the worldâs most corrupt country for three straight years from 2001.
| Maybe Transparency shoulda offered them a bribe? |
The two major parties have a bitter rivalry and routinely try to scuttle the governmentâs agenda while in opposition.
| That must be their Pakistani heritage... |
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