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This National Security Council is the brainchild of a part-time politician cum international broker who is detached from the real life of the Bangladeshi people, staying abroad for the interest of his personal as well as clients' business rather than the national interest of the country. Periodically, he returns to preach to "the fools" back home and later moves toward his next destination, creating confusion through his so-called expert explanations and opinions regarding the Constitution and other issues in order to keep himself in the media as the sole authority of the country's Constitution.
The government is not officially informing the people about the details of the proposed National Security Council, although its creation has almost been finalized. Within a few days, the proposal will be gazetted following the approval of the president. Shortly thereafter another ordinance will be imposed to declare the council in effect, according to media reports.
The proposed security council will consist of the following members: the head of the government, either the prime minister or chief adviser like nowadays, shall be the "chief" of the council; the chief of staff of the army shall be the "joint chief"; the principal staff officer of the armed forces shall be made the "member secretary." In addition, a top-level committee of the council shall comprise 10 more people, including those responsible for the Ministries of Finance, Home, Foreign Affairs and Defense and the leader of the opposition in Parliament, which has been dissolved since October 2006, and the chiefs of the Air Force and Navy along with the Cabinet secretary, chief secretary and national security adviser.
An "impartial person" shall be appointed by the president as the national security adviser, who will have the status of a Cabinet minister. This person, optimistically, shall have vast knowledge about domestic and international geopolitics, defense studies and other international issues.
There are a variety of rationales for creating this council: the inability of the government to impartially address national problems regarding wars, earthquakes, bomb blasts, water sharing of the Ganges and border-related problems with neighboring countries and international or bilateral relations regarding trade and mineral resources, like coal, gas, oil, etc.
Needless to say, all these problems may occur when policymakers are as inefficient as the rule of law and as incapable as public service institutions in Bangladesh. Moreover, Bangladesh has suffered in the past few decades from a lack of pro-people professionalism and commitment, honesty, patriotism and the accountability of civil servants, including members of the armed forces and politicians in power.
The National Security Council shall ask officials of the concerned ministries or departments to give their opinions to the various committees of the security council with the council ultimately making decisions on issues and passing orders for subordinates to do their jobs -- amusing logic for the formula of the National Security Council: nothing but another war of the bureaucracy! In the end, a handsome amount of public money will be spent for members of the proposed security council to enjoy new offices, apartments, protocol status, salutes and another culture of "yes, sir!"
It is thus time that Bangladeshis ask a few unavoidable questions: What, for example, is the constitutional authority for creating this council? What is unique about the work of this council that is not already part of the normal and official duties of the people who will sit on the council? What changes will this council introduce and how? Moreover, what effect, if any, will these changes have at the local level regarding government administration and the work of the civil service, policing, the judiciary and political practices?
Why is it being initiated without holding any open discussion with the public at a time when there is no Parliament in the country? Why is secrecy being maintained about the structure, functions and facilities of the council and the ultimate benefit to the nation? Is there not going be another tug of war between political governments and this proposed council and a waste of taxpayers' money?
The people who are busy making the propaganda for this so-called security council must know the level of efficiency, knowledge, commitment, trustworthiness and, above all, patriotism of the bureaucrats, who directly work in the practical field; the politicians, who make policy; and civil society, which could assist the organs of the government through their active participation.
The nature of local government institutions in Bangladesh should also be assessed. Can the common people, without any political attachment, participate in the functions of the local government? Is there any possibility for ordinary citizens to offer their reflections to the local or national government? Is there any culture of accountability among civil servants and politicians for their good or bad deeds or failures?
Moreover, the people of Bangladesh do not have the right to information, which could solve many of the problems relating to rampant corruption and the abuse of power, thus ensuring accountability in all sectors of public life. There is always a policy of hide and seek with the people and concerned professionals, like journalists. Instead of enacting a law in compliance with the people's right to information, governments of both the past and present have used the colonial era Official Secrecy Act of 1923 as a shield to deprive the people from knowing about the ongoing disaster in the country caused by corrupt power-abusers.
The nation needs a change of mindset among public servants instead of the further militarization of the government administration. A group of pro-citizen and efficient civil servants, with the assistance of honest and humane police officers, along with a reliable judiciary that is capable of upholding the rule of law, can bring about changes in society in which people feel secure. If civil servants show respect to the country's citizens, if the policing and prosecution systems are free from corruption and the abuse of power, if the judiciary is independent and reliably renders justice, then the people will finally be able to participate in a decision-making process that will benefit the national interest.
In addition, economic strength will fortify the minds of people to stand beside each other. If the basic institutions of the country that already exist can be strengthened by removing the anti-people and exploiting mindset of those who constitute the government, then, ultimately, society will make progress. The faces of armed animals, however, can never soothe the pains of an unsecured nation.
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(Rater Zonaki is the pseudonym of a human rights defender living in Sylhet in Bangladesh, who has been working on human rights issues in the country for more than a decade. He was a journalist in Bangladesh in the 1990s.)
