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Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Bangladesh: Seize the moment, celebrate the victory

HOLIDAY, 02 September, 2005
NM Harun
The rainbow is short-lived, but its beauty lingers in the beholder's mind. The August 29 High Court judgment pronouncing Martial Law and the Fifth Amendment unconstitutional is a brilliant rainbow in the dark, cloudy skyscape of the chequered statehood of the Bengali nation. The Supreme Court has since stayed the verdict and the government will prefer an appeal against it within two months. Whatever may eventually happen to the HC's verdict, it is a loud reiteration of the supremacy of the people's will -- the victory of republicanism, democracy and constitutionalism over the brute force of the military, and of politics over conspiracies. So seize the moment, and celebrate the victory while the verdict remains alive, albeit in a state of suspended animation -- at least as an icon from which to draw inspiration for the future struggles of the people.

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