Bangladesh is going through a big transition. We now have a new Election Commission with the sacred mandate to conduct our next parliamentary election. We pray for the Election Commission headed by AMM Nasiruddin. In the midst of big challenges, this commission will have to bear its responsibilities of conducting a free and fair election where voters will be able to cast their votes. May this Commission enjoy the needed freedom for their work!  

As usual, everybody concerned is getting busy with this great national event for the cause of democracy. Media are ever so busy over this. There seems to be no end to debates and talk shows over various issues concerning this. God-fearing and peace-loving people find it as one good work, among others, at this time praying to Almighty God for his blessings upon all concerned, especially the Election Commission. May God grant them all wisdom, guidance and strength to work for the holding of a peaceful, participatory and fair election! Like millions of people of all other faiths in the country, the Christian people are also praying individually, as well as in their Church congregational worship, fervently that all citizens of the country may personally experience that kind of polls taking place.

Every citizen having faith in God should pray for this for our country and nation. This is one of our moral and sacred duties and responsibilities being adherents of one faith or the other. We thank our God for our beloved country, we pray for it as one of the patriotic duties for our country and fellow citizens. Our country is our identity. That is where we are born, we live and breathe and have our beings. There is nothing like a home country of one’s own.

Bangladeshi people in general are very god-fearing. The majority of the people have trust in God’s power for transformation. We pray that we will be able to have the best possible fair, free and participatory polls for the election of worthy people to be members of our Parliament—the leaders who will enact laws for the nation that will help the citizens and the government for just peace and real progress.

We look forward and long to see the day when we will live in a country where all people will be able to live in a society that will maintain an environment conducive to holistic human growth and development, which will not concentrate on cosmetic or material prosperity only but will also devote time and talent on sociological, human and moral development. We pray that we may have a country where “Might is right” will cease to operate in any sense of the term... Our prayers would be that the rich and powerful will not ignore the genuine rights of the poor, the weak and the helpless. Our prayers are that our all-Sovereign Lord God may grant leaders the democratic wisdom of justice and fairness to create an environment where voters can feel freedom to elect members of our parliament of their choice. These people will give value to the basic tenets of democracy and human dignity to people irrespective of religious background, ethnicity, sex, age and social position. We pray that we will have people in positions of authority that will have ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption in any form. In a country like ours, unlike in developed and affluent societies, corruption of any sort hits people directly. The hearts of our common people pant for a society with justice for all people.

The greatest quality of our political leaders is integrity. For too long we have had many leaders who abused their positions for their self-embellishment. Many of them used political careers for money-making interests. It is regrettable that nowadays our politics does not easily attract honest and really educated and enlightened people. Many politicians enter into politics for material gain and worldly honour and power. It is they that frustrate the philosophy behind the liberation of the country from domination and exploitation. We long to live in a society where the life and human dignity of people will matter most.
The sovereign parliament is the house and the congregation of people’s representatives. They must represent and mirror the hopes and dreams of the teeming millions of our nation.

The key tasks of the parliament are enacting laws, and monitoring the executive branch of the government ensuring the accountability of the government. According to the Constitution of Bangladesh, all power rests in the people. They enjoy their democratic and constitutional rights in law-making through their representatives and such representation is made possible through the members of the parliament. During many years in the past, the alleged abuse of power and irregularities made their accountability questionable. We may note here that the first and foremost role of the parliament concerns the representation and its accountability to the people.

 Let us also specially commit our President Md Shahabuddin, Chief Advisor Dr Md Yunus, Advisor for reformation of the Election affairs Dr Badiul Alam Majumder and all other leaders and their colleagues to God for his wisdom and strength as they now lead our country for the transition towards a better and glorious future.
_________________________________
The writer is a Christian theology teacher and church leader