Mahfuzur Rahman

A 12-person jury in Delaware gave a verdict against Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, when it found him guilty of lying about his drug use while filling up a form on the purchase of a gun.

The verdict came just now, while the crime was committed around 2018. Hunter Biden can definitely appeal the decision, but this is the first time in U.S. history that a president’s son has been convicted of a criminal offence. Hunter is also facing other charges like tax evasion.

President Biden is seeking re-election in November this year. Therefore, some were wondering whether this incident would have a negative impact on his re-election, though many were opining against it. After all, the number of lawsuits against Joe Biden’s closest rival, Donald Trump, is also not low.

Accountability among the lawmakers in the U.S. is exemplary. The presidents are not exceptions. History reveals that Charles Adams, the second son of the second U.S. president, John Adams, faced disciplinary action at Harvard University for showing indecency on campus. At one point, while in office, John Adams disowned his son due to his coarse activities.

This was not the only case. Jimmy Carter’s brother, Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, Richard Nixon’s brother and Bill Clinton’s brother-in-law caused embarrassment to their respective presidencies. However, they did not receive any clearance from the high office. Bill Clinton himself was not spared in the Clinton-Lewinsky case.

So was Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal. It is not an easy task to bring charges against even a former president and try him or her, but when democracy is not fragile, it can endure such trials. In recent history, a former president of France, Nicholas Sarkozy; and the sitting prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, were charged with bribery. The core principles of democracy and the democratic judicial system attest that no one is above the law.

Many a time, we criticise the U.S. system and its leaders, particularly when their actions go against us. Many a time, we criticise U.S. foreign policy or immigration policy. Many a time, we see that those do not conform to our desires and wishes and do not bring ease to the sufferings of millions around the world. The evils must be criticised.

The injustice must be fought. We have to speak for ourselves, especially when we see injustice around us or being done against us. However, we must take positive lessons from Western systems as well. Otherwise, no matter how much we beat our drums and how much we cry for democracy, all of these will be futile and worthless.

A grandchild of our president occupied the headlines some days ago for abusing power. It is not an accident. Similar things happened in the past as well. Not only the president, but whoever holds a portfolio or an office in Bangladesh, his or her siblings feel they have bought the country.

They can take laws into their own hands and even create laws instantly. And when such is the culture, it is natural that an army chief, a police chief, an assistant commissioner of land, or a simple peon in an influential office can amass a property that a sober law-abiding citizen cannot even imagine.

If the U.S. court can try the son of a sitting president for providing false information on a prescribed form, why we cannot hold someone accountable who provided false information on a passport form? Democracy has yardsticks.

Instead of grumbling and waffling, we should use those yardsticks to strengthen our democracy. The government has ample opportunity in front of it to establish itself as a true, accountable, democratic government. We know that there are self-interested groups, vested groups, and evil quarters. However, if a step is taken, I can guarantee it will immediately generate a huge amount of public support.

And that will definitely strengthen not only democracy but also the government, parties, and leaders that will initiate this step. We will then not require any advocacy from either the IMF, World Bank or Western countries on governance; rather, they will come to Bangladesh to learn the magic of good governance.

Some months ago, we lost one of the brightest sons of our soil, Sirajul Alam Khan, who contributed towards the independence of Bangladesh. Weeks ago, we lost a freedom fighter, Shib Narayan Das, who was involved in the preparation of the first-ever flag of an independent Bangladesh. And days ago, we just bid farewell to a brilliant Shafi Ahmed, one of the leaders of the anti-autocratic mass movement of the nineties. None of them have a tainted career. None of them have left large amounts of property either in their names or their kin’s names.

None of them had a case with the Anti-Corruption Commission. While we mourn their deaths and remember them with respect, it is important that we also learn from their lives, how to rise above greed and acquisitiveness, and how to sacrifice their lives to build a just society.
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The writer is a former Bangladesh Ambassador and can be reached at [email protected]