158 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বিতীয় খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ১৯৬২ সালের শাসনতন্ত্র সম্পর্কে প্রকাশিত সরকারী সরকারী মার্চ, ১৯৬২ পুস্তিকা AN EXPLANATION OF THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE CONSTITUTION OF 1962 FROM A BOOKLET ENTITLED "A PLEDGE REDEEMED." Published by the Bureau of National Reconstruction, Government of Pakistan. INTRODUCTION Democracy, in the classic phrase of Abraham Lincoln, is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. As a form of government it rests upon the consensus of public opinion, aims to promote the happiness of the citizens and postulates equality of all men before law. Though it has not always been fully reflected in the political system prevailing in various phases of Muslim history, Islam's concept of the universal brotherhood of man and equality of all men in the sight of God is at the heart of all democratic processes. In its external expression, Islam places emphasis on the society rather than the individual, which is the first step towards any organisation based on the benefit of the community. An important democratic element to which history bears witness is Islam's general attitude of tolerance towards other faiths. The divine commandment of Shura which places an obligation on the ruler to consult the people is the only explicit attempt by any major religion to underline the basic principle of democratic government. Finally, the principle of Ijma which gives a religious sanctity to the opinions and views held by the community as a whole signifies the democratic essence of the Muslim faith. In the context of today, therefore, the only manner in which societies attempting to be Islamic can express themselves in their political life is through democratic forms and institutions. In the West, democracy made its first appearance in a somewhat rudimentary form (since it was based upon slavery in the city states of ancient Greece, in which every 'free citizen was entitled to participate in the government. These so-called direct democracies were in fact egalitarian oligarchies in which the right of slaves had never been equated with the rights of the ruling classes. The identification of the collective and individual interests which finds an expression in the system of political representation and is the essence of a democratic form of government was missing. Democracy as understood today should be considered the contribution of Great Britain. As a form of government, it has only attained universal popularity over the last hundred years or so, but it is now generally accepted as the only form of Government which ultimately liberates and releases the energy of the people towards constructive ends. The trouble with democratic forms of government, however, is that unless the people working them are trained and experienced in the conventions of democratic rule, it is difficult to make a success of the institutions. Democracy is not something which has
