Poets, artists, scientists, engineers, researchers and administrators contribute to the national development through different disciplines and help enrich scientific, educational, cultural and socio-economical development.

However, it is the political leaders who coordinate all activities, make the most of all available talent and potential, and explore all opportunities to attain the goal of freedom and achieve success at a national level. All countrymen pay respect to these political leaders and statesmen. Such political leaders are remembered for their deeds and are glorified for their leadership.

Some political leaders were always key figures in their nation's history. Their perceived heroism and moral authority made them a source of patriotic inspiration and worthy of respect and veneration. It is necessary to mention the names of a few leaders and statesmen who have remained immortal for their remarkable contributions and their historic speeches.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of US. Within six weeks of his assumption of office in 1860, civil war broke out between the North and the South of the US and continued for four years. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which eventually led to the liberation of all slaves in the US. He was shot on April 14, 1865 by an actor named John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. Lincoln died the next morning.

President Lincoln delivered many speeches on human rights, democracy, and politics. Of these, the Gettysburg Address [November 1863] was most well known for its spirit and vision. Lincoln began his speech by saying: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Lincoln defined democracy and merit of independence: "That this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

His sense of ethics is evident from the following quote: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." There were many outstanding leaders in the history of the US and the world at large, but Abraham Lincoln was admirable because of his belief in democracy and because he sacrificed his life to establish human rights.

Around the world there were many great leaders who changed the history of their nations with their magnificence, charisma and, above all, their patriotism. One of the great leaders was Simon Bolivar of South America. His contributions towards the independence of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Venezuela were unprecedented.

Influential leaders in history include Sir John Macdonald of Canada, Sun Yet Sen of China, Otto von Bismarck of Germany, Sukarno of Indonesia, Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia, Habib Bourguiba of Tunisia, Julius K Nyerere of Tanzania, Kemal Ataturk of Turkey, Ho- Chi- Minh of Vietnam, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Sir Edmund Barton of Australia among many others.

Queen Victoria of England, Queen Isabella of Spain, Queen Catherine the Great of Russia, and Empress Tzu-his of China made glorious contributions during their respective reigns. Prime Minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher, Prime minister of India Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Srimavo Bandaranayke, Prime Minister of Israel Golda Myer were also applauded by their countrymen for capable leadership.

Some political leaders were almost deified for their political philosophy and patriotism. Their images were often elevated to the level of national symbols and featured on items such as banknotes, stamps and national memorabilia.

One of these leaders was Mahatma Gandhi of India. His philosophy of non-violence as a means of civil disobedience in order to establish swaraj inspired the people tremendously. At the same time, he motivated his followers to get rid of discrimination based on colour, creed, and caste with commitment to truth and justice.

The fall of political leaders from the zenith of power was also observed in the course of the world's history. Josef Stalin was regarded by millions of Soviet citizens as a father figure. A wave of suicides was recorded following the announcement of his death, suggesting that some citizens had sincerely come to believe that life without Stalin was unthinkable and unbearable. Within just a few years, however, the scale of his repression became evident, leading to his denunciation by his successor Nikita Khrushchev and the removal of his body from the mausoleum where it had been laid alongside his predecessor, VI Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union.

President Suharto of Indonesia abandoned his post after 32 years in the face of student opposition. President Nixon was compelled to resign on August 9, 1974 due to the Watergate scandal. Nixon was a great supporter of Pakistan during the Bangladeshi liberation war. He laughed at Indira Gandhi, calling her an "Old Witch" when she went to the US to explain the reasons for the war.

The Prime Minister of Japan, Kakui Tanaka, had to resign for his alleged involvement in embezzlement. West German Chancellor Willy Brandt who was awarded the Nobel Prize had to resign because his assistant was a German spy. The former Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, resigned as Railway Minister subsequent to a railway accident that he was held accountable for under the doctrine of ministerial responsibility.

This is a critical stage for politics in Bangladesh. The expectation of the people is that political leaders will overcome the controversial issues with their acumen, insight and their excellence in negotiation. In an article published in the New Nation on June 12, 2006, Mr. Mainul Hossain observed: "In our view, the present political leadership, either of BNP or Awami League, cannot save democracy or even their own leadership. The present party politics is either about corruption or about reckless violence. In short, the crisis the people are facing is the crisis of failed political leadership."

The crises the nation has to deal with involve the issues of free and fair elections, dealing with corruption and reckless violence, and establishing good governance and rule of law. On the economic front, poverty reduction and attainment of the millennium development goals are fundamental objectives that political leaders must work towards in order to gain the confidence of the population.

The history of our civilisation and background of our multi-party political structure speak of overcoming serious challenges in the past. Parliamentary democracy is the basis of our system of governance. The parliament must be a house of talented and dedicated representatives who formulate laws for the welfare and development of the nation. It should not be a house of slander and slaughter, as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto intended it to be in early 1971. Our political leaders will hopefully withstand the test of time and make politics a more noble, dignified and prestigious profession to serve the cause of the nation.

Dhiraj Kumar Nath is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.