It is impossible to practice parliamentary politics without

Hear now the words of Khaleda Zia, spoken with the clarity of one who has walked the difficult road of governance: “It is impossible to practice parliamentary politics without having patience, decency, politeness, and courtesy.” These are not soft adornments, nor trifles of etiquette; they are the very pillars upon which the temple of democracy rests. Without them, the sacred hall of debate becomes a battlefield of chaos, and the voice of the people is drowned by the thunder of pride.

For what is parliamentary politics but the gathering of many wills, many voices, many passions, each contending for its vision of the good? It is not like the command of an army, where the word of one general compels all. It is not like the rule of a tyrant, where silence is enforced by fear. It is a living chorus, where harmony must be sought amidst discord. And to achieve such harmony, one must possess patience to listen, decency to respect the dignity of others, politeness to temper disagreement, and courtesy to remember that even an opponent is still a fellow servant of the nation.

The ancients knew this truth well. In the Athenian assembly, where citizens gathered to decide matters of war and law, eloquence and argument were wielded as weapons. Yet the true statesman was not the loudest voice, but the one who could endure insult without wrath, who could yield on small matters for the sake of greater unity. Pericles himself, though master of persuasion, was famed not only for his vision, but for his composure and restraint. Without these virtues, Athens would have collapsed into endless quarrel long before Sparta ever raised her spear.

Consider too the fall of Rome’s Republic. When patience gave way to arrogance, when decency was trampled beneath ambition, when courtesy vanished from the Senate halls, then daggers flashed and the republic bled to death on the Ides of March. Cicero’s eloquence could not save it, for the virtues Zia names had already been abandoned. Thus history teaches: without civility, politics decays into violence, and freedom is swallowed by tyranny.

Khaleda Zia speaks not as a philosopher from afar, but as one who wrestled in the turbulent arena of her own nation. She saw how fragile a young democracy could be, how easily anger and insult could undo the bonds of unity. Her words are not mere ideals, but wisdom distilled from experience: that a nation cannot prosper if its leaders devour one another with contempt. Only when adversaries cloak their rivalry in patience and politeness can the people’s faith endure.

The lesson for us, children of the future, is clear: politics, whether in the halls of parliament or in the councils of daily life, demands not only sharp minds but disciplined hearts. To disagree is natural; to differ is inevitable; but to forsake decency is to poison the well from which all must drink. Just as warriors train their arms, so too must citizens and leaders train their tongues and tempers, mastering not only the art of speech, but the higher art of self-control.

Practical wisdom lies at hand: when you debate, let your words be firm but not cruel. When you listen, let it be with the full ear, not the impatient glance. When insulted, resist the fire of wrath, for anger consumes reason. Show courtesy not because your rival deserves it, but because your nation does. In every dispute, remember that beyond the clash of arguments lies the greater good—the peace, unity, and future of the people.

So let this teaching be written upon your hearts: patience, decency, politeness, and courtesy are not weaknesses, but strengths more enduring than sword or decree. They are the armor of the true statesman, the foundation of lasting freedom, and the inheritance we must pass on to generations yet unborn. Without them, politics becomes war. With them, politics becomes the art of peace.