Bangladesh – on the verge of……….
Just about three months ago we met PM in Moscow. I remember the bright light in the eyes of many young people, who were and believe still are, ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of AL. They were talking about their commitments towards their leader; they were demanding severe punishment of Rajakars. It was in the mid January. On 5th February the country with disbelief came to know that Kader Mollah was given not out, i.e., he will continue his earthly innings for another “n” number of years. Young people protested, with them the major part of Bangladeshis who side them self with pro-liberation force. The Shahbag shows the light of freedom, it shows democracy,secularism and freedom of thought are not void words, and they really meant something to the young generation. And this belief of some young people could inspire the whole nation; people came in hundreds and thousands; common people,workers, teachers, salesmen who are generally far from politics – the far they are from politics, the better, as only the politicians, or a major part of them take the chance of such uprising and sell the emotions of thousands – tender is the credo of these politicians.
When Kader Mollah was given life imprisonment sentence I thought it was a win-win situation for AL, as they don’t have to hang anybody that may annoy Arabian and Western friends in one hand, they culprit was taken to the justice as promised on the other. So now they may keep it in jail(indeed, he was there) and leave it to the next govt. which would probably BNP lead govt. according to the public sentiment that time. But a handful of bloggers upset the calculations.
In December 2011 I visited Bangladesh after long 14 years.When in 1997 I visited Bangladesh AL was also in power. And I heard my friends,all of whom belong to pro-liberation force, saying uncomplimentary words about the Govt. This time was not the exception. And it was after 5 years BNP rule and 2 years caretaker Govt. By this time Abul Hossein issue was a hot one,Stock Market problem was still there plus the internal problem of Chatra League. When I left Bangladesh in 1983, I know quite well about the student politics. I myself was also involved in it. But last year for the first time I came in direct contact with teachers’ politics. A lot of my friends are now teachers in different Universities, so I could have firsthand news. All these show the breakdown of the society as a whole. In fact in Bangladesh there is no issue where the nation as one can stand hand by hand and fight for it. The seed of mistrust, treachery that Mirzafar sewed 250 years ago still is giving its fruit. After that the events like Ramu, Biswajit killing, the Padma bridge scandal and many others occurred. As a result, even the hardcore AL supporters were pessimist about their victory in the coming election. And suddenly the Shahbag gave AL a life line,a support that it really needed. It blew away all that negatives. People begin to think finally the country will get rid of Rajakars. But it was not to be.
After the death sentence of Delowar Hossein the pro-liberation force was all in festive mood.But the Jamat hit back with attacks on minorities, police. Until now BNP was if not neutral, at least keeping some distance. But BNP came out in support of Jamat. When the country, mainly the minorities needed protection, the Govt.seems to be at a loss. I don’t believe they did not know how to tackle it, but feel there is strong Jamat lobby in AL. At least next events hint about it.When the country asking to take action against Islamic Bank and other organizations, the economic base of Jamat (ok, better to say local, as they have foreign sponsors if newspapers are to be believed), some prominent Figures from ruling AL visited functions organized by Islamic Bank.
I remember the day when blogger Rajib was killed. It was the first blood to be dropped. Everyone was waiting for action. The PM met his relatives and assured that the culprits would be punished. But it was not to be. Jamat played at will. While people guilty for communal violence, massacre were at large, some bloggers were arrested with false charges (false, as it is hard to identify whether the wrote those anti-Islamic stuff or it was done by the Jamatis itself, as now a days it is far too easy to hack an account and post on be their half or make a fake account as well. So why is the authority playing Jamat’s game? A few days back in a private sitting Comrade Manzurul Ahasn Khan told us that in Pakistan in almost every institution from Government to Army there is a strong lobby of fundamentalist force. From my experience I know many people who were connected with progressive politics earlier are now sympathizing Jamat, many of them openly joined their rank. The irony is that during the Pak rule or even in Bangladesh communists used this tactics with great success. Now Jamat, who stands in the opposite pole in all questions, is following the same tactics. It is interesting to note that many negatives of Soviet Union, such as intolerance to others opinion (either you are with me,or you are against me. There was no third way) are being successfully exploited by USA in their war for democracy all over the world as well as fundamentalist forces. And two prominent parties of Bangladesh, especially their leaders are no exceptions. Here is complete antagonism, no unity and struggle of opposites.It is the greatest tragedy of Bangladesh. Political reasoning, socio-economic situation everything suggest that BNP should have supported Shahbag movement and on their back they could back to the power. But what did they do? They supported Jamat. I believe, Jamat plays a vital role in BNP policy making, but I think that due to their anti-AL sentiment, their organic antagonism towards AL, also played its part. Living out of country for about 30 years it is hard to follow everything, but being a physicist with strong mathematical background, I still try to understand and model the situation back home. If I am not mistaken, for many days after the violence had broken out PM also kept silence. And only after Khaleda Zia had put her full support to Jamat, Sheikh Hasina spoke out. It again shows these two leaders are engaged in an everlasting war. Noting but the graveyard alone can stop it. This showed incompetency of both leaders to handle situation politically and diplomatically.
So what can people do? I think it the AL-BNP monopoly of power that makes people upset. They like the two sides of coin, one would definitely win,and for that you don’t need to do anything, just wait and see the other going down. The worse the situation in the country the better it is for the opposition. So when in power you take care more about yourself than the country, while in opposition you do everything to make peoples life hell. So no matter whether you are in power or in opposition, you never think about people,you just use them to come to the power. This love affair does never end in marry, in ends in unrealized dream of people. So there is only one way, it is to break this vicious circle. If JP or Jamat with their small support can dictate the policy of ruling party, why can’t others do it? I understand, it is not time to nurse a full-fledged third force, but if all the progressive,pro-liberation political forces, intellectuals, businessmen – everyone who supported and still supports Shahbag movement could work out a common policy and win at least 10-15 seats in the upcoming parliament election, they can really have their say in the future Bangladesh. And AL should support this with all their might, as only a pro-liberation strong opposition can help AL to build a country Bangabandhu dreamt of. But it depends on Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Mujib was a front runner of Pakistan movement in Bengal. Unless his active work in mass people it might not happen. But when the situation demanded, he was bold enough to revise his political view and call people for freedom. Would Hasina be strong enough to get rid of vote policy and say decisively no to communal politics of Jamat and other Ismalic parties? They will use both AL and BNP as did Muslim League in the past and once they take the steering wheel,neither of you can stop them. The lack of common senses in BD politics costs the country most. I think it happened in 2001 when BNP had to ally with Jamat to form the Government. Had AL offered their unconditional support to BNP as the then largest party like CPM or CPI(M) do in India, Jamat might not become the king maker. There are lot of examples beginning from Iranian revolution ending the Arab Spring when on the back of quarreling democratic forces autocracy occupy the power. I strongly believe, the think-tank of our main political parties is misreading the situation. They think that they are coming to the power on the back of Jamat or other Islamic Parties. In fact sitting on the back of AL and BNP these Parties are taking the control of Bangladesh. They still believe I Pakistan. As Maulana Abul Kalam Azad noted,the very name Pakistan suggests that all other countries are napak (fallen out of God’s blessing). So once they will be in power, everyone will be taken into account for their role in parting with Pakistan (or getting out of Heaven).Interesting to note that though Pakistan was formed from PA of Punjab, K of Kashmir, S of Sind and Tan of Baluchistan,there was no place for Bengal in this setting. And it was no surprise when leaders of newly formed Pakistan begin to ignore any demand of East Pakistan.SO there is still time for both of you recover and follow the commonsense of people they showed before and after the liberation and showing now. As Polybius told “There are two roads to reformation: one through misfortunes of one’s own, the other through those of others: the former is the most unmistakable, the later the less harmful.” I strongly believe that the BD political leadership would be wise enough to take the less harmful road, as there might be no second chance to try the first one.So in order to free Bangladesh from the claws of communal politics”we must take all the risks and go on doing all the duties which by right are ours, winning moral victory at every step, by our failure and suffering. We must show those who are over us that we have in ourselves the strength of moral power, the power to suffer for the truth. “(Tagore)
One of the main problems of developing country is the authoritarian leadership of political Parties with more or less democratic foundation. In most cases the success of these parties depends on the dynasty. So in some cases the party workers do their best to bring even not interested heirs into politics, but in many cases they do it willingly,especially when they are not fit enough to do other job. And if initially these leaders try to learn, in course of time flattered by the surroundings they begin to think themselves above all criticism.
The life condition of the minority is the barometer of the socio-political situation of any country. Indeed, when things went wrong people are prone to accuse others for their misfortune. As a rule the minorities become the scapegoat. It only gives a momentary escape, but problem remains there, even it becomes worse. To blame others for all misfortunes becomes a habit, one minority goes, comes the new – but situation never improves. Look at Pakistan! This country was founded with the promise to make all Muslim or at least those in undivided India happy. Now the country is overcome by sectarian violence. Indeed, when you nurture a kid and all the time teach him hatred towards people of other religion, race, group – whatever it may be, hardly you can nurture love in him. Soon he will begin to hate his own people, as he does not know what is love, what is tolerance, he was never learnt to respect others opinion – but as we know in the course of time two people would definitely disagree in one or other point. So with this mindset what we have now in Bangladesh country won’t go move too further, on the contrary it can only go backward. The demand of a section of religious parties is pushing the country towards that. Recently read some articles about the situation of minorities in Bangladesh. I don’t know the exact figure, but if our population is somewhere 160 millions and if some 8 to 10 percent of that population is minority – it means the figure some 12 to 16 million. Not many countries in the world have so big population.Bengali as a whole and Bengali Hindus in particular is a very peaceful nation.Nevertheless this Bengali fought for their independence in 1971 and achieved it. Masterda Surja Sen, Binoy, Badal, Dinesh, Khudi Ram and many others came from that community. So it won’t be wise to push a vast population towards it. We should remember that the Bangladeshis didn’t seek freedom in firsthand; it was the Pakistanis who force them to take arms. No, I am in no way calling minorities for that extreme, but I am just writing about one of many possibilities. Even not going to that extreme they can fight for their rights. Can you imagine the situation if all the minorities engage in some kind of non-cooperation movement as people did it against the English under Gandhi’s leadership. What if they bring their case with numerous human right groups as well as UN, EU, USA etc.? I don’t know the exact situation back home. But when I left Bangladesh in 1983 as far as I know most of the minority families were more or less educated. They were engaged in business,teaching and many other services. English did a good job employing this population in service sector. With the proper handling of this mass Bangladesh would make a great step towards economic independence. So in the greatest interest of the country the majority should do everything so that the minority can be fully integrated in its socio-economic life. It actually sounds a bit strange, as the minority or at least Hindus and Buddhists are the carrier of the few thousand years old culture and tradition of this country. Moreover,we are first Bengali and then Bangladeshi, like first we are man and only after that Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Christian. Can we imagine being Bengali without Rabindranath? So getting rid of minority the nation risks getting rid of Bengali-hood (Bangalitto) all together. Those who think uprooting minority they can solve their problem are living in the fool’s heaven. Let us try to prove it from religious point of view. Man can’t live alone. Even God Himself created first man Adam (if the Old testaments is to be believed) as he wanted someone who would glorify His deeds.And God created Eva as He thought a man needs someone’s company. And soon they were driven out of Heaven for disobedience. So disobedience accompanied men from the very down of his existence. And then what we see. Cain, son of Adam and Eva, killed his brother Abel for zealous. And could they solve any problem? No, it only created new one. There are many mono ethnic and mono religious countries in the world. Are they happier than the others? No. It all depends on mindset. Only those who could build a society on the basis of humanity, mutual respect and tolerance, could move forward.
Everything that is taking place in Bangladesh shows political immaturity, intolerance, absence of leadership. Unfortunately, the left oriented parties are also scattered. When the country needs a united platform of left oriented parties, cultural personalities, pro-liberation business establishments,everybody stands still on their positions, nobody is ready to sacrifice a iota of ideology (fortunately or unfortunately, it is all they have, only ideology –no popular base, little public support). By the time you quarrel over socialism, democracy, or other issues, the country may be lost irretrievably. In physics and mathematics 2 and 2 always makes four. But as recently in a meeting Manzurul Ahsan Khan told, in politics 2 and 3 not always makes 6, it might be 5, 1 and even 1.5, depending on the sign you put. And politicians are prone to put the sign according to their political practicability. We also say, “A theory can’t be proved, it may be only disproved”. Like in life to be honest and truthful you have to always speak the truth, but you have to lie only once to become a lair. So you have to be careful in putting that sign. Practical it might be, but it may cost reputation. In Bangladesh history there were many politicians who used this sign from practical point of view, some became ministers, but they lost their credibility. Even some kind of connection between Golam Azam and AL authority put a big question mark on their sincerity to make the country free from communal politics. We have all the reason to believe that in the light of new World socio-political situation the progressive and democratic political forces in Bangladesh could tone down their personal ambitions and unite to take the Shahbag movement to the logical end.There are many ways out, but only a few could lead to ultimate goal – a democratic, secular and economically strong Bangladesh. For this we need a united platform of progressive political parties, workers culture,intellectuals and business establishment, who together with AL compete in the upcoming Parliament election, form opposition and support AL govt. from outside the govt. Bangladesh needs a third force – strong pro-liberation opposition Party – who in one hand can end the AL-BNP monopoly and on the other hand keep JP and JAMAT out of mainstream. And AL should realize that they need a predictable, pro-liberation opposition more than anything and do everything to get the work done. They should even support the candidates from this platform in the coming election. 25 – 30 seats won’t cost AL power. But for this to happen, each Party should be sincere and as the first step towards a greater pro-liberation platform AL should release the bloggers arrested on false charges.
As a final comment I want to tell a few words about ongoing strikes. This type of protest, at least when it runs for days, hardly do any good to the purpose let alone the country. Any force, who demands to be patriot, should think twice before giving such program.Bangladesh (or any country) is not the government only; there is 90% common people who have little to do with these strikes. If opposition needs to settle the score with the ruling Party, they should not do it at the cost of public sufferings. AL is now ruling Party, BNP was and the role may be changed. They both know how harmful it is for the country and countrymen. If opposition ruins the socio-economic structure of the country, next time if you come to the power, you have to begin from zero, which is harder than to construct something on a ready foundation. So be reasonable and don’t destroy the country you want to rule over.
All the best!
Bijan Saha, Dubna, March-April, 2013
PS. Your notes, comments will be helpful for me to understand the situation better.
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