Thank you to BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman. I commend you for clearly stating, seven months after the Interim Government took office, your sharp observations, wise analysis, and realistic understanding of the conspiracy being plotted against your party.
Bangladesh Pratidin has published several reports on this conspiracy over the past seven months. The masterminds behind the "minus-two" formula, who were also advocates for the creation of the one-eleven, have not yet abandoned their conspiracy to marginalize BNP. Despite staying focused on the same goal, they have now changed tactics.
To block BNP in the upcoming elections, they have formed new alliances. These are the same people who once propagated anti-Islamic rhetoric, labeling religious practices like beards, caps, and hijabs as extremist, and who had once identified certain individuals as militants. Now, to stop BNP, these plotters have even allied with those same individuals.
However, a further piece of bad news for you is that many senior leaders of your party have a deep admiration for the conspirators of one-eleven. Several leaders are trying to present themselves as pseudo-intellectuals by forging strong ties with these plotters against BNP. As time passes and the election date draws nearer, there is a growing concern that the conspiracy of the one-eleven actors against BNP will become even more intense.
The question is, while BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman sitting in London can understand this conspiracy, are all the leaders and activists of BNP within the country able to comprehend it?
The Interim Government formed through the July Mass Uprising has established a commission to bring everyone’s opinions together. It is called the ‘National Consensus Commission’. The seven-member commission, under the leadership of the head of government, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, consists of all prominent figures. After 53 years of independence, this government has realized that to move the nation forward, consensus is necessary.
The main goal and objective of this commission is to prepare a written document on how reforms will take place, how elections will be held, and what the post-election government will do. In other words, this will serve as a guideline for the future of Bangladesh. Efforts are being made to establish consensus in overcoming the current crisis, but we have not yet reached that stage of agreement in terms of our minimal sense of patriotism.
Many among us are still eager in their love for Pakistan. There are those who are lost in their love for India. When a Bangladesh-Pakistan cricket match is held in Dhaka, some people wave the Pakistani flag in the stadium of this independent country. Similarly, when a Bangladesh-India match takes place, people in our country wave the Indian flag in stadiums. Before August 5, there was no shortage of India lovers in Bangladesh. Many would feel blessed if they could take a selfie with the Indian High Commissioner. Similarly, the number of Pakistan lovers has also increased now.
Based on the opinions of all political parties, civil society, and prominent individuals, the recommendations made by the reform commissions are indeed a challenging task for the commission to unite on. However, a more difficult task is to establish an unbreakable unity in loving the country. Without love for Bangladesh in every citizen, any consensus on overcoming the current crisis may provide temporary relief like an antibiotic, but it will not be sustainable in the long run. Because, as the saying goes, "he who goes to Lanka becomes Ravana." The nation has already witnessed the consequences of the three-party outline from 1990.
On March 13, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Bangladesh for a four-day visit. During his visit, he participated in a roundtable meeting with the Consensus Commission and political parties. He made his position clear regarding Bangladesh's democracy, reforms, and the Rohingya crisis. At the joint press conference, he said that the UN is ready to play a key role as the main partner in the Interim Government’s reform efforts in New Bangladesh. Guterres also mentioned that Bangladesh could consider the UN as the primary partner in the country’s reform process.
When asked by journalists during the press conference whether the United Nations had been asked to assist in the return of the ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain responded that Bangladesh had not discussed this matter with the United Nations.
A debate is currently ongoing in Bangladesh’s politics about whether the elections should take place first, or whether reforms and the trial of fascists should happen first. The government has also committed to the exemplary trial of the fascists. Bringing fascist Sheikh Hasina back for the trial is crucial. The government has already sent a letter to India, but India has not responded to it. This issue could have been raised with the UN Secretary-General. However, neither the government nor any political party sought the Secretary-General’s assistance in bringing former ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back for trial.
The question, therefore, is whether the trial of the fascists is merely an eyewash for the public. For those who are claiming that elections will take place only after the trial, is this rhetoric part of a strategy to delay the election?
Currently, the entire country is in a state of turmoil. Law and order are completely out of control. Police officers are being beaten inside police stations, and those on duty on the streets are being disregarded. Even rickshaw drivers are displaying aggressive behavior toward traffic police. Mob culture cannot be stopped. An eight-year-old girl, Asia, had to lose her life after falling victim to the heinous crime of rape. The safety of women and children is increasingly at risk. People do not feel safe anywhere—on the streets, in vehicles, or even in their own homes. Personal grudges are being politicized for revenge. Land grabbing and extortion are rampant. Roads and highways are being blocked for trivial reasons. As Eid approaches, all types of crime are increasing.
Due to the rise in crime across the country, the Chief Adviser held a meeting with top police officials on March 17. In the meeting, he said that with the elections approaching, various problems and pressures will arise, and everyone will become desperate. The police force must remain strong and stay within the law. He urged the police to become the friend of the people. Through this meeting with the Chief Adviser, the police will try to recover from the trauma to some extent.
In the current situation, the government must take a tough stance to ensure the safety of the people’s lives, property, and businesses. Swift action must be taken to control law and order. The police must take the initiative to maintain the dignity of their uniforms. If the people of the country do not feel safe, and if women and children are too afraid to leave their homes, then theoretical discussions will not help. Over the past seven months, many of the government’s responsible officials have spoken more than they have acted. They are still talking. But the people of the country do not want words; they want to see action. Excessive talk leads to disaster. It should be remembered that it was incoherent and excessive talk that led to the downfall of the Awami League government.
The people of the country are still unclear about many things. Even those who keep track of the world’s affairs are saying they don’t understand anything. At various political and social Iftar parties, many people are trying to find out what’s going on. Recently, at the Iftar party of a political party, a former bureaucrat asked a political leader, “Brother, before August 5, we were in the custody of dadas (India), but now whose custody are we in?” Another person sitting nearby joined the conversation and said, “We are like the poor man’s beautiful wife. Sometimes with India, sometimes with America, sometimes with China. If one’s backbone is not strong, this is how things will go.” Another person added, “We are in a strange time, brother. Nobody knows anything. Politicians say they don’t know. Businesspeople say they don’t know. Bureaucrats say they don’t know. So, who knows anything?”
Writer: Executive Editor, Bangladesh Pratidin
Email: [email protected]
Translated By ARK/Bd-Pratidin English
