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Sunday, September 4, 2011

No One Dares To Be Anna Hazare In Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed blasted leaders of her own party as well as the Grand Alliance, for criticizing the corrupt ministers and for helping “conspirators” in destabilizing the country as well assassinating her. Earlier Bangladeshi home minister Advocate Sahara Khatun and general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League as well local government Minister Syef Ashraful Islam told at a public meeting that, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s life is at risk. They said “conspiracy is on, to assassin Sheikh Hasina and a section of media are collaborating this conspiracy.

Another prominent leader of Bangladesh Awami League, Advocate Suranjit Sen Gupta said, it is much important for the government of Sheikh Hasina to complete the trial into August 21 grenade attack than trying the war criminals.

Let me remind my readers that, Awami League supremos, including Suranjit Sen Gupta, even in recent past were putting more importance on trying the war criminals. What is the reason behind such sudden U-turn of Bangladesh Awami League from war crime issue is possibly unknown to many people in Bangladesh, but not totally unknown to some. Bangladesh Awami League may have shifted from expediting the trying the war criminals to trying the “culprits” of August 21 attack. Reason is simple! By completing the “engineered trial” of the August 21 incident, the ruling party will be able to close the doors for Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh. At the same time, it will also put the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party into trouble.

Though the trial into August 21 case has not yet started, Awami League leadership are continuing to tell people that, Tarique Rahman will face death penalty in this case. How these leaders are such confident of the consequence of the trial? Reply is not complex at all. Yes, the fate of the trial of August 21 incident is decided and dictated. It is even rumored that law minister Barrister Shafiq Ahmed has prepared a blue-print of the total trial process and they are planning to complete the trial process in maximum 120 days. In this case, at least give will get death penalty while many will get life terms. Trial will be similar as Kangaroo courts. It is hard for me to understand as to why Sheikh Hasina is trying her best to somehow stop Tarique Rahman from returning to Bangladesh. If Awami League is confident enough of Tarique being rejected by the people, why they are seeing ghost in letting him return to Bangladesh?

Sheikh Hasina already tried to put her only son into politics to ensure him to be her heir into family-dynastic politics in Bangladesh. But, it is observed that, Sajib Wazed Joy is unwilling to stay in Bangladesh permanently, thus suffering from power crisis, road hazards and virtually collapsed law and order situation. Joy is more a Western culturally and he has wife and children abroad, who surely are unwilling to quit the luxurious life they are leading in there, just for the same of letting Joy become a future anchor of Awami League. Being frustrated with Joy, Sheikh Hasina also now is trying to play the Saima Wazed Putul card in placing her into the next “proprietorship” of Awami League. Yes, proprietor I wrote consciously.

In Bangladesh, political parties are mere family if not personal properties of the top figures. Sheikh Hasina badly insulted leaders like Hasanul Huq Inu and Tarana Halim, both members of parliament during a recent parliament session. I am sure; none of them have minimum self-respect or human qualities. Otherwise, the way Sheikh Hasina blasted them in the parliament, for criticizing corruption and failure of a few ministers, they (Inu and Halim) should have simply resigned from the parliament and the grand alliance immediately. But, they won’t. Actually they can’t! Because, Sheikh Hasina knew very precisely that, both Hasanul Huq Inu and Tarana Halim are nothing but mere lackeys of the ruling party. And the main reason of Sheikh Hasina’s anger on them is -- they criticized the most corrupt communication minister Syed Abul Husain for his failures, irregularities and financial crimes. By defending a most hated and corrupt members in the cabinet, Sheikh Hasina has tried to give a clear signal to her party inmates as well as to the citizen of Bangladesh that, during the rule of Awami League, no one should dare to utter a word, about any wrong doings of her “own people”. This clearly she inherited from her father, who also was very famous for huge crimes and corruption of his “own people”, which was one of the many reasons of his brutal murder.

It is quite clearly understood by now that, none of the members of the grand alliance will have the guts and courage onwards of uttering a single word, which would be disliked by their party top. In such case, is there anyone else in the so-called civil society in Bangladesh to stand up? I read about someone named Syed Abul Maksud, planning to begin hunger strike from the Eid day, if the communication minister is not ousted. It is understandable that Mr. Maksud is dying to be the Anna Hazare of Bangladesh. But, can he really? Does he enjoy the integrity in Bangladeshi society? Or, does his threat make any value in the eyes of the ruling party? I am sure; Maksud has the integrity and self-esteed, and of course is a man of virtue.

By -  Sunita Paul :
Political analyst on South Asian affairs
E Mail : penofsunita@gmail.com