Khaleda Zia’s government is on shaky ground; its collapse is inevitable

By Shabbir Ahmed

Centering on deteriorated law and order situation and cowardly attack on Prof. Humayun Ahmed only few days ago the political climate throughout Bangladesh has become very unstable.  Bangladesh’s ordinary people are seethed with anger over the attempted murder of Prof. Azad.  Under this backdrop, it is imperative that we do a postmortem on deteriorated law and order situation and rise in fundamentalism in a land that rose from the ashes of despairs and hopelessness in 1971.  Why is it that every few years political climate in Bangladesh becomes unstable?  In this article, I will try to figure out if the misdeeds committed by the present government in the last two years have any bearing on the pathetic state of affair that the nation is facing at this time.     

A good number of conscious expatriates lost hope on the electoral system in Bangladesh after the election in October 2001.  This is not an exaggeration. It was difficult to rationalize the defeat of the former ruling party based on the pattern of the votes and the seats they won  (in 1991 election they got 103 seats with 33% votes; in 1996 election they got 146 seats with 38% votes; and in 2001 election they got only 62 seats with 41% votes).  The defensive arguments were put forward to support the defeat of the former ruling party.  Many neutral and anti-Awami League individuals argued that the mandate was against the terror unleashed by the former ruling party goons e.g. Joynal Hazari et al.  This logic/argument was so poor because the winning parties started their journey through terror against minorities, opposition activists, journalists, and intellectuals.  An all-out state and cadre terrorism of the ruling alliance replaced the hooliganisms of a number of former ruling party goons.  

The Bangalees helplessly observed the torture unleashed on a number of notable personalities of Bangladesh that includes Professor Muntasir Mamun, Dr. M. K. Alamgir, Journalist Shahriar Kabir, Journalist Saleem Samad, and many others.  Many progressive people have lost their lives (for example, Journalist Manik Saha; Principal Muhuri; Dr. Shudentranath Mukharjee, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association; Advocate Manzurul Imam, and many others) in the hands of the miscreants/cadres of the present alliance government.  Most of these people weren't the former ruling party leaders/workers.  They were progressive/non-communal people having opposing views/philosophy against the communal/fundamentalist forces.  They were silenced for good.  The pattern that is followed is the same as the one Pakistani killer regime and their collaborators followed in 1971. 

The recent life-threatening attack on Professor Humayun Azad follows the same pattern.  The Maulanas (clerics) of the fundamentalist parties issue Fatwas against the secular/minority groups for their views based on bigotry and sectarianism.  Their followers implement these Fatwas by striking generally on the neck with sharp weapons.  I remember that I read the slaughter of a helpless young student by the name Shahadat (this is the name if my memory serves me right) by the Islamic Chatra Shibir (ICS, student wing of Jamat-i-Islami) cadres in early 80s in one of the universities in Bangladesh.  This student was a Chatra Union activist critical to Islamic politics in Bangladesh. The ICS members used to argue with him on the issues of Islamic politics, which he used to abhor.  For this, the ICS members became mad at him and declared him as a Murtaad (an apostate) in a secret meeting.  In the secret meeting, they decided to punish him according to Sha’ria.  Indeed, the ICS cadres used the Sha’ria Law and hit him with a sharp weapon on Shahadat's neck while he was sleeping in the dormitory.  The helpless Shahadat woke up and started running but the ICS cadres didn't let him escape.  Finally, they killed him in front of the dormitory.  This was published in news reports at that time.  Mrs. Khaleda Zia wasn't in power at that time.  Otherwise, some workers/leaders/goons of any other party would have been made a killer to protect the alliance government of the fundamentalists. 

The effort by the present-day Prime Minister to give protection to the killers has really become a matter of serious concern.  It is so serious that needs clear protest against the perpetrators as well as their protectors.  The situation is so grave now that we can't remain silent and indifferent to the attack and killings of moderate and secular people of Bangladesh.  But, it's now a dilemma for the conscious and concerned individuals to demand for trying the culprits to the present government.  The perpetrators of the recent crimes against the secular and the progressive people of Bangladesh are running the government directly or indirectly.  The perpetrators along with their patron are in full control of the government.  Some of the parliamentarians and the allied political party leaders of the government are continuously spreading hatred and spewing venom against secular forces.  In recent months, Professor Azad became their target.  The allied parties have a common characteristic.  They use fundamentalist's version of political Islam as their tool to suppress the non-communal and secular views of academicians and scholars.  The government of Bangladesh under Mrs. Khaleda Zia is in alliance with marked fundamentalist parties such as Jamaat-i-Islami and Islami Oykko-Jote (Islamic Unity Council).  Some of the leaders and parliamentarians of these parties are hard-core Maulanas.  Most of these Maulanas are already known as killers and Razakars in the parlance of my motherland. Now, it is difficult for a conscious mind to demand for trying the miscreants to the killers or to their patrons.  It is a tragedy of immense proportion for the people of Bangladesh!

In this context, it doesn't make sense to ask the government for trying the killers.  So far, the government showed little or no interest whatsoever to apprehend the real culprits for bringing them to justice.  In all these cases, the head of the government, Mrs. Khaleda Zia, charged her archrival Awami League, which really doesn't bear any merit vis-ŕ-vis these politically motivated atrocities.  In the case of Prof. Azad, the fundamentalist party leaders have been threatening him for quite some time.  The professor himself was worried about his safety from these forces.  He even expressed his concerns about threats from the religious extremists in Bangladesh.  His family members are also aware about the culprits.  They targeted the fundamentalist goons for attacking Professor Azad.  However, the Prime Minister, Mrs. Khaleda Zia, did pointing fingers at Awami League.  I'm sure she isn't clueless.  Is she pointing fingers on purpose toward Awami League to save the culprits from her own alliance?  If this is the situation, then no freethinker and secular academician or writer is safe under the present government of Mrs. Khaleda Zia. In fact, not only the writers but also the general public aren't safe any more because all the perpetrators get encouraged by observing such cover up by the head of the government. Based on this condition, the civil society has become very frustrated for good reasons.  And the present demand for the fall of the government is gaining momentum at each passing day.

The teachers and students of Dhaka University have geared up their agitation against the fundamentalist alliance government now.  This may spread to other universities and colleges throughout Bangladesh.  Therefore, a clear polarization is now visible in the political arena in Bangladesh.  The main opposition party Awami League is calling for agitation jointly with other likeminded parties.  Dr. Kamal Hossain is going to announce his programs against the government.  Even Dr. Badrudduza Chowdhury, a former President and a government party leader, who used to be yes man of Khaleda Zia not too long ago is calling for bringing down the government.  In a recent interview with Janakantha, Dr. Badrudduza has hinted that a good number of government party leaders and parliament members are in close contact with him.  If the moderate and conscientious parliament members of the ruling party resign at the call of Dr. Badrudduza Chowdhury, then the present government will be in a fragile and awkward situation.  Considering the total scenario, the government won't be able to stay in power by denying the demands of the combined opposition.  If the whole country gets agitated, then the world powers will take notice of the deteriorating situation in respect to political climate in this impoverished nation of 140 million. In the case of Haiti, this has happened. 

Unfortunately, Bangladesh has reached a boiling point.  This could have been avoided if the government were serious and sincere about dissociating itself from the perpetrators of the hate crimes originated from the fundamentalists and political Islamists.  So far, it is observed that the head of the government is fully engaged in even protecting these anti social criminals.  In particular, she and her government are desperately protecting the killer fundamentalists in Bangladesh.  However, the civil society and the bulk of the political parties in Bangladesh are adept in generating protests, agitation, gherao, strikes, hartals, and what not leading up to the ultimate collapse of any repressive government.  This happened in 1969, 1990, and 1996.  The present government shouldn't forget the political history of Bangladesh.  However, if my assessment is correct, the repressive government of Khaleda Zia will steadfastly refuse to give up power voluntarily.  In the meanwhile, Bangladesh citizens will suffer needlessly.  Eventually, a time will come when the repressive government will collapse under the burden of guilt.  That day is not too far further down the road.

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Dr. Shabbir Ahmed writes from Naples, Florida, USA.  His e-mail address is: sahmed@...