An Open Letter to Awami League (AL) Leaders and Activists
- Jahed Ahmed
This late evening of 22nd August, 2004, I had a privilege to attend a political meetings, first time ever since I came to USA, and the one initially supposed to be participated by all organizations, both political and apolitical, to discuss and devise a suitable plan to fight exponential rise of reactionary religious forces in Bangladesh (BD). In particular-the meetings was arranged in the event of cruel assaults and indiscriminate killings of AL leaders and activists that have happened lately, preceded by targeted death of esteemed BD freethinker Prof. Dr. Humayun Azad in Bangladesh; which are, beyond doubt, highly condemnable and a crime against civilians by any definition. The venue of the meeting I attended was a local BD restaurant in New York City. The program initially and was pre-scheduled by a local AL chapter to mourn the death of Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the chief architect of independence achieved in 1971. With the occurrence of targeted killings on AL meeting back in Dhaka , which left at least 20 AL leaders-activist killed and hundreds, or more injured; it seems to me that more than ever before, AL and other progressive minded organizations have been convinced that an alliance of all organizations/forums that stand by values upheld by ’72 constitution, which, in turn, was a result of nine months’ bloody war where BD has lost at least 3 million populations and many Indian soldiers who helped us immensely during ’71 liberation war. It is, therefore, I believe, very appropriate that all pro-1971 forces be united and fight the heinous crimes being done by reactionary forces under the shadow of present BD regime. Mukto-Mona’s ideals are not far from those held by pre-1971 forces; in fact - close and very much so.
Also it is true that present government, based on an unholy alliance among BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by present Prime Minister Khaleda Zia), a faction of Jatiya Party and two time-proved Islamic fundamentalist political organizations, namely Jamayet-e-Islami and Islami Okkya Joot, is leading Bangladesh toward a dead wrong and backward direction. In a time when last year alone- 1 million American tax returns were filed by employees living in India, or to cite a recent NY based Daily News report- within next two decades, such Asian countries as China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea are, likely to beat their European and American counter-parts in economic growth; while in our country Bangladesh- to date- major issues, unfortunately, remain massive corruption in all levels, the attacks on minority, opposition political party leaders/activists, progressive thinkers/writers and journalists. What a cruel fate of irony!
The crucial question, however, is: how to get rid of it? Is just change of face, or power enough? If we are to reflect on past record of political parties in power; the answer, in my opinion, is a straight ‘No’. However bitter it may sound; facts are facts. Even during and before last AL regime- unfortunate and disappointing events such as corruption (recall Transparency International’s ranking which is still continuing), rise of political muscle powers (e.g. Deputy Minister Maya Chowdhury’s son Dipu’s vandalism in Uttara, Dhaka; Hasnat Abdullah in Barisal), harassment of journalists (e.g. assault on journalist Tipu Sultan of Prothom Alo by hooligans hired by Zainal Hajari MP), celebration of century in rapes at Jahangirnagar University, and probably, the worst of all: disappearance of secularism from AL’s own constitution, whose consequence was- AL being transformed into a pro-Islamic Party and resultantly, political sitting with today’s same fundamentalist Jamayat-e-Islami , or going further back- compromise with military ruler (’86 election) did happen. And this is what I simply wanted to convey to my friends in my naïve and possibly, too much apolitical, language. It seems- they have mistaken me.
Hoping this letter would reach at least some of them, if not all; let me make it explicit: I took interest in founding Mukto-Mona (www.mukto-mona.com), along with other progressive secular and humanist friends, with no political ambition whatsoever. We strongly believe in self-appraisal, alongside democracy, peace, justice, truth, secularism and human reasoning. In other words- ours is a dream for a developed, totally secular and a progressive Bangladesh, and not just shift of power!
My dear friends of AL: being emotional is much easier than finding a right strategy for the betterment of Bangladesh. If you have already got the above message during my brief addressing and this open letter turns out to be simply redundant; then I apologize for my lack of political expertise. After all, I am simply a writer. However- if you find this letter anew, I would not feel proud either. Rather, I would think- writing this letter has been worth my while to the party that led my country toward independence in 1971!
New York
08/23/04
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