WRT: http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/ajoy/AL_Vs_Secularism.pdf

Ami Bedanato, Ashahoto O Bik'khubdha !

Dear Prof. Ajoy Roy,



Thank you very much for your well written article in which you have not
only expressed your deep sorrow out of disappointment from the
clandestine MOU signed by the General Secretary of AL, but have
explicitly refuted the apologetic attempt of Mr. Jalil who is trying to
give us the impression that this MOU is a part of election tactic.



In fact, pursuing populist politics of appeasement, AL have long before
been moving away from the ideological position; the party once took
during the liberation war. AL is no more firm in taking position against
autocracy and fundamentalism.



Gradually the party has accepted the policies of liberal market economy.
The income inequality between rich and poor, the urban and rural people
is growing, enormously and erroneously. In this regard also Awami League
has no effective programme except few cosmetic steps of poverty
alleviation in line with the PRSP, the prescription of the donor
agencies.



In regard to the MOU in question, AL attempts to take advantage of long
held conflict between the Alems of the two different schools i.e. the
'Alia Madrassa' and the 'Qoumi Madrassa' for petty reason of election
politics. This reminds the US tactics of funding Madrassas in Pakistan
to raise Mujahedin fighters to fight communism in Afghanistan. History
is evident that this type of short sighted strategies do more harm than
good.



However, personally as a freedom fighter of 1971 committed to build
secular Bangladesh enshrined with an equitable economic policy, I am
also deeply hurt to see the present shape of affairs of Bangladeshi
politics. But we are fighters and can not succumb to odds coming from
all around of us. We are getting old although our hearts are full of
strength of protest renewed all the time when we pass by the Shaheed
Minar.



We have to tell these stories and many more of our struggle till we live
and pass them on to our next generation. This is the task that we have
to get on disseminating about Bangla of our vision continuously and
unremittingly, from Tentulia to Teknaf.



Thank you once again for your analytical write-up.



~Saroj