Is this the Bangladesh Hasina is fighting for?
by Nuraldeen Zia
Almost two decades ago in 1996, the Awami League that came to power after a break of 21 years introduced some crime bosses. Of them, Shamim Osman of Narayanganj, Abu Taher of Lakshmipur, Joynal Hazari of Feni, Altaf Hossain of Mymensingh and Haji Selim from Old Town, HM Iqbal from Shantinagar and Haji Maqbul from Mohammadpur in Dhaka were prominent. Some lawmakers that time failed to discipline their sons, who were involved in criminal activities. Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Akhteruzzaman Babu were among such failed fathers.
Some unbelievable incidents took place during that tenure of the Awami League. On August 27, 1999, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, the industries and commerce secretary of the Awami League, declared himself the new chairman of a leading private sector bank forcing the directors at gunpoint to resign. The country turned into a haven for killers.The Bangladesh Awami League was, however, apparently successful in putting the leaders aside from the government who were previously known for their notorious politics.
But this time, the Awami League have some new faces such as Nizam Hazari, Badiur Rahman Bodi, Golam Mawla Rony, Whip Abdul Wahab, Aslamul Haq, Giasuddin Ahmed and others, who were found breaking laws, grabbing public and private property and sheltering criminals.
In 2014, when the Awami League held the elections in the name of saving the nation and democracy, it installed almost all of them in power. It seemed that the Awami League, wary of public sentiment, had chosen the baton rather than a public mandate to rule the country for the next five years.
The result of installing them in power is evident. In the first three months, around 50 people had been killed in Narayanganj. Eleven bodies were recovered in Gazipur on April 10 within a span of 24 hours. Other places such as Feni, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, and Jessore are often drawing the attention of regular readers of national daily newspapers because of criminal offences taking place there.
Not only the party goons but also law enforcers were seen involved in many criminal activities, especially in the last five months. Law enforcers have resorted to a trigger-happy culture and killed at least 208 people in the past year in the name of ‘crossfire,’ ‘encounter’ or ‘shootout.’ Eight hundred and forty-eight political clashes took place in the year year, leaving 507 dead. Most of them died when law enforcement personnel fired into crowds out on demonstrations.
The spate of killing continued in 2014. Fifty-four people have been killed in ‘crossfire’ by the law enforcement agencies in the first three months of the current year. In the first two months, 41 people have fell victim to enforced disappearances.
In May, at least 17 murders took place on average every day as 548 people were killed across the country in the period, according to a National Human Rights Commission report.On the other hand, this time, the election system of Bangladesh achieved after a long struggle since the 1990s has been totally demolished.
Almost all sorts of irregularities starting from stuffing, snatching of ballot papers, casting fake votes, expulsion of polling agents from centres, rigging, intimidation of voters, violation of electoral code of conduct by ruling party candidates, killing polling agents and opposition party activists, harassing candidates using government apparatus took place in upazila elections. Even many election observers were driven out of polling centres and journalists covering the irregularities were assaulted. Local administrations and law enforcers worked in favour of the ruling party.
Even an election commissioner said that in many cases, local administrations and the police did not act at their directives. They rather worked as told by local lawmakers and ruling party leaders. Sujan, a civic group working for good governance, said that the Election Commission had lost its control over the polls.
Ruling party activists enjoyed impunity. For an example, in a public meeting, Feroz Ahmed Swapan, an upazila chairman candidate in Kalaroa in Satkhira backed by the Awami League said that he would break fingers of people if they went to the polling centres to cast vote. He said that no case could be lodged for such killing and the breaking of fingers as the Awami League would not leave office until it would complete the stipulated five-year tenure.
The statements of a local ruling party leader show how ruthless they have become after the 5 January polls.The lawlessness is evident everywhere now. After the Awami League had renewed its tenure through the ‘Awami Legal’ elections, question papers of almost every public examination have been leaked. The criminals behind the question leak are still at large, which refers that the ruling party activists are behind the incidents. The leak of question papers, however, has threatened the future of the country.
But it seemed that the Awami League did not have that time to bother about it as it is much worried about party infightings which have resulted in death of many of its local leaders.
In recent developments, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has expressed solidarity with Shamim Osman and publicly said that she would look after the Osmans that include Azmeri Osman, son of the late Nasim Osman, who is accused in the case of Tanwir Muhammed Taqi, who is still at large amid evidences linking him to the killing.Moreover, Sheikh Hasina and her law minister have indirectly threatened the court. Now it seems that the prime minister can take on court rather than ensuring justice to the victims, if needed.
The spate of murder, enforced disappearances, the demolition of the electoral system, frequent question leaks et others have raised many questions. The most significant one is that whether this is the Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League are fighting for?
If the answer is a ‘no,’ the Awami League and its leaders should rethink their stand and understand what went wrong. They should realise that a government devoid of popular mandate does not care about accountability towards its people. The lack of accountability encourages the thugs inside parties to do what they want to. And when that government decides to stand beside the thugs, they turn more reckless than ever. Eventually, it increases feuds inside the party and development faces numerous stalemates.
Sheikh Hasina certainly does not want to see her motherland in that state.
Nuraldeen Zia is an environmentalist and online activist.
http://newagebd.net/23218/is-
by Nuraldeen Zia
Almost two decades ago in 1996, the Awami League that came to power after a break of 21 years introduced some crime bosses. Of them, Shamim Osman of Narayanganj, Abu Taher of Lakshmipur, Joynal Hazari of Feni, Altaf Hossain of Mymensingh and Haji Selim from Old Town, HM Iqbal from Shantinagar and Haji Maqbul from Mohammadpur in Dhaka were prominent. Some lawmakers that time failed to discipline their sons, who were involved in criminal activities. Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Akhteruzzaman Babu were among such failed fathers.
Some unbelievable incidents took place during that tenure of the Awami League. On August 27, 1999, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, the industries and commerce secretary of the Awami League, declared himself the new chairman of a leading private sector bank forcing the directors at gunpoint to resign. The country turned into a haven for killers.The Bangladesh Awami League was, however, apparently successful in putting the leaders aside from the government who were previously known for their notorious politics.
But this time, the Awami League have some new faces such as Nizam Hazari, Badiur Rahman Bodi, Golam Mawla Rony, Whip Abdul Wahab, Aslamul Haq, Giasuddin Ahmed and others, who were found breaking laws, grabbing public and private property and sheltering criminals.
In 2014, when the Awami League held the elections in the name of saving the nation and democracy, it installed almost all of them in power. It seemed that the Awami League, wary of public sentiment, had chosen the baton rather than a public mandate to rule the country for the next five years.
The result of installing them in power is evident. In the first three months, around 50 people had been killed in Narayanganj. Eleven bodies were recovered in Gazipur on April 10 within a span of 24 hours. Other places such as Feni, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, and Jessore are often drawing the attention of regular readers of national daily newspapers because of criminal offences taking place there.
Not only the party goons but also law enforcers were seen involved in many criminal activities, especially in the last five months. Law enforcers have resorted to a trigger-happy culture and killed at least 208 people in the past year in the name of ‘crossfire,’ ‘encounter’ or ‘shootout.’ Eight hundred and forty-eight political clashes took place in the year year, leaving 507 dead. Most of them died when law enforcement personnel fired into crowds out on demonstrations.
The spate of killing continued in 2014. Fifty-four people have been killed in ‘crossfire’ by the law enforcement agencies in the first three months of the current year. In the first two months, 41 people have fell victim to enforced disappearances.
In May, at least 17 murders took place on average every day as 548 people were killed across the country in the period, according to a National Human Rights Commission report.On the other hand, this time, the election system of Bangladesh achieved after a long struggle since the 1990s has been totally demolished.
Almost all sorts of irregularities starting from stuffing, snatching of ballot papers, casting fake votes, expulsion of polling agents from centres, rigging, intimidation of voters, violation of electoral code of conduct by ruling party candidates, killing polling agents and opposition party activists, harassing candidates using government apparatus took place in upazila elections. Even many election observers were driven out of polling centres and journalists covering the irregularities were assaulted. Local administrations and law enforcers worked in favour of the ruling party.
Even an election commissioner said that in many cases, local administrations and the police did not act at their directives. They rather worked as told by local lawmakers and ruling party leaders. Sujan, a civic group working for good governance, said that the Election Commission had lost its control over the polls.
Ruling party activists enjoyed impunity. For an example, in a public meeting, Feroz Ahmed Swapan, an upazila chairman candidate in Kalaroa in Satkhira backed by the Awami League said that he would break fingers of people if they went to the polling centres to cast vote. He said that no case could be lodged for such killing and the breaking of fingers as the Awami League would not leave office until it would complete the stipulated five-year tenure.
The statements of a local ruling party leader show how ruthless they have become after the 5 January polls.The lawlessness is evident everywhere now. After the Awami League had renewed its tenure through the ‘Awami Legal’ elections, question papers of almost every public examination have been leaked. The criminals behind the question leak are still at large, which refers that the ruling party activists are behind the incidents. The leak of question papers, however, has threatened the future of the country.
But it seemed that the Awami League did not have that time to bother about it as it is much worried about party infightings which have resulted in death of many of its local leaders.
In recent developments, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has expressed solidarity with Shamim Osman and publicly said that she would look after the Osmans that include Azmeri Osman, son of the late Nasim Osman, who is accused in the case of Tanwir Muhammed Taqi, who is still at large amid evidences linking him to the killing.Moreover, Sheikh Hasina and her law minister have indirectly threatened the court. Now it seems that the prime minister can take on court rather than ensuring justice to the victims, if needed.
The spate of murder, enforced disappearances, the demolition of the electoral system, frequent question leaks et others have raised many questions. The most significant one is that whether this is the Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League are fighting for?
If the answer is a ‘no,’ the Awami League and its leaders should rethink their stand and understand what went wrong. They should realise that a government devoid of popular mandate does not care about accountability towards its people. The lack of accountability encourages the thugs inside parties to do what they want to. And when that government decides to stand beside the thugs, they turn more reckless than ever. Eventually, it increases feuds inside the party and development faces numerous stalemates.
Sheikh Hasina certainly does not want to see her motherland in that state.
Nuraldeen Zia is an environmentalist and online activist.
http://newagebd.net/23218/is-
No comments:
Post a Comment