Death of a Kingfisher

DEATH OF A KINGFISHER

by Dr Abid Bahar
(editor's choice)

Bangladesh is the world's biggest delta country. People survive here on fishes caught from its rivers, ponds marshes. Most Bangladeshis perhaps don't know that India put barages over all most all the rivers that flow from upstream India. As a result of this Bangladeshi man, the fisherman suffers the most. It seems that if there was no Farakka dam, India would still be considered by Bangladeshis as a friendly country. While this is going on, unfortunately Bangladesh politics has also been occupied by opportunist and anarchist politicians remain aligned with WestBengali India. In the recent past when these anarchist leaders created a mess, a third party took over power; it was the Care taker government backed by the military. Lately, to many Bangladeshis' s surprise Moyeen U received red carpet reception in India and was given the gift of 7 horses. We also know that our joans die in India's target-shooting. Who is this General and his backers? Who are the people that helped to create anarchy for the military backed government to take over power? The CTG stunned the country. Under the circumstances, people question "is Bangladesh progressing? "The term progressive means "change in a desirable direction." If we consider progress in Bangladesh, it must be a desirable direction for Bangladesh and the Bangladeshis. In the following we will try to understand the leadership of one of the major Bangladeshi political Party's leaders and see if her leadership moves Bangladesh toward a desirable direction.It is true, Awami League (AL) was first founded by Maulana Bhasani as the Awami Muslim League but later on changed by him as the Awami League. Bhasani also founded the Ittafaq, the other national institution for Bengali's struggle for gaining rights. Mujib's AL gave the 6 points in pre Bangladesh and gradually moved the nation towards independence. In the post Bangladesh period, he turned the AL into BAKSAL one party system with Munising and Muzaffer’s pro-Indian communist alliance. In the early 80's Hasina revived the AL but in her democratic alliance she has all the groups that comprised the BAKSAL.Hasina's ALToday, Hasina's AL kept some of the pro-Indian Moni Singh/ Muzaffer BAKSALITES that were clearly in favor of non stop nationwide hartals. Motia, prominent among them during the strike, even loved to sleep on the street than at home. Is this a progressive thing for Bangladesh? Hasina's political slogan is still the BAKSALITE "joy Bangla" consistent with the BAKSALITE pro-Indian "Joy Hind," "Joy Bangla" slogan. Hasina's nationalism for Bangladesh is still BAKSALIT's "Bengali nationalism" not Bangladeshi nationalism. Even though it has been close to 40 years she doesn't want to change it which would annoy the pro-Indian elements in her party.

Hasina while in power gave limited autonomy to the Hill Tracts and now the tribals want to change the name of the region from Chittagong Hill Tracts into Jumaland of a region where 45 percent of the population (found in the last census) was the nontribals and surprisingly, these tribes are not even indigenous to the land. Research shows that all the tribe's ancestors migrated from Arakan of Burma and not very long time ago; some even migrated during the British period. During her terms in office Hasina signed an agreement with India for water sharing, but there is little water India gives to Bangladesh. Hasina understands this and says, "Boishak mase ter hatu jol Thake,"Hasina's election politicsHasina fights against fundamentalism by calling strikes. 1996 election her main slogan was to try Golam Azam. The street side gonoadalat against Golam Azam was made famous by her. But after she came to power she did nothing to Golam Azam. In 2007 she also made contract with Khalafat fundamentalist party. When challenged by her pro- Indian so-called “secular" elements" she was surprised and called it only an election strategy. Is this progressive politics?Hasina can not compromise until it is her way or no wayHasina was the one who demanded to introduce the first Care taker government (originally a Jamat idea) after BNP won a second term in 1996 election.

On the basis of this, the BNP's1996 election had to be made null and void and the first Care taker government was introduced. Hasina’s apology for the BAKSAL rule and the nonstop calls for nationwide strike and shutting up of the port cities finally won her the election.In 2001 the BNP's election winning was not again accepted by her. Immediately after the election, she began calling strikes that in all totalled close to 200 during Khalida's term. It is to note that in addition to the loss of revenue, Hasina perhaps didn't know, strikes breed common lawlessness. But who decides to call these murderous strikes? In this unfortunate and improvised country with huge burden of population such moves has always been Hasina's election strategy. If it is not Hasina but AL’s supreme command council's commands these calls are definitely not progressive for Bangladesh. Again, in 2007 Hasina refused to accept the Care taker government that was to replace the BNP government. She kept calling strikes. Ten people were killed by the AL on brad day light. Hasina personally defended the AL action. The nation came to a stand still. She kept calling strike until the fruit was ripe for her to win the election.

Alas, this time, instead of her capturing power, the military backed Care taker government took over power. At first in her joy, she mistakenly even attended the oath taking ceremony of the new care taker government. But she now languishes in jail.Hasina raised in the Mujib family, has many similarities with Mujib's agitative style. But the difference is that while Mujib was fighting against Pakistan, an unfriendly people, Hasina has been fighting against Bangladesh.

It is interesting to note that in 1966 Mujib gave the 6 point demands with the condition of separate currencies within Pakistan. Such demands were considered as quite radical for his time. But the extreame measure helped him in the Pakistani suspicion over him which also helped him gainning popularity. In March 1971 some forces led Mujib to sworn his legislators at the Polton Maidan by the Quran to not accept a bit less of the 6 points. The question is, if that was his idea, why Mujib kept negotiating with the military rulers? Was that a strategy or was to create extreme pressure over the government to make him the Prime Minister of Pakistan. While Mujib didn't take any precautions, the Pakistani military did accumulate more and more army. What were the terms of Mujib's negotiation?

It appears that like today's Hasina, Mujib agitated the Bengalis but continued negotiation with the Pakistani rulers to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. It is now clear that it was indeed his election strategy. Finally he surrendered like today's Hasina who uncompromosingly agitated in 2007 to get to power but now is put in jail. During the liberation war, Mujib stayed in Pakistan and his family in the Pakistani care in Dhaka survived. But from the Pakistani General's mistrust and Mujib's lack of flexibility, there unlashed genocide over the innocent Bangladeshis. Of course, Pakistani Generals and Bhutto in particular were largely responsible for the genocide but questions abound, what was there in Mujib's motive behind negotiation until the 25th of March? India was behind to divide Pakistan and Yahya Khan wanted to keep the integrity of his country and Mujib's sole motive appears to be to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan until he was arrested. Bangladesh through enduring the genocide became an independent country by mostly because of favorable circumstances is undoubtedly is a good news. But will there be similar good news for Hasina trying to destroy Bangladesh through her agitative policy? The big question is in the way it is carried out, can we call her politics as a matter of progressive politics in Bangladesh? Of course it could be progressive to the Indian elements in her party. It could be their progressive struggle to fight against Bangladesh so that it becomes India's dependent country. But is this a desirable thing for Bangladesh and the Bangladeshis?Mujib escaped death in Pakistan but he was assassinated with his entire family for introducing the one party BAKSAL. Mujib's rule of anarchy and misrule also earned the nation as the "bottomless basket case."

Like her father, Hasina was attempted assassination more than once; after the last one she survived; she now can hear things as "Su Su, bo bo." Is this sound along with the slogan "Joy Bangla" are the sounds of progressive politics in Bangladesh or it is the beginning of another bad news? It seems Mujib's history repeats itself in Hasina's so-called progressive politics in Bangladesh.Hasina's is not a progressive politics in Bangladesh. But Hasina's anarchist power base lies in the AL-Moni Singh-Muzaffer alliances in the Bangladesh's cultural sectors and in the AL centers in villages. Do the Bangladeshi villagers know who Hasina is or how Hasina is being manipulated by anti- Bangladesh forces? Then what could be done to change AL into a more progressive political Party away from Hasina's? How to create new awareness in villages to save Bangladesh and to bring fresh air in Bangladeshi culture and in rural politics? How to help remove the Hasina's agitative anti- Bangladesh politics of "Joy Bangla,""Joy Hind" slogans. Unfortunately most pro-Indian elite’ talks about Islamic "fundamentalism" as the biggest challenge in Bangladesh, "pro-Pakistani razakars" are the most dangerous people, but betraying them Hasina even takes the fundamentalists to her side to win election. Fortunately, only lately, some independent and truly progressive- minded scholars are beginning to identify and redefine these regressive forces working against Bangladesh. In the mean time, did the kingfisher die? Not yet and here, I didn't mean the death of a kingfisher as being the death of Mujib or Zia, both of whom were assassinated. I meant that our rivers and riverines have been dried up, our political institutions have been messed up by unrest and in the midst of the chaos Moeen U takes over control from behind the scene.

Two years for the Care taker government is too long says Anwar Chowdhury. . With the excuse of anarchy, in future if General Moyeen settles for a Pakistani style military rule in Bangladesh and if the democratic process is disrupted, it will bring the death of many ordinary but hardworking Bangladeshis, as if the death of the hardworking kingfisher of the delta. Here the foreign hunter kills the kingfisher even before it catches the fish and enjoys the meal in his own shonar Bangladesh!

Canada

E Mail : abidbahar@yahoo. com