Grand rally, sit-in, what next?

It is not quite known how far the two large rallies staged in Dhaka managed to reassure the public, but this unquestionably made thousands and thousands of people suffer. It wasn’t just the BNP leaders and activists who faced obstacles on the streets, but the movement of general passengers too was hampered.

People run all sorts of errands on the weekend. As it is, Dhaka has been gripped by dengue. People are rushing with patients to the hospitals. The working people won’t get a meal if they don’t leave home.

It had been learnt in advance that the police would set up checkposts and search all Dhaka-bound vehicles. When vehicles carrying Jubo League, Chhatra League and Swechchhashebok League’s peace rally participants came up, the police let them go with a polite ‘assalam alaikum’. But the vehicles carrying passengers headed to BNP’s grand rally, were halted. Passengers were asked to step out of the vehicles. Quite democratic behavior of the law enforcement agencies in a democratic country!

A middle-aged gentleman from Fatullah, Narayanganj, who had arrived at the grand rally, said they had to come up to the Signboard intersection by CNG-run auto-rickshaw as there were no buses. The police made them get out of the vehicle there so they then took a Jatrabari-bound ‘laguna’. From Jatrabari they took a local bus to Kamalapur. And from Kamalapur they walked to the grand rally venue. Those who came from even further way, faced boundless sufferings.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) had set a good example by changing the days of the two parties’ programmes to the weekend holiday. There is no instance in the recent past of the police asking the ruling party to change the day of its programmes. After the declaration of the US visa policy, the opposition is very easily being granted permission for its public meetings. Previously they would have to haggle and negotiate over the Golapbagh and Bangla College grounds.

The manner in which the police obstructed people on the way to BNP’s rally, raiding hotels, searching vehicles, arresting leaders and activists, reminded us of the pre-visa policy days. Police even checked people’s mobile phones. This is a blatant violation of human rights. The DMP commissioner said that they hadn’t arrested any innocent persons. They only arrested persons against whom there were cases. These BNP leaders and activists had come in from various places outside of Dhaka. How did the police know what cases they were facing?

The police have once again proven that they are not neutral. They display extreme adulation for the ruling coterie and extreme contempt for the opposition. Yet as employees of the republic, they cannot take sides.

At two in the afternoon, I was proceeding towards Press Club by CNG with colleague Monoj Dey. Thousands of people were teeming towards the rally venue. We were going via Ramna and the Matsha Bhaban. Most of the people on that route were heading to the peace rally. The grand rally participants were going towards Kakrail.

I asked the auto-rickshaw driver if he knew about the rallies. He said, “What difference does it make? I have to work for a living.” I said that these rallies were to establish democracy and peace in the country. He said, “Sure, we are seeing the peace of green chillies selling at 100 taka per kg. The government doesn’t think of us. It thinks of the businessmen.”

We got down at CIRDAP and stated walking. People were streaming in from all directions towards Gulistan. Almost all of them were young. Many were wearing colourful caps. They were carrying banners with the names of their respective areas. On one banner it was written Gazipur Jubo League. They were all wearing yellow caps. It was obviously they were all followers of Jahangir Alam, the former mayor of Gazipur who had been expelled from Awami League. They had been active at the previous peace rally too.

The processions came one after the other. Some came from colleges and universities outside of Dhaka. Others came from various areas within Dhaka.

Suddenly there was a downpour. The older people took shelter nearby, but the youth rallied on in the rain. They were calling out slogans, “Go ahead Sheikh Hasina, we are with you!” “Your leader, my leader, Sheikh Mujib!” The rally proceedings began in the rain. Leaders were delivering their speeches. The activists continued with their slogans.

We passed the GPO corner and went towards Kakrail via Purana Paltan. There was light rain. We saw people going from the south towards the north. There were less youth and more older people. We chatted with a rickshaw-puller at a roadside tea stall. He had come to join the rally. Why? Because the leaders had told him to, he replied. It is at the directives of the leaders that the activists and the common people come to these rallies. They dream of democracy. But that dream democracy never comes.

The BNP grand rally and Awami League’s peace rally were quite vibrant yesterday. Both sides wanted to display their strength by drawing in large crowds. Things were peaceful. While leaders at both rallies gave instigative speeches, the activists and supporters did not display any aggression. They must have realised that they would have to attend many more rallies before the election. What was the point in exhausting all their energy now?

Yesterday’s rally reminded me of 1996. Awami League was in the opposition at the time. BNP was in power. Today BNP is in the opposition. Awami League is in power. Even after 27 years people still have to launch into a movement for their voting rights.

In 1996 the Awami League leaders set up the ‘Janatar Mancha’ platform in from of the Press Club. There were rallies and cultural programmes there every day. In face of the opposition movement, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on 30 Mach went to Bangabhaban and tendered in her resignation to the president. She then held a public meeting in front of the party office at Naya Paltan. Sheikh Hasina held a public rally at Topkhana Road. I was lucky enough to see both the meetings. Awami League held a democracy victory rally that day. Today BNP is rallying for a revival of democracy.

There were large crowds at both the rallies that day. Rather than debating over whether yesterday’s peace rally or the grand rally had more people, it can be said that both parties have huge public support. That was also evident from the statistics of the four elections held under non-partisan governments.

At the same time, neither Awami League nor BNP have enough public support to win with their own votes. Whoever manages to draw in the votes from outside their respective spheres, are the ones that win. Public support is no one’s permanent possession.

More importantly, keeping either Awami League or BNP outside of the election (no party can be kept outside of the process), would mean not only depriving the party leaders and activists, but depriving their voters too.

BNP’s held the rally yesterday to highlight their one-point demand. The day after the rally they are carrying out a sit-in at Dhaka entry points. Awami League has taken up a counter programme. What next?

* Sohrab Hassan is joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet.                               

* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir