Awami League’s politics rings hollow

The talk of the town this week was Awami League’s sudden announcement of a programme to take to the streets. A recording of a phone call went viral on social media, though it has not been ascertained whether it was actually Sheikh Hasina speaking. In the past we’ve seen technology being used to modify voices on social media.

Anyhow, many Awami Leaguers sitting  abroad have been using Facebook and YouTube to spread all sorts of propaganda. Awami League’s Facebook page announced that they would hold a showdown on 10 November, Noor Hossain Day.

Noor Hossain was martyred during the anti-Ershad movement. Awami League was not in that movement alone. Three alliances were in that movement and so was Jamaat-e-Islami. In our country if anyone dies in a movement, all the parties claim proprietorship. Various parties claimed they owned Noor Hossain too. Later it was found out that he was a Jubo League leader in his locality and so he was Awami League property!

Using Noor Hossain Day to take to the streets is sheer hypocrisy on the part of Awami League, the party that was topped in the student-people’s uprising. It is a sheer duplicity. Noor Hossain was shot dead by the police during Ershad’s rule. Many would call Ershad a ‘killer’ back then. Yet we watched in amazement how that very same Ershad became Awami League’s best friend. Sheikh Hasina herself made Ershad a special envoy. She fully rehabilitated him in politics.

Awami League was looking for a chance. They tried to use Noor Hossain Day to take to the streets. But this was just a hollow sound of Awami League.

Goebbels was like an infant compared to those who ran the information ministry during Awami League’s rule. They churned out huge amounts of lies, propaganda and rumours. If they were criticised, they would use their laws to arrest dissenters on charges of spreading rumours, they would punish them, even subject them to enforced disappearance.

After 5 August social media has been running rife with rumours. They even spread the rumour that Bangladesh flag wasn’t raised during the in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Those spreading such rumours are of little intelligence. And those who believe all this, are simply fools.

We saw so many rumours about Saint Martin’s island too. I worked as a consultant for a water resources ministry project in 2004-05. The project was about coastal region planning and it came up with several recommendations  to protect the biodiversity of the coastal region. The government gave its approval. Long before that project, quite a few areas including Saint Martin’s were declared to be endangered zones.

Saint Martin’s is a small island with limited fresh water sources. Unplanned tourism is pushing the island towards destruction. We had recommended controlled tourism at Saint Martin’s. And effort was started up to control tourists, but when Awami League came to power the project was abandoned. Now with the interim government at the helm, considerations are being made about protecting Saint Martin’s island. And Awami Leaguers are spreading the rumour that the island is being handed over to the US. This is cheap propaganda.

In the meantime, Sheikh Hasina who fled to India is saying all sorts of things. Hasina’s spokesperson is her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. No other leader of her party is visible. This proves that Awami League is completely a one-family party. But the party also had a lot of slavish loyalists. A group of opportunist cronies was formed over the years. These people sold their souls to Awami League in exchange of posts, jobs, plots of land or bank loans. It is only natural that the intellectuals, journalists, university teachers, bureaucrats, police and persons in the administration, of the Awami League camp, will not try to muddy the waters.

The reaction to Awami League’s announcement of a gathering was that on 10 November all anti-Awami League forces including BNP, Students against Discrimination and others, took to the streets. They paid attention t the matter. But I feel they over reacted. Awami League’s announcement proved to be a damp squib. We did see a few being beaten up. We have no idea what they were doing there.

Some India media had headlines reading, “Yunus’ men assault Trump supporters.” Since after 5 August, some news media in India have been continuously reporting in favour of Sheikh Hasina and against the Yunus government. Much of this is misinformation. There is a consensus about India’s left, right and centre political parties about keeping Bangladesh in control. India’s political forces want Bangladesh to remain subservient to them. Hasina had been fulfilling this for the past 15 years. She had no love for the country, only love for power. She gave India whatever they wanted. In fact, she even gave them what they hadn’t asked for. Sheikh Hasina’s children live abroad. She used Bangladesh to wield her power and for her underlings to loot and plunder.

What possibility is there of Sheikh Hasina returning to politics? There is some possibility is India becomes aggressive in this regard. We have seen at various times how India grooms some of its agents. At one time they groomed Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Ershad was in power for 10 years. Even after being toppled in a mass uprising, he remained staunch in politics till death. India used Jatiya Party as their buffer. At one time JSD was called India’s “second defence line”, though this was spread by pro-Peking political parties.

The question now is, who will India groom up after Hasina? In recent times we see certain leaders of BNP desperate for the election to be held. BNP had seen a downfall after 1/11. After that, they tried to win India’s favour.

BNP’s top leader Khaleda Zia visited India in 2012. She met with India’s prime minister, president and opposition leaders. BNP tired t convey the message that they no longer nurtured their previous hard-line against India. BNP can be an alternative to Awami League. India would have no problems if they went to power.

Given past experience, there can very well be suspicions of a political game. The debate that looms large at present is, which comes first, reforms or the election? The government says that the commissions that they have formed will submit her reports within three months. Then they will hold dialogue with the political parties. BNP is a big party and is upbeat about the election. They can wait for some time more. Why do they repeat themselves time and again at press briefings and rallies?

What does BNP want? Some within BNP contend that reforms are the task of an elected government. But the thing is, it has been seen that elected governments do not carry out reforms. On one hand the Awami League leaders and activists are talking big from their hiding places. On the other hand, BNP and other political parties are becoming restive. Then again, certain advisors of the government seem to have become a bit inactive. There are apprehensions that the people may grow frustrated. If the people are frustrated, the political waters will become murkier.

* Mohiuddin Ahmad is a writer and researcher

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