How complex has politics become in 100 days?

It’s been 100 days since the interim government was installed and now discussions and debates centre on its successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses. The focus is mainly on the prices of commodities, law and order, inertia in the administration, the state of the economy and the performance of the advisors.

This is a non-political government in the sense that it does not represent any political party. But the basic force behind this government resulting from a mass uprising is political, comprising those who acted as organisers, coordinators and supporters.

While there is a flurry of discussions on the 100 days of the government, what’s up in the political arena? The flame of hope and possibilities of new politics that was ignited by the mass uprising, has somewhat dimmed in the political arena. Things are getting murky. There is a steady emergence of disunity, suspicion, mistrust and confusion.

Who are in the political arena? There is the Students against Discrimination Movement who led the mass uprising and their associate bodies. They are new in the political field, but wield the most influence. It is still not clear what they want to do politically, how far they want to go.

Then there is BNP, anticipating ascension to power with the exit of Awami League. They are a big party that has struggled for 16 years against Awami League’s rule, facing all sorts of suppression and repression.

There is Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic parties, right wing parties, leftist parties and centrist parties. They were all cognizant forces during the mass uprising and all have faces Awami League’s repression in varying degrees.

It is only natural for the fallen political party Awami League not to be visible in this field. But that does not mean that they are not involved in anything clandestine or will be involved in such behind-the-scene moves in the coming days. They have the financial clout, having filched billions of taka from the country.

Other than that, there is the civil society, intellectuals and thinkers. They remain present in the political field by means of meetings, seminars, webinars, Facebook and YouTube.

What are these elements now doing or thinking in politics? It is clear that the forces in favour of the mass uprising have differences on various issues, and some also have a lack of trust in each other. Some political parties have started touting the ‘conspiracy’ word. Some even say that there is a move to hand over the country or the nation back to the hands of the fascists. It is said that there is a conspiracy to foil the interim government. Generally speaking, the fallen autocrat is being seen as the conspirator. The political parties are none too pleased over Sheikh Hasina taking shelter in India, carrying out various activities from there and they are also not pleased about India failing to accept the changes in Bangladesh.

Certain political parties are concerned, uncertain and apprehensive about the term of the interim government, any new 1/11 type conspiracy, the theory involving a minus of certain political leaders and so on. And in this situation, demands are being voiced for elections to be held soon. BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed the party’s dismay that Dr Yunus presented no roadmap for the election in his address on the occasion of the government’s 100 days at the helm.

There is a burning curiousity in the political arena as to what are the aspirations of the student community that led the mass uprising. They have representatives in the government, and then again, they have started the process of forming a political party. There is the question also of whether they want to extend the term of government or not.

It is only natural that the students will want to proceed ahead towards the election only after the reforms initiated by the present government are fully implemented. After all, in the past the political parties did not adhere to their commitments once they ascended to power, despite the political understanding that had been reached.

Representative of the students in the interim government and information advisor Nahid Islam said that this was not a caretaker government tasked only with holding elections. Various commissions had been formed for institutional reforms and the election would take place only after the reforms were carried out. This stance does not quite tally with the stance of BNP and certain political parties. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on the very same day, “The students will want to change certain things, we know just how much they can change.” He feels half the problem will be solved if the election is held.

The students and BNP differ not just over the election issue but also over the removal of the president or the banning of Awami League. Also, there are questions about the unity among the students. Differences in views, ways and thoughts are emerging among the students over various issues. Students who remain outside of the government are voicing their opposition to several measures being taken by the government.

Students have strongly criticised the recent selection of advisors. The people are wondering who made the recommendations for these advisors. Do the students have a role there? If the advisory council takes the decisions together, then there is representation of the students. If so, then why would the students have objection to the new advisors? Are there any problems in coordination among the students? Who gives political advice to the students? Are there people from various schools of thought and views?

Awami League has no visible activities in the country’s political arena at present. The manner in which the people shoved them out following the party’s autocratic rule, snatching away the right to vote, carrying out enforced disappearances, killings, boundless corruption and humiliating the people in so many ways, many people had thoughr that now finally they may come to their senses. They felt perhaps the party leaders and activists would have a sense of remorse and think anew about the party. But there are no such signs. It does not seem that the party will try to return in a regular manner. They may opt for a disruption in politics. If that is so, then the political arena will become fraught with danger.

Outside of the political parties, many intellectuals are heard to be saying that the student-mass uprising has failed, has been defeated. It is apparent that their expectations have not been met. What they wanted hasn’t transpired. They do not see it transpiring any time soon either. Then again, many do not want to relinquish hope, they are churning out all sorts of formulas to start anew.

Then there are those among the intellectual and civil society groups who have been dismayed from the very outset. They do not or cannot enunciate their support for the fallen autocrats, but simply wait for the interim government to fail. They wait with bated breath for the people to say that we were better off before.

There is another group that make YouTube videos and talk on these platforms. They spew out all sorts of rhetoric to instigate the people. They create content to this end. They have some political objective or the other, or work on behalf of certain political quarters. But it is not clear what political force or quarter this is. It can be quite confusing at times. This has an impact on the government, the government’s associate forces as well as the political and social arena. The people within the government are reportedly cautious about what these people have to say or can say.

It is clear that all is not well in the political arena. As I said before, the light is dimming. The waters are growing murky. The fallen political force may snatch up this opportunity. When the waters become murky in politics, then many other secret forces become active too. Murky waters are the best for them to catch fish.

Are the student forces that led the mass uprising and the political parties that supported it, aware of the dangers? Do they realise how vital it is to have unity and understanding among themselves in such a situation?                       

* AKM Zakaria is deputy editor of Prothom Alo and can be reached at akmzakaria@gmail.com

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