During the rule of Awami League, there was a line of poetry that became very popular. Asad Chowdhury wrote, "Tomader ja bolar chhilo/ boche ki ta Bangladesh?" In other words, "Bangladesh, have you said what needs to have been said?"
The poem had been about the martyrs of 1971. Awami League had failed to keep its commitment to the martyrs. They cried themselves hoarse about the spirit of the liberation war, but did quite the opposite. They went as far as to even filch the gold of the medals to be awarded to the foreign friends who aided in the liberation war. Awami League is not in power now, not is it in politics. But the 'Awami trend' remains all over in the state and in the administration. Allegations of corruption have arisen against two individuals who have been removed from their positions as PS and APS of two advisors. Even a central leader of National Citizen Party has been suspended on allegations of corruption.
There is a flurry of accusations and counter accusation over who has more clout and authority in the public administration. After a meeting with two assistant US secretaries of state, NCP convener Nahid Islam said that in many areas the administration was working in favour of BNP and so it would not be possible to hold an election under this administration. BNP, on the other hand, says that those of anti-discrimination ilk dominate in the administration.
Speaking on Thursday at a memorial for former attorney general AJ Mohammad Alo, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that 90 per cent of the secretariat was accomplices of the fascists. They were running the country now.
Ruling Awami League had kept everything in their control for 15 years. From professional bodies to the courts, from the educational institutions to the field level administration, from transport to government resources, everything was in their grips. Are those places vacant now that Awami league leaders and activists have fled? Not at all. A few lawyers came from a district town up north recently, to speak of their woes.
Under the prevailing political circumstances of unrest and disorder, BNP has taken up this drive in order to gather 10 million honest men. This is a good initiative. But it is not an easy task
When Awami League was in power, they were accused of being BNP-Jamaat men and were harassed in all sorts of ways. Now that the power equation has changed, BNP lawyers are controlling everything and others are being termed as accomplices of the autocrats. Many leaders of the bar council are in hiding. Given such circumstances, the common lawyers have demanded an election, but the lawyers of the BNP camp do not agree. They want national elections as soon as possible, but not elections of the professional body because they have grown unpopular there.
Awami League had so long been BNP's opponent. In Awami League's absence there is no one as such to oppose BNP. The chief advisor has urged for a second round of talks with the political parties. But in the first round of talks the various political parties could not reach a consensus on the matter of fundamental reforms. It is hardly likely that they will be able to do so any time in the near future.
At a gathering on 2 May, NCP leaders announced that there could be no elections in the country unless Awami League was tried and reforms were completed. They are continuing their movement demanding a ban on Awami League
The BNP secretary general on Thursday said, "Reforms are a continuous process. This can take five to ten years. Does that mean there will be no election for ten years?" This BNP leader has also been criticising the new list of reforms cropping up every day.
Speaking about the government's Rakhine policy, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Do not do anything that goes against the interests of the nation. You are doing many things that remain unknown to the nation. No one was consulted. You must discuss the matter of providing a passage. We will not block it, if necessary we will come forward. But if you put a pundit in place and imagine you can get away with any decision, that will never be possible."
BNP says that the government is unable to resolve the prevailing problems of the country. There are no tangible steps regarding the economy. Law and order is spiralling out of control. The India-Pakistan war is impacting our economy too. India is carrying out a push-in move at the borders.
It is not clear when the election will be held.
The government has kept the date hanging like a pendulum -- maybe December this year, maybe June next year. Even if June is taken as the time of the election, that means there are 13 months left. And what reforms has the government carried out so far, remains a question. There is no obstacle to carry out reforms that are not related to the election or the constitution, but there are hardly any visible initiatives. Does that mean the government's initiatives will remain restricted to forming commission and recommendations?
Keeping the election in sight, BNP is taking up a drive to collect 10 million members. The drive will be carried out from 15 May to 15 July. Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, BNP's senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "We are thinking about fresh faces (those new to politics) -- they can be retired persons, teachers, government officials and bankers, NGO workers, farmers or workers, those who believe in our ideology."
As to whether persons from other parties or from Awami League, can join or not, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "Say for instance, if there is someone who has not been in politics for long, or who had been with Awami League at one point of time but moved away due to the misrule, brutality, looting, money laundering and so on, why can they not join?"
When this video of Rizvi's statement made the rounds and was criticised, the party offered an explanation.
In Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's words, BNP will select members from absolutely fresh faces who have a good reputation in society, who are known to be good persons.
Under the prevailing political circumstances of unrest and disorder, BNP has taken up this drive in order to gather 10 million honest men. This is a good initiative. But it is not an easy task. The reputable persons of integrity that Rizvi and his party are seeking may not be rare in society, but the question is whether they will join politics. The people they want to draw into the party are persons who generally avoid politics.
Many had imagined that politics would undergo a qualitative change with the 2024 uprising. People would join politics in throngs. But in the past nine months there has been no sign of any qualitative change in politics. Even the students and youth, who had heralded a new political settlement, are unable to show anything new. They are going down the path of their predecessors.
The second question is even more vital. Before taking in honest people into their fold, is BNP ready to get rid of the extortionists and corrupt elements from their party?
* 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