Why this character assassination of Khaleda and Zaima?

There is a matter of manners. Everyone needs to maintain a certain degree of propriety for the sake of social harmony. And persons in responsible positions of the state and government must be particularly careful in this regard. A video of state minister for information Murad Hasan has gone viral on social media, where he has made blatantly indecent remarks.

He is already known for making offensive remarks in the past. In this recent video he has violated all sense of basic decency in the vulgar manner that he has spoken about Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman. Anyone who has heard the filth that was emitted from this state minister, has been shocked. They have been even more shocked at the instigative behaviour of the programme's presenter Nahid. The behaviour of both Murad Hasan and Nahid is unwarranted, unexpected and unacceptable.

There will always be conflict in politics. There will be ideological friction. This has existed in our country in the past too. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Maulana Bhashani, Suhrawardy, Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq had extreme political differences with Muslim League's Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, Nurul Amin, Sabur Khan and others. But that didn't mean they spread petty personal defamatory remarks about them or their families or make tasteless comments.

The remarks made by the state minister for information has crossed all limits of basic manners and decency. His comments are misogynistic and racial. He directly made crude remarks about two women. He even made racial slurs against African people. And only recently he has been calling for state religion to be abolished.

State minister Hasan Murad was not the only one who displayed this misogynistic and racial mindset. The presenter of the programme must share equal blame. Rather than stopping the state minister from making such objectionable statements, he encouraged him further.

It cannot be possible for any sane, normal pro-liberation war entity to make such remarks about Khaleda Zia. When Ziaur Rahman was fighting in the war of independence, Khaleda Zia and her two children were in custody of the Pakistanis. As forces in support of the liberation war, they should regard Khaleda's Zia's detention with honour and respect. But Murad Hasan's vulgar remarks are contrary to the spirit of the liberation war.

Khaleda Zia has long been in politics. She is the first woman prime minister of the country. The people have voted her in to power more than once. She is at the fore among the politicians who have established women's rights in the country. It was during her rule that free education for girls was introduced. She never compromised in the struggle to establish democracy and to oust autocracy. Yet Murad Hasan not only made derogatory comments, but also spawned political hatred against Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda Zia's granddaughter Zaima Rahman was not spared from Murad Hasan's vitriol. Zaima lives overseas with her father Tarique Rahman. Not much is known about her and she doesn't come into public attention. She is still not involved in politics nor does she take part in any political programmes. Of course, as the offspring of a political family, there is all possibility of her joining politics in the future. She still is not inducted into politics, yet she has already become a victim of political vengeance.

Despite all this, the state minister for information went out of his way to make tasteless remarks about Zaima, who is young enough to be his daughter. Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman are active in politics. There are all sorts of criticism and debate about them. If they commit any crime, there is a legal process to try them. The people will evaluate their performance. But dragging Zaima into the scene is incomprehensible. However, certain possible reasons behind this sudden volley of vulgarity against Khaleda Zia and Zaima can be conjectured.

Firstly, over the past few weeks there has been various discussions about Khaleda Zia's health. She is not at all well. BNP has said that she is suffering from liver cirrhosis. BNP has complained that she may have been subject to slow poisoning while in prison. Some say she had intentionally been given overdoses of arthritis drugs in order to harm her liver, resulting in cirrhosis.

Ruling party general secretary Obaidul Quader responded to BNP's contentions by saying, Khaleda Zia was now in the care of her party and her family. They should know better about the cause of her condition.

Amid such allegations and counter allegations, Murad Hasan came up with his crude comments. Perhaps the motive was to divert attention away from Khaleda Zia's health. Everyone will be so busy with Murad Hasan's words that the issue of Khaleda Zia's treatment will fade into the background. Yet the health condition of Khaleda is steadily deteriorating.

According to media reports, Khaleda Zia's health is in a precarious state. She has long been suffering from all sorts of health complications. As she grows advanced in years, her ailments worsen. So long, BNP hadn't been saying anything clearly either. But BNP and her family have repeatedly been insisting that she be allowed to go abroad for treatment. The government failed to respond. It seems more than apparent that Khaleda Zia is being made a victim of political vengeance.

Our country's dynastic politics is another factor. In neither of the major two political parties of the country are leaders selected democratically. Dynastic succession is given priority. That is why after Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, Zaima Rahman may come to the helm of BNP. In fact, many people are advising BNP to induct Zaima into politics in order to emerge out from the prevailing situation. Perhaps, sensing this, Awami League is targeting Zaima Rahman in advance.

Awami League has been more or less successful in its smear campaigns against BNP leaders. They want to apply this strategy in the case of Zaima Rahman. Interestingly, the Awami League leaders don't make these comments simultaneously. Different leaders at different points of time come up with their narratives. They stigmatise BNP leaders at various times. Needless to say, BNP leaders have never been able to respond to such propaganda. Even if they have the scope to respond, they do not have the shrewdness or their strength.

Many people thus believe there are motives behind Murad Hasan's spreading these aspersions in public. Firstly, to divert attention away from Khaleda Zia's treatment. Secondly, to generate a negative image of BNP's future political leadership. Protest against such disgusting remarks should come from Awami League and from women groups or else this will set a precedent. Awami League will be considered as a haven of hatemongers.

We will have to wait to see the future predicament of Khaleda Zia and Zaima Rahman, victims of hatred and vengeance. If Zaima Rahman eventually stays away from politics and Khaleda Zia passes away in this manner, then it will not be unreasonable to say that the two of them have been victims of propaganda and persecution.

* Dr Maruf Mullick is a political analyst.

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