Maj Gen (Rtd) Mohammad Ali Shikder, Security and Political Analyst :
With the approach of national election, many known and unknown people gear themselves up for election-centric vote and coalition in Bangladesh. The country’s people are enjoying it as a joke and in a state of confusion at the way the country’s two renowned personalities (Dr Kamal Hossain and Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury) are running frantically.
This is because the two veteran persons have been into politics for quite a long time. People know them very well as they have moved from pillar to post. If we analyze their roles for the country’s politics, state policies and public welfare, it is not easy to solve mystery of their current activities.
Both of them are claiming this time they will restore democracy. A proverb goes in Bangla that ‘a tree is known by its fruits’. So if people analyse their previous track records of the two renowned persons, they will be able to know what fruits they have offered throughout their life.
Take the case of B Chowdhury for instance. He was one of the aides of Ziaur Rahman, the first military dictator of Bangladesh. B Chowdhury was his close associate when Zia stripped ’72 Constitution of the secularism and thus buried democracy. Not only that, Zia deleted all contents of the Liberations War from ’72 Constitution through military order. B Chowdhury was complicit in all the misdeeds of Zia.
He became Secretary General of BNP in 1978 when top Rajakar (collaborator) Shah Azizur Rahman was made Prime Minister of Zia government. War criminals Abdul Alim and Mawlana Abdul Mannan also became ministers at that time.
B Chowdhury was made President of Bangladesh during 2001-06 period when two identified war criminals Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mujahid became ministers. He floated a new political platform Bikalpa Dhara immediately after he was expelled from BNP in a disgraceful manner. People know it very well how much his party could build relations with people in the last 12 years. There are 64 districts and 485 upazilas in the country and the committees of his political party can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Given his political track record and capacity of his political party, when he announces to become President of the country after winning election, then either it sends out a wrong message to the people or it seems ridiculous.
The track record of Dr Kamal Hossain and his party’s organizational capacity is much more awful. He often raises questions over the internal democratic practices of the other major political parties. Now one may ask him about the democratic practice in his own party. Because, he has been holding the topmost post of his party for a long time. Bangabandhu had a deep affection for him and he become widely known for the generous affection.
However, his activities were shrouded in mystery after the assassination of Bangabandhu. He was never seen among the people during that critical moment. Therefore, the two persons in question are isolated from the people. However, suspicions grow when these two persons say that they will be voted to power. Because, a burnt child always dreads the fire.
Many conspiracies were hatched with Bangladesh after 1975. The country’s politics got vitiated due to the conspiracy. Fanatic and extremist forces raised their ugly heads and Bangladesh lagged behind. That is why; the country’s people do not want to see any conspiracy any longer.
Translated by Hossen sohel