|| DR. B. M. SHAHIDUL ISLAM ||

"Having multiple political parties is an essential prerequisite for introducing and continuing a democratic state system. Like-minded citizens of the state can unite through political parties. They can gather on a separate platform. It is essential to have a political party to bring an ideology or principle to the forefront, to publish an action plan for running the state or government, and to form a future government. Without a party, neither the beginning nor development of democracy is possible, but rather the path to fascism, dictatorship, and autocracy opens up. It can be said that party system and democracy go hand in hand. Efforts to practice democracy have been going on in Bangladesh for several decades. But democracy has repeatedly stumbled. The party system developed in this region in the first half of the 20th century. This shows that the people have a long-standing interest and enthusiasm for democracy."

Accordingly, although a multidimensional social consciousness has already been developed, it is often not reflected in the national leadership. That is why democracy has not been able to move forward on a smooth path. Democracy has repeatedly faced obstacles and setbacks. The worst example of this is the formation of Baksal and the overthrow of the multi-party political system immediately after independence. Since then, a lot of water has flowed through the Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Shitalakshya, and Gomti. But the countrymen know very well how much progress democracy has made. During the regime immediately after independence, democracy was ended on January 25, 1975, and a one-party Baksal began. Then, in the political earthquake, the nation turned to democracy with new enthusiasm on the ruins of Baksal. After that, although the multi-party system developed, in practice, the two-party system in the country has become visible before the people. For more than three and a half decades, the Awami League and the BNP have alternately held power in the state. The Awami League claims itself as the bearer of the spirit of the Liberation War and the proponent of secularism. Meanwhile, the BNP presents itself as the proponent of multi-party democracy and Bangladeshi nationalism. In the eyes of the people of Bangladesh, the Awami League is a secular party backed by India. During the past 16 years of rule, the fallen Sheikh Hasina understood nothing but pro-India sentiment, which was rewarded by the people`s movement on August 5, 2024, when she was unable to survive in the country and had to take refuge in the Indian government.

On the other hand, BNP likes to present itself to the people as a moderate nationalist party. BNP`s founder, martyred President Ziaur Rahman, believed in religious values. Most people like Zia on the basis of honesty. Nothing was found in his suitcase except a torn shirt after Zia`s assassination. On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina embezzled many things, including 14 suitcases filled with money, during her escape. BNP has become known as an anti-India party. In fact, the nation was divided into two separate camps centered around these two parties, Awami League and BNP. In particular, it has been deeply observed in the past three and a half decades that the two parties, BNP and Awami League, have become the two main opponents of the country. Two-party political systems exist in many other countries. But there is no situation like our country anywhere in the world. The two-party system has been prevalent in the United States for almost two centuries. But there is no sign of any such revenge or considering each other as enemies between the leaders of both parties in that country. No matter which party comes to power, they all work together continuously to build the country.

In 2013, BNP organized a peaceful workers` rally in front of its central office. Many men and women, including the party`s central leaders and supporters from various levels, gathered there. It turned out that at the end of the rally, when the party`s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was delivering his closing speech, a few cocktails suddenly exploded from the opposite side of the rally. Within a moment, panic spread everywhere. There was a rush and running. The rally was then abandoned. Almost everyone knows what happened next. The police force, who were stationed not far away, attacked the fleeing people, and water cannons were also used as assault weapons. At the same time, reckless shooting took place. Several front-line leaders were injured. The terrified leaders left the rally and took shelter in the central office. The police did not stop here. The police immediately entered the BNP office in a panic. In the name of search, the office was extensively vandalized. Various valuable furniture and belongings in the office were destroyed. At one point, the police, in great anger, smashed the door of the Secretary General`s room with a hammer. The party chairperson`s room was also vandalized, although he was not present there. The police engaged in verbal altercations with the top leaders of the BNP who were in these rooms and behaved indecently. They were forcibly taken out of the office. Then, more than 150 BNP leaders and activists were pushed and taken to 6 prison vans brought from the east. Without any protest, objection or answer to any questions, the police officers present arrested everyone and left the place without showing any arrest warrant. At that time, the BNP alleged that the police not only ransacked the office, but also took away valuable computers, laptops, suitcases filled with millions of rupees, various party records kept for years, and other important documents. In a word, the police committed atrocities in the office. Such heinous actions by the police, looting, vandalism and mass arrests of leaders, disrespectful and humiliating behavior cannot be imagined in any civilized society. This is unbelievable in any democratic state system. This can only be possible in a great dictatorial and terrible fascist regime. If there is even a little respect for democracy, it is not possible for any responsible government to commit such undemocratic behavior. However, Sheikh Hasina`s fascist government has openly approved such police brutality and burst into laughter. By carrying out naked attacks on the BNP central office at various times, the Awami League government has on the one hand strengthened its political bankruptcy, and on the other hand, revealed its undemocratic fascist character. It has exposed its desire to hide political failures and cling to power. These incidents have created great anger among the people of the country. A storm of condemnation has arisen at home and abroad.

The hellish violence and massacre that Hasina`s police force carried out at the Hefazat rally at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013, shocked the whole world. The bloody Shapla Chattar still reminds the nation of the horrific murders. The people of the country know that Sheikh Hasina`s government had no respect for democracy, nor did it have the slightest respect for the opposition parties. The basket of disrespect has been thrown at scholars again and again. Incidents like disrespectful behavior and murder against journalists have not been rare. Teachers have been pushed into humiliating situations. There was no shortage of their indifference towards human rights. Looking at the behavior of the then Awami League rulers, it seems that they not only wanted to wipe out the opposition party, but also wanted widespread anarchy, violence, and chaos to be created in the country. They wanted a bloody conflict to spread to all levels of society. They wanted the anarchy that would be created in the country to inevitably lead to the emergence of a third force in the country. Even if the Awami League escapes from the scene of power by shedding the burden of misrule, it should not have any problems. They thought that this would hide all their misdeeds. Their escape has become a reality. Sheikh Hasina left power on August 5, 2024, under pressure from the people, leaving the party leaders and activists in the dark and fleeing to India. From there, she continues to conspire against the country.

In the past 16 years, the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina-led grand coalition government has carried out looting, extortion, factionalism, corruption and occupation, destroyed the country`s economy, oppressed the media, established a reign of terror, murder, disappearances and a house of mirrors across the country. It has isolated the nation from the world community and submitted it to the feet of a particular country and community. Above all, it has written a new Mahabharata of endless corruption. In this, they have understood that it is impossible for them to return to power anew, let alone return to the political arena. After the July Revolution, the people of Bangladesh do not want the Awami League to enter the political arena anew. Given the way people were killed in the 2024 mass uprising, the trial of Sheikh Hasina for crimes against humanity is inevitable and has already begun. The people want a trial for genocide, not the rehabilitation of Sheikh Hasina. The Awami League wanted to reclaim power by emptying the political arena through imprisonment, torture, murder, disappearance, arrest, execution, etc., and holding a rigged election in an empty field without an opposition party. In addition, it wanted to prolong its power by creating anarchy across the country with the police, Rapid Action Battalion, and party workers and cadres. But that was not possible.

Democracy means developing politics through compromise, tolerance and coexistence. The culture of conflict, revenge or overthrow is contrary to the democratic concept. The entire period of Awami League`s rule has consciously progressed along the path of conflict. Democratic culture is tolerating opponents, listening to them, creating opportunities for them to oppose, not resisting. But in the past 16 years, all sorts of evil tactics have been practiced to resist the opposition and eliminate opponents from the political arena. That evil attempt took a bloody form until August 5, 2024. The nation was continuously pushed from the open field of democracy to the dark jungle. There was no limit to the panic and anxiety in society. The nation was becoming divided. The ruling class resisted political opponents with weapons. Political casualties occurred day after day. We must remember that there can be fierce competition in democracy, but not revenge and hostility. The fascist Awami League government has repeatedly created divisions among various groups of society, including scholars, politicians, professionals, students, etc. It has always shown favor in creating a kind of anarchic situation by inciting conflict and hostility. By doing this, Sheikh Hasina has quietly fled with her party after being in power for a long time, causing the untimely death of democracy. In political upheaval, the Prime Minister of a democratic state must be the Prime Minister of the people. She will not be the Prime Minister of her own political party. But the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was the Prime Minister of a political party. People outside her own party were insignificant to her. She always considered the general public of the country worthless. Therefore, she repeatedly ordered the formation of `anti-terrorism` committees in the villages, neighborhoods, and finally divided the nation. She made the people face to face by asking them to prepare a list of the names of all opponents, including BNP-Jamaat. Through this incident, she indirectly hinted at a civil war.

Just as Mussolini, in his desire for sole leadership, had turned the entire nation and his party into a violent and terrible mobocracy by inciting wrong emotions, similarly, at the behest of Sheikh Hasina, a mass awakening platform was set up in the name of youth and terrible slogans like `I want hanging`, `Jabai kar` etc. were raised, making the nation, especially the younger generation, agitated with unbridled emotions. Ridiculously, tender school children were dragged into the violent pranks of the elders. The minds of the young and inexperienced were heated with greed. They will grow up as a sick and mentally disturbed generation, the consequences of which will be terrible. Using this young generation, the Awami League indulged in the ugly game of retaining the throne of power. The Awami League was not so stingy in destroying the nation for power and selling the country to India. Its entire period bears evidence of this truth.

Author: Political Analist, Academic, Researcher and columnist. Chairman: Zamzam Education & Research Foundation, Dhaka.