Following the fall of autocratic military regime of General Hussain Muhammad Ersad in 1990, the public perception in Bangladesh was, Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina would win the landslide victory in the general election. Public perception and sentiment were so smart that no one could exactly feel the pulse of the people. Right before the election in 1991, during exclusive interview to BBC Bangla journalist Sirazur Rahman and aggrieved Sheikh Hasina in response to a question said; she wants to win the election to take revenge on the betrayer nation which killed her father and members of the family. Sensing the consequence of this comment, BBC decided not to air the interview. But the matter was already leaked by Sirazur Rahman himself. This had put the nation into extreme dilemma. They started rewinding their memory ; and instantly remember Sheikh Hasina, back in 1986, right before a fake election held under the military dictator had publicly declared in a rally - " Those who will join this election under military dictator Ershad will be branded as national betrayer". Hours after this strong statement, at the odd hour of night, it was none but Sheikh Hasina herself who abruptly join the election.
No one dared reminding Sheikh Hasina, she actually had turned into a national betrayer by joining the fake election and by dishonoring her own political sermon. But in reality, such wrong disease are very much prevailing with in most of politicians in the world. They don't believe what they say- they don't say what they believe. Unfortunately Sheikh Hasina had open her mind to the interview with BBC Bangla; which resulted in a catastrophic defeat for Bangladesh Awami League and an unexpected landslide victory for Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP). But one thing became crystal clear- people of Bangladesh do not admire politics of revenge.
Sheikh Hasina too realized a fact, it is not appropriate to be honest with the people. Instead politicians should adopt the art of mockery. Taking lesson from this, right before the general election of 1996, the same Hasina turned into a neo-prophet of peace ; by putting on hijab and seeking apology to the nation for the crime and blunders of her legendary father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
People accepted the apology of Hasina and voted her into power thus honoring her with the leadership of the nation. They believed a repented Sheikh Hasina will never repeat the blunder of her father and the band of crooks surrounding Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. They had the firm belief - Sheikh Hasina will dedicate herself in serving the nation thus attaining the image of a true pro-people leader. They wanted to see a Mahatma Gandhi - a Nelson Mandela - or Abraham Lincoln in Sheikh Hasina. But they didn't even think in their wildest thought - Sheikh Hasina is a politician - not an angel! Yes, Gandhi, Mandela, or Lincoln too were politicians. But, they were free from the disease of revenge and greed. Politicians definitely need the quality of a precise human being. But unfortunately, politics has gone into the wrong hands of mere beasts.
During the entire period of 1996-2001, Sheikh Hasina could not show any magic of a true leader. Instead her actions were just Xerox copies of her father and his rule. People became suffocated with the whimsical, wrong and hot headed governance of the self-styled daughter of democracy.
The people had no room but they choose the bad from worst. They had to vote Khaleda Zia and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) into power. Although people were fully aware of the evil, greedy, and proud tendencies in Khaleda Zia. Being the wife of General Ziaur Rahman, a man who at least enjoys the reputation of being honest (financially - not politically)- she allowed her own brother Major (rtd) Sayeed Eskandar and his band of looters in not only nabbing the wealth of Bangladesh but also in precisely screwing the Armed Forces in particular and the people in general. Eskander had no shame in teaching his own nephew(son of Khaleda Zia) Tarique Rahman, the art of corruption, nepotism, falsehood, looting, swindling of public money, smuggling out tons of cash to abroad - and even womanizing.
But, Khaleda Zia at least have certain degree of decency - just because she is the wife of a General. During her tenure of 1991-1996, Sajeeb Wazed Joy(son of Sheikh Hasina) was caught by the law enforcing agencies when he and his friends, being drunk, drove their car on the road divider after hitting homeless people. No one though died but were critically injured being hit by Joy's car. Most of the BNP men wanted to send Joy into prison. But soon after hearing this news, a decent wife of a General - Khaleda Zia instructed to hand over Joy and his friends to the family members with full respect.
The biggest mistake Khaleda Zia did commit was the voter less fake election in February 1996, which gave tremendous political mileage to her political rivals. But Khaleda Zia didn't take any lesson from the past. She tried to hold another voter less election in 2006, which was confronted by Awami League and its political allies. The confrontational politics led to military intervention. Few senior army officers, including Khaleda Zia's relative Major General Masud Uddin Chowdhury rushed to the Presidential Palace, forced President Iazuddin Ahmed in appointing Fakhruddin Ahmed (a former official from World Bank) as the chief adviser of a military backed interim government.
From the very first hour of their rule, the military backed interim government declared a war against corruption. Dozens of BNP leaders were arrested ; which was followed by arrest of Awami League leaders too. Finally, they also arrested Sheikh Hasina and then Khaleda Zia. This had suddenly turned General Moeen U Ahmed politically ambitious. He wanted to become a political third force. This wrong attitude had also led him to the wrong tactics of revenge and even greed. Moeen brought dozens of politically charged cases against the leaders of BNP and Awami League, while his inner circle got indulge into shameless corruption. Although in January 2007, people of Bangladesh whole heartedly welcomed the military intervention. They quickly turned confuse in drawing a line between this rule and the politicians. Another problem with General Moeen was his extreme romance with India as well as clear indication of the military backed government towards Awami League - at a later stage.
In 2008, Awami League won a landslide victory in the general election and Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister for the second time. But onwards she didn't hesitate in exposedly moving ahead with her agenda of establishing one party rule in one hand and taking full revenge on the nation,political rivals and the Bangladesh Armed Forces. She also, in collaboration with General Moeen had played dubious role where 57 brilliant officers of Bangladesh Armed Forces were brutally murdered inside the HQ of Bangladesh Rifles (Now Border Guard Bangladesh). There were rumours, India actually wanted to take revenge of Padua defeat ; where several members of border security force of India were killed by Bangladesh Rifles during a gun fight(in fact a skirmish). The mighty Bangladesh Armed Forces taught a befitting lesson to Indians - by exhibiting the 'audacity' of greatness. India had no problem in using Sheikh Hasina in taking a 'befitting' revenge on Bangladesh.
This particular incident inside Bangladesh Rifles HQ had given the opportunity to Sheikh Hasina in sending hundreds of army officers into force retirement. Even some of them were charged with criminal cases. India's RAW(spy agency) even invented the ridiculous theory of coup attempt(or attempts) thus enhancing Hasina's opportunities of sacking many more officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
During 2001-2006, Khaleda Zia's government actually went captive into the hands of her corrupt sons Tariqur Rahman and Arafat Rahman ; who established a defacto power house named 'Hawa Bhaban' where from the two sons with the help of their scoundrel friends had established the regime of looting, corruption, nepotism - and what not! Khaleda tried to suffocate her political opponents by using the law enforcing agencies. To legitimize her evil deeds, she shook hands with several militancy groups such as Khatmey Nabuwat Andolon, Harkatol Jihad etc. She even tried to eliminate Sheikh Hasina through a state sponsored grenade attack on 21 August 2005. Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped this assassination bid.
During BNP's rule, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury came under grenade attack in the holy shrine of Shah Jalal in Sylhet. Awami League prominent leader Shah A M S Kibria, Ahsanullah master were amongst the few who were killed by the BNP thugs.
Khaleda Zia convincingly believed, the only tool of pleasing the West was declaring war against Islamist militancy. With this agenda she began offensives on Jamatul Mujahidin(JMB) and other militancy groups. But the Western world didn't get be fooled. They knew, both Khaleda and Hasina are inclined towards Islamist parties and any so-called war against militancy by either of these Bangladeshi leaders are mere eye wash.
Once again, politics of revenge and gain has put Bangladesh into jeopardy. Sheikh Hasina is unwilling in leaving the office even in the distant future. She has been crushing her political rivals through numerous ways and means. No one knows, what fate awaits for unfortunate Bangladesh. India is ready in doing anything in keeping Sheikh Hasina in power.
To Bangladeshi politics, the United States and the West had long become irrelevant. Meanwhile, Rohingya crisis, lack of rule of law and gross violation of human rights, freedom of expression, right to religion are putting increasing burdens on the very existence of democracy in the country. Bangladesh is not Syria - at least, but the situation here is no less complicated than any of the crisis. Politics of revenge and gain has already put the very sovereignty of Bangladesh under cloud. No one can anticipate - what awaits for this nation even tomorrow.
This article also published at:
1.Modern Ghana,Ghana :05July 2018
2.Globoble.com
3.Sunnyfmgh,Ghana
4.Ghana Nation, Ghana
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