Optimism and pessimism in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Indian journalist Subir Roy sees the lanslide victory of Bangladesh Awami League in recently concluded general election as peaceful revolution. Commenting on the election, he said, The just concluded elections in Bangladesh can turn out to be the most significant in its history and carry the potential to have a significant impact well beyond its borders on the entire subcontinent. And what a verdict! In an age when the whole world, not the least the subcontinent, is reeling under the impact of Islamic fundamentalism, a Muslim majority country has of its own volition firmly rejected the religious option the Bangladesh National Party-led group which had among its members the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami by not one seat or two but giving it only 30 out of 299 seats and handing down a chance to the winning Awami League-led group to amend the constitution if it wishes to. The latter fought the elections on two demands roti, [bread] kapda, [clothe] makaan [housing] etc and bringing to book the criminals who had opposed the 1971 war or liberation.
Leading newspaper Indian Express, commenting on the just concluded election in Bangladesh said, The two parties had debased the countrys politics into a Punch-and-Judy show of non-co-operation and vindictive retaliation. The army hoped to purge them, jailing both Sheikh Hasina and Mrs. Zia for a year on corruption charges, along with some of their senior henchmen, and trying in vain to send the two begums into exile. But the parties and their leaders proved to have stubborn roots, and the army had to relent. The begums were freed and Bangladeshi politics has resumed its five-yearly anti-incumbency cycle.
Anyway, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already selected her cabinet colleagues and for the first time included number of new faces in important portfolios including female MPs in the foreign and home ministries.
Eminent Awami League leader Advocate Sahara Khatun has become Bangladeshs first female home minister. In political arena, Sahara, who is still single, is known as a very tough individual. But, of course, there is a big question if she will finally be able to keep neutrality in delivering her responsibility as the home minister will be under tremendous pressure in dropping all the charges [corruption, terrorism etc] which were brought against Awami League activists as well as members of the Grand Alliance. She will even have pressure from Jatiyo Party in dropping all charges against former military dictator Hussain Muhammed Ershad as well as many of the most corrupt Jatiyo Party men.
Physician and lawyer Dr. Dipu Moni has become the foreign minister in Bangladesh, which is also the first ever appointment of any female politician in such extremely important portfolio. Very young in age as well virtually naïve in international politics, Dr. Dipu although is known to be a very tough individual as party activist on streets, how she will manage the extremely crucial responsibility as the foreign minister is again a big question. It is widely rumored in Bangladesh that Sheikh Hasina has intentionally chosen Dr. Dipu as the foreign minister first of all to create a huge stunt as she is the first ever female foreign minister in Asia, while the Prime Minister wanted to reward Dipu Moni for her tremendous contribution towards the party as well unconditional loyalty towards Sheikh Hasina.
Most importantly, all the faces in the cabinet are certainly against the theme of political reform and they are rather supportive of continuation of dynastic politics in Bangladesh. And, of course, most of the people in the cabinet are with clean image, except a very few such as Enamul Huq Mustafa Shahid [Social Welfare Minister], Engineer Mosharraf Hussain [Expatriate Ministry] and Syed Abul Hossain [Ministry of Communication]. It may be mentioned here that, Syed Hussain was dropped from the Awami League cabinet during partys 1996-2001 term, due to massive controversy and corruption.
Let us have some glimpse over the black spots on the mentioned three important members in the present cabinet:
Enamul Huq Mustafa Shahid:
Known as a brief less lawyer, is rather known to be a political tout, whose main profession is lobbying in favor of fishermen community in Sylhet division. Although many would argue that Mustafa Shahid won elections in six consecutive parliaments, they fail to realize a fact that, almost sixty per cent of the voters in his constituency are tea garden workers, who are from religious minority group and they blindly vote for Awami Leagues symbol instead of considering the man.
Enamul Huq Mustafa Shahid has cheated a number of his clients in past while it is even learnt that his main profession was collecting bribe using names of ministers and other officials belonging to land ministry since independence of the country. Although he is a lawyer by profession, he was never seen in either lower or higher courts in Bangladesh while his main ground of activities had always been Bangladesh Secretariat, for obvious reason.
Sheikh Hasina has surely selected a very wrong person, or at least has created opportunity for a confirm tout in the ministry for reason unknown.
Engineer Musharraf Hussain:
He is known as a member of Peace Committee, which was formed during the war of liberation of Bangladesh to collaborate with Pakistani occupation forces. Engineer Musharraf will surely be in the list of those anti liberation figures as well as a war criminal if Bangladesh will start trying the war criminals. But, Sheikh Hasina has included this man in her cabinet, which continues to utter slogans against war criminals, just because, Engineer Musharrafs son married Sheikh Hasinas daughter Saima Wajed Putul.
By including a known war criminal like Engineer Musharraf Hussain, surely the present government has hurt the anti war criminal sentiment of millions of people in Bangladesh.
Syed Abul Hussain:
He faces several corruption charges and was even dropped by Sheikh Hasina during 1996-2001 tenure on several serious charges. But, this time again, this unclean man is in the cabinet and even is rewarded a much important portfolio for reason unknown. Some critics are already saying that reason behind placing Syed Abul Hussain in the Communication Ministry is to ensure smooth collection of party fund from various large projects during the next five year tenure of the present government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed her charisma by dropping all the heavy weight leaders, for their either involvement in corruption or for their secret affiliation with the military controlled interim government, but, it is a big question as to why she could not ignore a most controversial man like Engineer Musharaaf Hussain or Syed Abul Hussain.
People of Bangladesh are really seeing big hope under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and truly want to see a prosperous country in short span of time. They have given massive mandate to Bangladesh Awami League and the Grand Alliance just because, they [the people] were totally frustrated with limitless corruption and nepotism of BNP led Islamist coalition and senseless military controlled interim government.
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