Banglar Bir
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Friends and foes of Awami League
Do you know the friends and foes of Awami League? Let’s get a bit precise, does Awami League itself know its friends and foes?
The question came across my mind after going through the front page of the Daily Prothom Alo on May 27. The whole page was replete with different reports and reactions about the removal of the statue of Lady Justice from in front of the country’s apex court.
One of the news read, Hefazat-e Islam Secretary General Junaid Babunagari expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from removing the idol from Supreme Court’s premises and claimed it as their victory.
After reading this statement of Babunagari, the man who dreamt of becoming the prime minister on the night of May 5, 2013, one might assume that Hasina could barely have a better friend than him.
Others who thanked the prime minister in this regard except for Babunagari are Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote Joint Secretary General Faizullah, Convener of Hefajat’s Dhaka city unit Nur Hossain Kashemi, Vice President of Hefajat’s Dhaka city unit Abdur Rob Yousufi and Bangladesh Khelafat Anodolan Dhaka city unit President Mufti Redwanul Bari Siraji.
Let’s look at another report where 10 prominent citizens, in a statement, called the removal as a naked subservience of the government to the religious fanatics. Before getting into the statement, let’s have a look on the names – Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Professor Anisuzzaman, Hasan Azizul Haque, Sanjida Khatun, Syed Hasan Imam, Ramendu Mazumdar, Panna Kayser, Mamunur Rashid, Mafidul Haque and Nasiruddin Yousuf Bacchu.
The statement read: “We are deeply upset at the removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court premises and expressing our grievances and hatred over such actions. With this incident, the Awami League-led government virtually bowed down to the religious fundamentalists.”
Apart from the joint statement, the Prothom Alo featured some other reactions from the intellectual portion of the society. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon termed it as “Shameless Surrender”. Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said “Not a Good Sign”. Rasheda K Chowdhury said “Attack on Secularism”.
According to another report, police charged batons and fired tear shells on the agitating people and arrested some of the senior leaders of different progressive student organisations.
Earlier, two ministers of the cabinet Asaduzzaman Nur and Hasanul Haque Inu expressed strong reservations about this move.
I started getting confused after going through the reports. Who is the friend of Awami League – Babunagari or Gaffar Chowdhury? Who is the enemy of Awami League – Panna Kayser? Who is the well-wisher of Awami League – Rashed Khan Menon or Nur Hossain Kashemi?
Well if you and I can identify the friends and enemies, why should not an age-old political party like Awami Leaguebe able to do that? Many senior Awami leaders are embarrassed at the government’s détente with the Hefazat-e Islam. They can neither support the decision nor can they raise their voice against it.
Many Awami leaders have been making off-the-record comments against the decision but nobody is speaking out aloud in front of camera. But not everyone is taking such convenient position.
Awami League’s hardcore supporter and child of a martyr freedom fighter Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury wrote on a Facebook post: “Don’t perceive this stumble as our downfall. A child learns to walk after a thousand falls. Non-communalism is a humanitarian conscience of unique stature. It appears the nation has a long way to go to reach that height. It is clear that we have to stumble more times in the future but don’t think that this country will never be able to reach that height. It was a promise made by the father of our nation. The country had found that height at the expense of the blood of three million people. Whatever path you (Bangladesh) may follow, you have to reach that height and keep the promise of your father. This is a bloody oath”.
People’s Perspective Specialist of Access to Information (a2i) programme head and another staunch supporter of Awami League Naimuzzaman Mukta wrote on his Facebook account: “I myself am a political activist and want to participate in the election. But I don’t want to be elected by the vote of those people who don’t trust my conscience. And if the nomination board rejects me for this point of view, I don’t need the nomination”.
Many of the AL leaders may not have such courage like Nuzhat and Mukta to speak out, but they were seriously disheartened by this moral compromise of their party. Awami League was the party that led the liberation war of Bangladesh and the inner voice of that war was non-communalism. Awami League still represents the progressive non-communal section of Bangladesh. It is very depressing for the masses when Awami League compromises with someone who espouses a completely different ideology.
How far Awami League can go to secure its vote bank, this equation will never be solved. Babunagari is not meant to be on AL’s side. Rather, the people who are making harsh remarks and being beaten by police will eventually be on their side. Awami league itself also know that the progressive section, how much demotivated they might get, will never vote against them. And this is Awami League’s ideological blackmail. But what AL is yet to understand is that they might lose the vote of Islamist groups like Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, along with the progressive section, if it continues its alignment with Hefazat. Addition will be lesser than the subtraction.
The politics after the removal of the statue is very interesting. All the parties including BNP, Jamaat and Jatiya Party have been admiring the initiative. Just a few people with good sense have been shouting against the profane alliance of the political parties.
Most interestingly, BNP and Awami League have been talking in a similar tone regarding this issue. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the removal was not a decision made by the government, rather it was Chief Justice’s decision. His intention is clear. Hefazat has been calmed down by removing the statue. Now, he has been pointing finger at the Chief Justice as a scapegoat to avert responsibility.
On the other hand, BNP leader Moudud also stressed that the removal of the statue was a mere decision of the Chief Justice. His intention is also clear. He doesn’t want to credit Awami League for this initiative and lose his Islamic vote bank. Both of them have been trying to fire their gun from someone else’s shoulder. Interestingly, the Supreme Court made no comment on this issue.
Many among us perceived it as a victory of Islam. But one thing needs to be made clear that Islam has nothing to do with sculpture, as it is nothing but a mere artwork. Sculpture is one of the ancient forms of art that still prevails in the most parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia. Islam is a religion aged 1400 years, and a complete guideline for our life.
Removal of a statue from Bangladesh Supreme Court’s premises neither elevates the image of Islam nor does it bring Islam to the ground. Bangladesh is not an Islamic state though the majority of its population is Muslim. Rather, Bangladesh snatched its independence from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan after fighting a sanguinary war and thrived as a secular republic state. Its core conscience was secularism. Awami League has always been the custodian of this conscience but unfortunately, today, they have become its spoiler.
Awami League thought that they would ‘manage’ Hefazat by removing the statue. But Hefazat has become the tiger that has already tasted blood. Removal of all the statues from Bangladesh was at number seven in the 13-point demand they placed in 2013. The demand for removal of the statue of Lady Justice was an experiment. They reminded us of the actual demand soon after removal of the statue.
This is a primary victory for them and now they will surely move forward to achieve their final goal. Hefazat’s victory means Awami League’s moral defeat. An Ahmed Sofa quote regarding Awami League may be mentioned in this context. He says: “When Awami League wins, it wins alone, and when Awami League loses, the whole Bangladesh loses”.
A political organisation may face some momentary crises but gains in the long run if it sticks to its values. Awami League’s alignment with Hefazat for the purpose of vote is equally condemnable as BNP’s alliance with Jamaat. So, Awami League has to identify its friends and foes.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/05/30/friends-foes-awami-league/
- Probhash Amin
- Published at 08:18 PM May 30, 2017
Do you know the friends and foes of Awami League? Let’s get a bit precise, does Awami League itself know its friends and foes?
The question came across my mind after going through the front page of the Daily Prothom Alo on May 27. The whole page was replete with different reports and reactions about the removal of the statue of Lady Justice from in front of the country’s apex court.
One of the news read, Hefazat-e Islam Secretary General Junaid Babunagari expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from removing the idol from Supreme Court’s premises and claimed it as their victory.
After reading this statement of Babunagari, the man who dreamt of becoming the prime minister on the night of May 5, 2013, one might assume that Hasina could barely have a better friend than him.
Others who thanked the prime minister in this regard except for Babunagari are Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote Joint Secretary General Faizullah, Convener of Hefajat’s Dhaka city unit Nur Hossain Kashemi, Vice President of Hefajat’s Dhaka city unit Abdur Rob Yousufi and Bangladesh Khelafat Anodolan Dhaka city unit President Mufti Redwanul Bari Siraji.
Let’s look at another report where 10 prominent citizens, in a statement, called the removal as a naked subservience of the government to the religious fanatics. Before getting into the statement, let’s have a look on the names – Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Professor Anisuzzaman, Hasan Azizul Haque, Sanjida Khatun, Syed Hasan Imam, Ramendu Mazumdar, Panna Kayser, Mamunur Rashid, Mafidul Haque and Nasiruddin Yousuf Bacchu.
The statement read: “We are deeply upset at the removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court premises and expressing our grievances and hatred over such actions. With this incident, the Awami League-led government virtually bowed down to the religious fundamentalists.”
Apart from the joint statement, the Prothom Alo featured some other reactions from the intellectual portion of the society. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon termed it as “Shameless Surrender”. Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said “Not a Good Sign”. Rasheda K Chowdhury said “Attack on Secularism”.
According to another report, police charged batons and fired tear shells on the agitating people and arrested some of the senior leaders of different progressive student organisations.
Earlier, two ministers of the cabinet Asaduzzaman Nur and Hasanul Haque Inu expressed strong reservations about this move.
I started getting confused after going through the reports. Who is the friend of Awami League – Babunagari or Gaffar Chowdhury? Who is the enemy of Awami League – Panna Kayser? Who is the well-wisher of Awami League – Rashed Khan Menon or Nur Hossain Kashemi?
Well if you and I can identify the friends and enemies, why should not an age-old political party like Awami Leaguebe able to do that? Many senior Awami leaders are embarrassed at the government’s détente with the Hefazat-e Islam. They can neither support the decision nor can they raise their voice against it.
Many Awami leaders have been making off-the-record comments against the decision but nobody is speaking out aloud in front of camera. But not everyone is taking such convenient position.
Awami League’s hardcore supporter and child of a martyr freedom fighter Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury wrote on a Facebook post: “Don’t perceive this stumble as our downfall. A child learns to walk after a thousand falls. Non-communalism is a humanitarian conscience of unique stature. It appears the nation has a long way to go to reach that height. It is clear that we have to stumble more times in the future but don’t think that this country will never be able to reach that height. It was a promise made by the father of our nation. The country had found that height at the expense of the blood of three million people. Whatever path you (Bangladesh) may follow, you have to reach that height and keep the promise of your father. This is a bloody oath”.
People’s Perspective Specialist of Access to Information (a2i) programme head and another staunch supporter of Awami League Naimuzzaman Mukta wrote on his Facebook account: “I myself am a political activist and want to participate in the election. But I don’t want to be elected by the vote of those people who don’t trust my conscience. And if the nomination board rejects me for this point of view, I don’t need the nomination”.
Many of the AL leaders may not have such courage like Nuzhat and Mukta to speak out, but they were seriously disheartened by this moral compromise of their party. Awami League was the party that led the liberation war of Bangladesh and the inner voice of that war was non-communalism. Awami League still represents the progressive non-communal section of Bangladesh. It is very depressing for the masses when Awami League compromises with someone who espouses a completely different ideology.
How far Awami League can go to secure its vote bank, this equation will never be solved. Babunagari is not meant to be on AL’s side. Rather, the people who are making harsh remarks and being beaten by police will eventually be on their side. Awami league itself also know that the progressive section, how much demotivated they might get, will never vote against them. And this is Awami League’s ideological blackmail. But what AL is yet to understand is that they might lose the vote of Islamist groups like Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, along with the progressive section, if it continues its alignment with Hefazat. Addition will be lesser than the subtraction.
The politics after the removal of the statue is very interesting. All the parties including BNP, Jamaat and Jatiya Party have been admiring the initiative. Just a few people with good sense have been shouting against the profane alliance of the political parties.
Most interestingly, BNP and Awami League have been talking in a similar tone regarding this issue. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the removal was not a decision made by the government, rather it was Chief Justice’s decision. His intention is clear. Hefazat has been calmed down by removing the statue. Now, he has been pointing finger at the Chief Justice as a scapegoat to avert responsibility.
On the other hand, BNP leader Moudud also stressed that the removal of the statue was a mere decision of the Chief Justice. His intention is also clear. He doesn’t want to credit Awami League for this initiative and lose his Islamic vote bank. Both of them have been trying to fire their gun from someone else’s shoulder. Interestingly, the Supreme Court made no comment on this issue.
Many among us perceived it as a victory of Islam. But one thing needs to be made clear that Islam has nothing to do with sculpture, as it is nothing but a mere artwork. Sculpture is one of the ancient forms of art that still prevails in the most parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia. Islam is a religion aged 1400 years, and a complete guideline for our life.
Removal of a statue from Bangladesh Supreme Court’s premises neither elevates the image of Islam nor does it bring Islam to the ground. Bangladesh is not an Islamic state though the majority of its population is Muslim. Rather, Bangladesh snatched its independence from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan after fighting a sanguinary war and thrived as a secular republic state. Its core conscience was secularism. Awami League has always been the custodian of this conscience but unfortunately, today, they have become its spoiler.
Awami League thought that they would ‘manage’ Hefazat by removing the statue. But Hefazat has become the tiger that has already tasted blood. Removal of all the statues from Bangladesh was at number seven in the 13-point demand they placed in 2013. The demand for removal of the statue of Lady Justice was an experiment. They reminded us of the actual demand soon after removal of the statue.
This is a primary victory for them and now they will surely move forward to achieve their final goal. Hefazat’s victory means Awami League’s moral defeat. An Ahmed Sofa quote regarding Awami League may be mentioned in this context. He says: “When Awami League wins, it wins alone, and when Awami League loses, the whole Bangladesh loses”.
A political organisation may face some momentary crises but gains in the long run if it sticks to its values. Awami League’s alignment with Hefazat for the purpose of vote is equally condemnable as BNP’s alliance with Jamaat. So, Awami League has to identify its friends and foes.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/05/30/friends-foes-awami-league/
