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Saturday, April 24, 2010

[chottala.com] CLAIMS OF OWNERSHIP, POLITICS OF VENGEANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BANG BANGLADESH

CLAIMS OF OWNERSHIP, POLITICS OF VENGEANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BANG BANGLADESH
Abid Bahar
(A paper presented at the Human Rights and Development (HRDH) seminar on April 11, 2010 at York College, New York, USA)
What is happening in Bangladesh in terms of human rights violations by the government in power no doubt reminds us of abuses by some of the of violent regimes in some African and Asian countries. It also brings back the memory of the BKSAL's widespread violation of human rights during the 70's. The difference between then and now though is this time with India directly controlling Bangladesh's information sector, the media efficiently shows everything as being normal. Whereas in reality though people find it as if normalizing of the unthinkable. This is Bangladesh again back to the past BKSAL 70th system when people were grasping for freedom of the press, the right to life, religion, and liberty that the UN document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) so staunchly asks national governments to comply. 
 
POST INDEPENDENCE PERIOD AND STRUGGLE FOR BOTH COLLECTIVE RIGHTS AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
Bangladesh was born in its long fight against human rights violations by the rulers of Pakistan. In this struggle no doubt people fought for their collective rights such as economic rights, language rights, and among others for the minority rights. But as soon as the country became independent, the then ruling political party began to act that it owned the country and used the state as the medium of oppression to undermine the opposition and citizen's individual rights. The trend set in motion by the Mujib regime in the extra-judicial arrests and killings, in discouraging multiparty democracy, and Mujib's daughter Hasina's who began her political entry by asking for forgiveness for the misdeeds of the BKSAL brings the Human rights abuses back to its lowest in her second term in office. The AL, now known as a party largely by the thugs, of the thugs and for the thugs is not alone in the promotion of the culture of oppression. the successive political
parties in power have also been abusing the judiciary and administration and unlawfully detaining the citizens opposing such violations.
 
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT
Contrary to the trend by political party's promoting a thug culture, scholars and human rights activists find protection of rights important because it opens the door for a country's stability and ultimately to its road to development. To stop human rights abuse advocates tend to "argue for increased codification of individual legal rights to protect them from state infringement of their natural rights." But the question in Bangladesh is whether this is sufficient to dramatically change the existing trend. Not surprisingly "… in violation of international legal standards, article 46 of Bangladesh's Constitution empowers parliament to pass laws that provide immunity from prosecution to any state officer for any act done to maintain or restore order, and to lift any penalty, sentence, or punishment imposed." In view of the above scenario, instead of describing the events of human rights violations in detail, this paper emphasizes more on the
importance of understanding the socio-political background behind such violation in Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH IS A FEUDAL SOCIETY
Sociologically speaking, for most part Bangladesh is a feudal society. The present research reveals that ever since the independence of Bangladesh, in the name of democracy, the successive governments in essence had been promoting hero-worshiping and propagating the concept of feudal ownership of the country and it demands allegiance from public often by propaganda, intimidation and violence and in this direction it tries to exclude and disown the opposition of even their rights to exist. The examples are in abundance. The AL government in its ongoing sweep against the opposition has been harassing the BNP by suing, arresting for simple matters as one BNP leaders recent remarks that Zia as the first president of Bangladesh. The government in its witch-hunt policy is also reviving the war crime issue settled by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then president of Bangladesh.  In this attempt, after close to four decades the AL is identifying citizens in the
opposition as the political outcasts by using such terms as "rajakar,"(collaborator of the Pakistan army). Not long ago Ziaur Rahman, a valiant liberation war hero, and one of founders of modern Bangladesh was even branded by the existing AL leaders as being "a razakar" and now the AL government even officially removed his names from government institutions. So goes the story of AL claim to the ownership of Bangladesh.   
 
INDIA DOCTRINE WORKS WITH HASINA
While the status queue of existing thug culture works and strengthens the AL through its patron client relationship of profit making by its followers for their surrender of loyalty, the vary system at the same time weakens the democratic institutions responsible for the distribution of wealth in Bangladesh. Not surprisingly the AL occupying the power also helps in the ultimate triumph of India Doctrine in which India aims to keep Bangladesh as a dependent state. In this mutual benefits by the AL and the Indian government while supporters of the AL benefits, but Bangladesh an aids dependent country receiving loans from India, the world bank, the Asian Development Bank continues to develop the development of dependency in its economic sector. In this undesirable growth, Hasina, proven to be a power hungry leader returns the favor India provided to her by ascending to power allowing India to capture the Indian rebels took shelter on Bangladesh soil.
In the name of secularism Hasina also pursues a pro-Indian Islam phobic politics in Bangladesh. In her promoting secularism, in today's Bangladesh women are being harassed for wearing hijab or men for keeping beard. This is surely not democracy but it is AL's return to the days of the BKSAL one party BKSAL oppressive rule.

BKSAL IS BACK
The arrest of opposition members, persecution, and attacks by RAB shows Hasina's politics of confrontation. Few newspapers such as Amerdesh editor, Holiday and the Newsed reporters, dared to criticize the government policies, were attacked and some reporters killed by the RAB, Police, and by the SL thugs.  The AL goons in UK even physically attacked the Amerdesh editor. The scenario of human rights violations show that BKSAL of Mujib regime is back again; no doubt the grand alliance of Hasina is truly the BKSAL alliance of the past with the new addition of the autocrat Ershed lately joined in with Hasina. In this development, one can see in its promotion of the so-called progressive politics, Hasina is bringing back the failed policies of the dictatorial BKSAL regime of the past. In further attempts to justify Mujib's BKSAL government (that was removed from power by the freedom fighters for its failures in the human rights promotion are) now shown as a
progressive government that should be followed as a model. Through propaganda, it promotes the victim complex that Mujib the great father of the nation was indeed a progressive politician murdered by some misguided army officers.
To promote the AL politics and dehumanize the opposition, it places "mask of the devil" on the AL enemies and promotes vengeance. Surprisingly and so naively are they done that in one context almost all the cases against the AL man sued for the allegations of mischief's during the CTG govt. were withdrawn with approval from the loyal courts as if showing the appearance of both legality and the government's neutrality but the cases against the BNP leaders however were perused vigorously.
To tackle the opposition party from conducting demonstration, Hasina's AL controls the streets by the BCL and the local godfathers. Not surprisingly, Joinal Hazari and the notorious Shamim Osmanis are now back and student involvement in university campuses and additional security and support for human rights violators' of course have been provided by India. In this status queue everything seem normal and good for the AL. However, these are no doubt the signs of the revival of the familiar despotic trends of the past that the present government is so devotedly trying to practice.
POLITICS OF OWNERSHIP AND FASCISM
Bangladesh was born to be democratic. However, considering the hereditary leadership continued by the Begums especially Hasina Begum, and the Al's prevailing theme of father of the nation (Pitha) or the BNP's announcer (Ghosok), the respective party's demand the ownership of the feud we also call Bangladesh. Based on the above scenario, there is little doubt that Bangladeshi political system is clearly feudal in the guise of being democratic. But in its modern mix, demonstrated in the 2009 staged election and the government's false promises and fake claims that the "government is devoted for the people because it is by the people," and in the prevalence of intolerance to the opposition, and the return of a thug rule, the imposition of authoritarianism, the belief in a supra territorial ism of Bengali nationalism over Bangladeshi nationalism, the tendency of hero-worship, Bangladesh governance by Hasina could be described as the Bangladeshi brand of
fascism at best.  In contrast if we would like to call it a democracy that Bangladeshis proud to claim, I believe whether codifying human rights of the citizens or not, the present system will continue to be there until the realization among people that Bangladesh in the guise of democracy is indeed a feudal system. Contrary to this in a democracy it is not the leaders or any of the party that owns the country; in a democracy the formal institutions of bureaucracy (not any godfather or its student wing) would be in charge of the distribution of wealth to the citizens.

BANGABANDHU CHATONA
In trying to understand the Bangladesh problems, it also reminds us the mentality of the Muslim League politicians in Pakistan of the 50th and the 60's that they demonstrated as if they only owned Pakistan and in Bangladesh we see similar trend as if the AL owns Bangladesh for Bengalis. This is not a sign of progress but of the existence of the signs of fascism. No doubt among others Mujib was also one who helped in the independence of Bangladesh. But it was Mujib who molded the student League in his own image; that was of a muscleman Mujib was in his student life. Records show that unlike his contemporaries he was not a professional and he finished his matriculation at the age of 22 when regular students finish their higher university diplomas. His source of income came from devious sources. Like today's BCL cadres, thugs he showed non-student like mannerism. In one occasion, he refused to pay fines to Dhaka University demanded for his non student
like behavior about his involvement in the affairs of the fourth class employees association. He refused to pay the fine for which he was expelled from the university. He however managed to become the symbolic model father of the nation. However, these CV elements are not necessarily the model characteristics of a fatherly figure for a progressive Bangladesh. In addition, in the role of President of the country he was one of the worst human rights violators. What Mujib truly is evident in his famous quotes in the post liberation period provided below:
"Seraj Sikdhar thumi Akhon Khotai?" (Where are you now, you Seraj Sikdhar?)
"Nokshal ke Dheka Matro Guli Korbei" (Shoot down Naxal, just at the sight!)
"Jatir Pitha Hoichee Bola, Noitoo Lal Ghora Dabaidetham" (The problem is I am the father of the nation otherwise I would have crushed them!)
"Adibashis, Tomra Bangalee Hoyee Jao! "Tribals, You better become Bengalees!"
Those lines remind us of Mujib the leader of the thug of thug leaders.
In addition, his one party rule, his banning of all the newspapers except four government papers, his paramilitary forces including the Rakhi Bahini killing his opponents, and his selection of district governors comprised of the known thugs for ruling Bangladesh districts as the smaller feuds show the type of a leader, whose chetona (consciousness) the Hasina AL officially promotes is destined to promote Bangladesh further into a feudal society born to become democratic.

 HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS AND DEVELOPMENT
 Contrary to the AL's continued politics of vengence, in South Africa we see even in their bitter racial divide Nelson Mendala used the politics of reconciliation and human rights development which brought relative stability and peace.  On the other hand in the battleground Bangladesh, where Hasina is finding her enemies and after the 1/11 event, and the BDR mutiny, the riot in Chittagong Hill Tracts, the war crimes trial continues with the motive to silence the forces opposing the AL government's promotion of the idea of the ownership of Bangladesh. Under the circumstances while the India chosen AL celebrates its triumph, and demonstrates everything as being normal, the losers and the growing anger by the common people of Bangladesh grows further against their politician's promise of both human rights promotion and development in Bangladesh. For now, it is as if to save a plant called Bangladesh the leaders of the past that were struggling to get
light and air and help the plant drive toward blooming, now in the post liberation period, due to the leader's return back to the politics of feudal wars, the politics of vengeance helps invert attacks to itself to stagnation in almost out of sullen spite.
(Abid Bahar teaches in Canada)


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[chottala.com] VOLA RESULT AT A GLANCE [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from Samor Das included below]

Please see the attached file:
Thanks
Samor Das


Attachment(s) from Samor Das

1 of 1 Photo(s)


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[chottala.com] RESULT OF VOLA NIRBACHON//WHERE ARE THOSE BNP?



Awami Leage got almost double the vote than BNP.
Where are those culprits Hafiz and BNP gongs today?
Check the total result here:
 
 
Thanks
Samor Das



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