December 10 gave rise to much discussion and speculation. The whole country seemed to be covered in a blanket of fear. Dhaka metropolis was especially covered. That’s why two crore people of Dhaka saw that there were no buses on the roads. The number of CNG is few. There were rickshaws, that too much less than other days. What’s more, big shops or shopping malls are far away, many grocery stores were also closed. Where I live it is called a lane, but two cars can easily drive side by side. The grocery store in that lane is also closed. I searched. Many people said, I don’t know what will happen, I am not taking any risk. To me this fear or apprehension seemed completely unfounded. So I went out a bit. I had a feeling from the beginning that no matter what the papers said, something big would happen on December 10, but I didn’t think so at all. The whole day has passed. See, my guess is correct. Nothing happened in Dhaka. And just as the 9 departmental public meetings ended, the public meeting in Dhaka also ended in the same way. There is no exception. Rather, it is the government before the public meeting in Dhaka BNPHeavy cracked down on . The meeting will be held on the 10th. But 3 days before that i.e. on December 7, the government and the government party went on a preemptive strike. The next day too BNPPolice surrounded the central office i.e. Nayapaltan office and surrounding areas.
The question may be, why did I think that nothing would happen on December 10? Readers may recall that earlier in another column I had given the heading, BNP changed its position. Even then some newspapers and some commentators were writing that finally BNP Public meeting will be held in Nayapaltan. But I saw BNP He says that he will hold a public meeting in Dhaka. He is not insisting that he will do it in Nayapaltan. Another thing I didn’t find very honorable. To obtain permission for a public meeting BNPWhy did the senior leaders have to run to the police office not once, not twice, but three times? When Awami League was in the opposition party, Awami League used to say, I will not do politics by applying (with registration). He also said, I will not hold a meeting with permission. They held meetings in front of Ramana Bhavan, blocked roads, blocked Bangabandhu Avenue. No permission was taken. When he marched. No permission was taken.
BNP So from the beginning until now years after years have done democratic, systematic and non-violent movement. It’s true that gentlemen appreciate it, but what’s the reward? Khaleda Zia in jail, Tariq Rahman in exile. And finally this time before the meeting Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Abdus Salam and other leaders in jail. Mirza Fakhrul was not sent to jail on that charge. It is alleged that he was planning bombings and other acts of sabotage. That’s why it is seen that his and 400 others’ bail applications have been rejected all three times despite applying to the court three times. Mirza Fakhrul is known by all classes of people as a pure gentleman. Is it possible for him to indulge in a bombing plot? Who would believe that?
BNP Still following full rules and etiquette. December 24 with like-minded opposition parties BNPThe mass procession was supposed to be taken out. Obaidul Quader He said that there is a conference of Awami League on the 24th. so BNP As if to postpone the date of their rally. BNP Obaidul Quaderwho respected They pushed back the date of mass rally to December 30. But the 10th BNP That was so peaceful but huge rally, then what happened? It was seen that widespread arrests have started in different districts and sub-districts of Mofswal starting from Dhaka. Daily in the newspaper BNP The news of this arrest of activists is being printed. Where, here is Awami League BNPWho did not give any concession.
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There is no point in making these stories long. A term used in the past. That is, ‘Mokhtasar Baat’ i.e. in short the talk is that only BNPNot only has E changed its position, Awami League has also changed its position. Starting from 2011 till this 4/5 months ago BNPOther parties were not allowed to stand on the streets, far from holding meetings and processions. Suddenly, after almost 9 years, the government has become ‘liberal’. It is said that BNP If you want to hold a procession meeting, you will not be prevented. They will not be deterred even if they surround the public building. Instead they will be asked to sit inside for tea. Not even 5 months have passed. Now Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas are eating jail rice instead of tea in Ganabhaban.
By my personal reckoning, this situation is not improving any time soon. Many things come to mind while writing. It is not possible to write everything. Because it does not fit in space. But look, in 1994, when Awami League was agitating on the demand of the caretaker government, at one stage of the agitation, 147 members of parliament from all the opposition parties resigned simultaneously. BNP The government did not accept those resignation letters for a year and hung them up. And now what happened? BNPThe resignation letters of the 6 people who went to the Speaker in a group and resigned were accepted within 24 hours. Mr. Haroon is in Australia. He will return by the 20th. Resign on return and it will be accepted.
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Now it’s about Mokhtasa, BNP How will the 10 points of the movement and the 27 points of the state reform if they come to power be implemented? The first step of the 10 points is the resignation of this government and the dissolution of this national parliament. Then transfer power to an interim government. The Interim or Caretaker Government shall be in accordance with various sub-clauses of the repealed Article 58 of the Constitution. Then that government is an independent one Election Commission shall constitute, under whom the Sovereign Parliament shall be constituted through a free, impartial and participatory election.
These claims are very reasonable. But the house-burning cow gets scared when it sees vermilion clouds. In 2014 BNPAll major opposition parties boycotted the election. But before the election, the majority seats of the parliament ie 153 seats went to the possession of Awami League. Where, nothing happened. Again in 2018 they participated in the election. Surprise after surprise. The voting of the day took place at night. The leader was imported from outside. Kamal Hossain. He nominated two people. These are Sultan Mohammad Mansoor and Mokabbir Hossain. As soon as they went to the assembly, they beat Digbaji. BNPR MPs have resigned, but Kamal Hossain’s nominees are not willing to vacate the seats.
My direct question is, BNP How will the 35 parties demand their first step, that is, the resignation of this government? Awami League’s position is now very clear. Even after sanctioning RAB, Awami League could not be swayed. In August 2018, Awami League workers chased the then US Ambassador Marsha Barnikat after she left Badiul Alam Majumdar’s house for dinner in Mohammadpur. Rocks hit his car. Barnicut hurriedly got into the car and escaped the attack. This time US ambassador Peter Haas was not allowed to sit in the mother’s postal coordinator’s house for even 25 minutes. When a group of Awami supporters wanted to leave, he was taken to a car by a police escort.
An angry Peter Haas came straight from there to the Foreign Ministry in Segunbagichar to hold an emergency meeting with Foreign Minister Abdul Momen and express his extreme displeasure. It seems that the Foreign Minister’s statement did not go down well with him. So he gave a report about it in Washington. The next day, the head of the security department of the White House. Kirby said in a press briefing that Bangladesh has been asked to take appropriate measures in this regard. People don’t know what measures are being taken. But it appears that from the statements made by the top level of the government to other ministerial levels, it seems that the distance between the US government and the government of Bangladesh is gradually increasing. BNP Or the opposition parties are mistaken if they think that the government will resign under US pressure. I don’t think the US attitude towards the government of Bangladesh is as harsh or hostile as the US has taken against Venezuela, Afghanistan or Pakistan. Rather, America still wants to maintain a good working relationship with Bangladesh even if there is no exchange of sweet words between the two sides. It is not clear whether the attitudes of India and China are friendly or hostile towards this government.
In this background, my idea is to look inside Bangladesh instead of looking at the outside world BNP And opposition parties need to pay more attention. Be it the downfall of this government or the rise of the opposition party to power, the catalyst for everything is the people of this country. In order to realize the 10-point demand, not thousands, but peaceful people should be brought to the streets. BNPWho should struggle? Struggle on the democratic path must be continued. In this struggle BNP And all the opposition parties should remind poet Sikandar Abu Jafar’s timeless patriotic song again and again. Below are some lines of that song.
Let the obstacles in the way be hard
In the eternal conflict of endless journey
One day that mountain will move
It will continue
People’s struggle will continue
Our struggle will continue.
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