The Specter of Conspiratorial Politics & its Disturbing Outcome!
Jaffor Ullah
October 5, 2001
Readers' Opinion
The specter of conspiratorial politics and its disturbing outcome!
By Mohammad Nawaz Khan
Des Moines, Iowa.
E Mail : mnkh...@hotmail.com
While the whole civilized world is uniting to thwart the sneaky expansion of
the barbaric Wahhabite strain of virulent Islam, Bangladesh election result
on October 2, 2001, has shown a disturbing outcome. Islamist and the
right-wing nationalist coalition of 4-parties obtained close to a two-third
majority in the parliamentary election.
The pre-poll results by independent polltakers and political analysts inside
Bangladesh never predicted this surprising outcome. The question then
arises - how was it possible to sway the public opinion so fast? The answer
may lie not in the public opinion poll, but within the four walls of the
Caretaker Government (CG). The conspiratorial CG chief Justice Latifur
Rahman came with one agenda and that is to dislodge the secular political
party from the power. And it was achieved. The success rate was 100%.
Although most of the western observers who visited a few of the polling
stations expressed their satisfaction at the "correctness" of the election
process, the allegations by Awami League leadership might carry some merits.
It has been observed that in many rural areas of Bangladesh, the Islamists
used Islam card to motivate half-literate poor villagers. One notable drama
actor from the capital city Dhaka gave us a first hand encounter. According
to this thespian, the mullahs went door to door with a Koran in hand to
persuade the women folks to vote for the 4-party Islamist alliance.
They wanted the women to touch the Koran and promise so that women would
definitely vote for the soul mates of Osama bin Ladens of Bangladesh. In
return, the indigent rural women got money. It has been assumed petrodollars
from certain Middle Eastern countries were flooding the Islamist political
parties' vaults for quite some time. The main secular party, Awami League,
hardly had such foreign source of unlimited cash flow.
The Awami League leadership's another allegation demands scrutiny. In many
polling stations, the junior officers of Bangladesh Army were the final
guarantors of poll conduct. Traditionally, a great majority of the
Bangladesh Army cadres have been soft on Islamist politics. Their
indoctrination became more rampant during the rule of two right wing
military dictators, namely, General Ziaur Rahman and General H.M. Ershad.
During the days of Cold War, such Islamist dictators were needed for keeping
the spheres of influence intact.
As both of those army generals came to power without democratic means, both
of them knew how to manipulate the system to be on the throne forever. Also,
to a great extent they Islamized the Bangladesh Army. Now the question is,
if the junior army cadres are given the power to be savior of the election
process, what is the guarantee that they did not do any rigging favoring the
4-party Islamist alliance?
The secular party, Awami League, has called for a strike. It seems
Bangladesh is going to face another era of big upheaval near term. Bloodshed
and loss of innocent lives may be the ultimate fate of the country. It is
very uncertain what else could happen to this poor nation. One-way
Bangladesh could avert the impending agitation and civil unrest is to
appoint an independent body by the President, Justice Shahabuddin.
Bangladeshis have enough confidence in him.
This independent body can look into the allegations pointed out by the Awami
League leaders. If it looks like that severe injustices were meted out to
Awami League and roadblocks were created so that they may not win this
election, then the entire election results should be thrown out the window.
The current CG should be abolished instead. A new CG could be formed and a
new countrywide election could be called in 60-90 days.
I would humbly request the president of Bangladesh Justice Shahabuddin to do
something about this naked aggression against fair play and justice. If
nothing is done about it, a new government will come that will be shrouded
with mystery. It will be an ineffective government and peoples' aspiration
won't be reflected in any way. The sooner this crisis is resolved, the
better it would be for this poor nation. The CG chief Justice Latifur Rahman
has given justice a black eye. We hope he realizes this by now.
Syed Mahmud
Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Khan's article! I realize that attempts to tone down Mr.
Ullah's support for Awami League from the fanatic to the rational level is a
monumental task, but if you notice some of our esteemed intellectuals (Poet
Shamsur Rahman for one) have began to say enough is enough!
While the whole civilized world is uniting to thwart the sneaky expansion of
terrorism. Bangladesh election result on October 2, 2001, has shown a
similar outcome. The right-wing nationalist coalition of 4-parties obtained
close to a two-third majority in the parliamentary election.
The absence of pre-poll results by independent polltakers and neutral
political analysts inside Bangladesh does not make this a surprising
outcome. The question may arise - how was it possible for Awami League to
lose so decidedly ? The answer lies within the four walls of the Leadership
of Awami League. Their agenda of harboring and fostering terrorism for the
sake of party politics is not acceptable to the people of Bangladesh.
Allegations by Awami League leadership against the Caretaker Government
(CG), despite of the findings and observations of all the independent
observers is another doomed policy of the Awami League Leadership.
The people have shown that the soul mates of Osama bin Laden have no place
in Bangladesh. Terrorism in any form (in the name of Islamic Fundamentalism
or Secularism) will be rooted out of Bangladesh.
The Awami League leadership, instead of accepting their own mistake have now
began to accuse everyone else (The CG, The Army, The Police, The Polling
Officers, etc.) for their performance at the polls.
The terrorist party, Awami League, has called for a strike. By now the
people of Bangladesh are aware of the meaning of "Fair" in the context of
Awami League! It is hoped that this threat of further bloodshed and
agitation by Awami League Leadership will be recognised for what it is by
the supporters of Awami League. Barring that, the majority in Bangladesh
have to be prepared to meet violence with violence. Harse as it may sound,
violence is the only language that the terrorists understand!!