[ALOCHONA] Elections 2008- A transparent process or machination of the Evil Axis

Elections 2008- A transparent process or machination of the Evil Axis Dr. K. M.. A. Malik, UK The recent general elections held on 29 December, 2008, have resulted in massive electoral victory for Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) (230 parliamentary seats out of total 300) and a disastrous defeat for Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) (29 seats). The main BAL partner Bangladesh Jatio Party (BJP, Ershad) performed reasonably well (27 seats) but the main BNP partner Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami (BJI) appeared to have been nearly electorally annihilated (only 2 seats). As expected, the outcome of the results have been hailed with great enthusiasm by BAL but received with disbelief and dismay by BNP.. Both parties, however, were satisfied that a reasonably peaceful election could be held after two years of unelected and unrepresentative government backed by the army and foreign powers. The will of the people to return to democracy (at least to the electoral exercise) prevailed over all suspicion and rumors of a lurking military rule. The results of the election have been explained by different people and groups in different ways, which may be classified into two broad categories. One group (majority view) feels very strongly that the elections were held properly (free, fair and transparent with participation of all parties) without the EC/CTG/civil administration interfering in the process and without any rigging. BAL won the elections rightly and BNP-Jamat alliance was defeated for their misdeeds. Another opinion (minority view) is that the elections were stage-managed by a long standing conspiracy against BNP. An unholy alliance of external players (US, India, UK, EU, UN, etc) initially tried to breakup both BNP and BAL and send their respective leaders into exile. Failing in this so-called ‘minus two formula, they subsequently decided to destroy BNP totally and bring India-friendly BAL into power with at least two-thirds majority (for constitutional amendments required to legalise the activities of the controversial Fakhrudding regime). Interested readers may refer to an article by Mr. Zoglul Hossain The Evil Axis stage-managed a landslide victory for BAL (http://www.newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=239355). To be honest, my assessment on the day before the election was that BNP would get about 100 seats and BAL around 120, the remainder being distributed to smaller parties and independent candidates. I came to this conclusion on the basis of contacts with a large number of people in Dhaka and also after watching huge gatherings in Khaleda Zia's campaign meetings during the few days before the elections. The mythological phoenix seemed to have risen from the ashes. But my assessment was shown to be wrong by the official results. On the electoral battleground, BNP-Jamat suffered a strategic defeat and BAL got more than what it deserved or even wished for. Did anything go wrong anywhere? Casting of 87% of the votes across the country and about 95% in several constituencies seem improbable and unbelievable. One has to consider the fact in the 1991, 1996 and 2001 general elections (participated by all parties) the percentages of votes cast were 55.5, 75.0 and 75.6 respectively. Was there any ‘election engineering of some kind that we are not aware of? Only God and those officers in charge of handling ballot boxes before counting could tell. Different commentators have tried to analyse the results from different angles. In my view, a combination of externally imposed conditions, excellent tactical moves of BAL and total failure of BNP to counter these moves led to an overwhelming victory of BAL and massive defeat for BNP. With 32.5% of votes in its favour, and that in the most tiring circumstances, BNP is still a formidable political force and no one should underestimate it just on the basis of small number of parliamentary seats. Two-party culture has developed in Bangladesh, and there is a possibility that BNP will return to power in future. But to be successful, the leaders and well wishes of BNP must take lessons from the past mistakes and reorganize the party with new promises. There are many reasons for the BNP defeat and BAL victory. All of these cannot be thoroughly discussed in one small essay, but we can mention few points as follows. 1. BNP was weak from the very beginning of the electoral game. The foreigners were scheming against this party at least from 2003 and trying to bring BAL into power not because BNP-Jamat were their enemy but because BAL would serve their interests better. 2. The foreign players were clearly against BNP returning to power, so they encouraged factionalism and discord within BNP and carried out a vicious media propaganda against this party and its main ally Jamat. They had not so hidden hands in getting General Moin and army involved in the 1/11 changeover. The members of the CTG, EC and few Generals (serving or retired) were seen to be working against BNP, since their fates were invariably linked with the BAL victory. 3. Khaleda Zia's BNP ruled the country for at least 10 years but failed in several fronts to match the BAL. The first term 1991-96 was reasonable, but the second term 2001-06 was miserable to say the least. There were many good initiatives in the economic, education and social sectors, but these were not properly publicized in the media. 4. The party was divided between different factions, no body knew exactly how any decision was made or implemented. Allegations of alternative centres of state power riddled with financial irregularities were there, but no serious investigations or significant action was taken.. Khaleda Zia was unable to foresee the lurking danger of discontent and disunity within BNP. Sheikh Mujib despite many shortcomings at least saw the 'chatar dal' around him (although he could not or did not do anything about it), but Khaleda Zia did not know how a new 'chatar dal' was bringing disrepute to her party and government. 5. From the very beginning of the restoration of multi-party system by Ziaur Rahman in 1977, BAL gave special attention to organise different fronts within media, intelligentia, cultural activists, NGOs, academic, research and different professional fronts. During the last two years, the pro-BAL Sector Commanders Forum waged a relentless campaign for ‘trial of the war criminals’ and banning Jamat (main BNP ally). All these bodies have received attention, advice, respect, recognition (even funds from different sources), and naturally they worked tirelessly for BAL's victory. In contrast, BNP did not bother to encourage such fronts, which play crucial roles in forming public opinion and in deciding who wins and who loses. 6. BNP was also negligent on media front, both on national and international levels. In Dhaka, apart from two Bangla dailies (Amar Desh and Naya Diganta), all other Bangla dailies (Prothom Alo, Jugantor, Janokontho, Inqilab, Ajker Kakoj, Bhorer Kagos) are unashamedly pro-BAL. Ittefaq and Manob Jamin follow more or less a middle road. Within the English language media, the largest circulating Daily Star is openly pro-BAL and pro-Indian. The Editor of Bangladesh Observer, contested as a BAL candidate in the recent election. Only the New Age and New Nation try to present news and analysis in reasonably balanced ways. Similarly, most of TV media including ATN and Channel I are pro-BAL. A few TV channels are owned by BNP people, but they are no match for the pro-BAL counterparts. 7. In foreign countries also, BAL enjoys near total support within the media community. Most reporters and editors of Bangla weeklies published from London have pro-BAL sympathies. About 90% of the articles and features published in these media are authored by pro-BAL writers. The handling of media front by BAL is very successful and this has brought electoral rewards for them. BNP does not know how to befriend media people, and it would be foolish to criticise BAL for its media success. BNP has only itself to blame for not cultivating and developing good media relations. 8. In the age of internet revolution, news and propaganda material reach all corners of the globe in a matter of seconds.. And most of the powerful news media outlets that form public opinion nationally and internationally are based in the western world and controlled by pro-imperialist, pro-Zionist owners or sympathizers. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, like many other third world countries, people tend to accept as the only truth what international media outlets dish out on hourly basis. Most people are unable to distinguish between news and propaganda. It is true that all reporters, editors, columnists and commentators working for all these outlets are not hostile to Bangladesh, but most of their reports are presented in a way that belittle Bangladesh's achievements and highlight only the negative aspects. Since 2003, we have seen many such reports and comments that were fabricated to portray Bangladesh as a ˜failed state. Many of these reports were filed from New Delhi or Kolkata by people who had scant knowledge of Bangladesh society but pretended to be experts. These stories damaged Bangladesh's image as a country and BNP's image as a party, both nationally and internationally. BAL's image was promoted and enhanced as the only secular force capable of saving Bangladesh from the Taliban monsters patronized by Khaleda Zia's BNP! 9. It is a fact that no Indian newspaper or TV channel ever says anything positive about Bangladesh. On the contrary, most media people in India follow the ultra-Hindu BJP line to portray Bangladesh as a ‘Pakistan-type fundamentalist country’ and ‘source of trouble’ for India. The Indian ruling establishment has never been comfortable with a non-BAL government in Dhaka. They assume (rightly or wrongly) that BAL is the most dependable Indian ally in Bangladesh because this party would never criticize or oppose any Indian policy whether regional or international. During the last BNP-regime (2001-2006) the BAL propagandists and their Indian patrons and some Zionist elements did everything possible to portray BNP-Jamat government as sponsors of ‘Islamic extremism and terrorism’. These efforts isolated BNP-led political forces and helped BAL politics. The Indian media and many leading figures have blamed Bangladesh for the decades old tribal insurgencies in India’s north east region. They have also made the absurd accusation that hundreds of training camps for Indian insurgents are run in Bangladesh by Pakistani ISI with active connivance of Bangladeshi DGFI. Bangladesh has always wanted concrete evidence for such claims, but the Indian side has hardly bothered to respond. 10. Another ploy has been to spread the falsehood that BNP is patronised and funded by extremist Islamic countries including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to carry out anti-India activities. Any policy in opposition with perceived Indian interests is labeled as ‘anti-Indian’, which is in total disregard to Bangladesh’s own independent policy making right as a sovereign nation. Indian media propagates the idea that Bangladesh can prosper only if it follows the dictates from New Delhi and it must not have any significant relation with any country perceived to be India’s rivals or ‘enemies’ such as Pakistan and China. The name of China is not always explicitly mentioned, but Pakistan bating is a favourite hobby of not only the ultra-Hindu BJP and other extremist outfits but also of most of the so-called secular ‘Indian patriots’. The unfortunate thing is that any attempt by BNP to pursue a policy thought be in conflict with Indian economic, military and strategic interests has been branded as ‘pro-Pakistan’ and encouraged by ISI. 11. It is generally known that Bangladesh is a haven for foreign spies and agents. All major intelligence agencies of the world including those from Pakistan, USA, India, China, UK and Australia have stations in Dhaka. Even Israel has a pro-Zionist ‘media centre’ in Dhaka which operates very openly and with complete impunity, although Bangladesh does not have any diplomatic relations with Israel. One may recall that Khaleda Zia's last government arrested (in 2003) a so-called ˜Islamic Zionist who had been working for years with pro-Zionist elements in Israel and US, but her government was forced to release him after direct intervention from the US. During the last elections, it was quite visible that pro-Zionist elements in the USA allied themselves with BAL and carried out massive lobbying with powerful quarters in America. Even Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajib Wajed Joy, joined in media campaign to denigrate Bangladesh Army accusing it of sheltering ‘Islamic militants’. Many members of American congress and Senate, who do not know much about the ground realities in Bangladesh society and politics, passed resolutions very critical of the BNP-led government (2001-06) and influenced the US government policy towards Bangladesh. And with India's joining in the US-Israel strategic alliance, cooperation and intelligence sharing among CIA, MOSSAD and R&AW have taken a new dimension to bring all the Muslim countries under their domination. Bangladesh being a Muslim majority country is a natural target for this unholy alliance's war on terror. BNP is their legitimate target since, despite many faults, it is still the focal point for any resistance to Indian subjugation. In contrast, BAL is the most favored political friend since it follows a pro-India line. 12. Many analysts believe that Indian R&AW is the most active foreign intelligence agency carrying out various covert and overt operations in Bangladesh, especially in the economic, political and cultural fronts. While ISI is often accused as the instigator of all ‘Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh, very little of RAW's anti-Bangladesh activities over the years are discussed in the Indian and pro-BAL Bangladesh media. Even during the Mujib government (1972-75), which took the decision to normalize relations with Pakistan and China and join the OIC without ‘permission’ from New Delhi, R&AW was very active to support anti-BAL militant groups like JSD. This agency was also widely believed to provide support to the violent overthrow of President Ziaur Rahaman and installation of the military regime led General Ershad. 13. During 2001-2006, R&AW did everything to undermine Khaleda Zia's government and advance BAL's cause. During the closing days of that government in 2006, R&AW agents led a ruthless campaign of violence and arson to destroy the emergent garment industries in Bangladesh and to precipitate economic ruin and social crises. Many people also suspect that the violent ‘logi-boitha’ incident (28th October 2006) in Dhaka that provided the last formal excuse for installing the army-backed Fakhruddin government was stage-managed by R&AW agents. It was probably the first stage of long plan by foreigners to bring Bangladesh under total US-Indian hegemony, by causing political destabilisation, bringing economic ruin and destroying all forces of resistance to such agenda. One of the biggest failures of BNP government was to expose and effectively counter these nasty designs by foreign agents on Bangladesh soil and abroad. This contributed to a large extent to BNP’s own decline in public esteem, loss of popularity and subsequent electoral disaster. 14. RAW helped the BAL election strategy not only by subtle propaganda and also playing very nakedly a fear card on Sheikh Hasina's life. On December 20 and 21, 2008, the entire Bangladesh print media was awash with a ‘news’ item which claimed that a cell of 6 Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HUJI), a terrorist organization, was plotting to kill Sheikh Hasina. The report was filed from New Delhi by a CNN-IBN reporter Sumon K Chakrabarti (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/6member-team-out-to-kill-exbangaldesh-pm-hasina/81008-2.html.) It reads, in part, Indian intelligence agencies have warned the country that a six-member suicide squad of the banned Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HUJI) has been trained to assassinate Hasina, leader of Awami League, one of the main political parties of the country. Sources in the Indian intelligence agencies and inside Bangladesh have told CNN-IBN that the HUJI team was trained for the last two months by an officer of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence who operates under the name Ehetesham. The special training camp was held at Kaligunj in Satkhira and the six men were personally briefed by HUJI chief Imtiaz Quddus at the end of the training. Sources say that the assassination plot has been planned by renegade officers of Bangladesh's all-powerful military intelligence, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). Some of these officers were recently transferred away from the DGFI by Bangladesh army chief General Moeenuddin Ahmed, who has been trying to hold a peaceful election.” Bangladesh home ministry officials vehemently denied the existence of such plots by HUJI or any other terrorist groups against Sheikh Hasina. There was no way to confirm Mr. Chakrabarti's claims, but the purpose of such report at a very crucial time was clearly to sow fear among the Bangladeshi people and generate sympathy on Sheikh Hasina's behalf. If R&AW was sure about the plot and knew about the so-called ISI run training camps of the terrorists about to be committing a horrible crime against Sheikh Hasina, if their agents and sources were certain about the identity of the ˜renegade DGFI officers, then their best option would have been to pass on the information to the Bangladesh authorities. This they did not do. Rather, they attempted to tilt public opinion in favour of BAL and even engaged in raw propaganda against DGFI. The alleged ‘renegades’ of DGFI are probably those officers who resist R&AW dictates on Bangladesh security issues. Needless to say, Mr. Chakrabart was most probably a R&AW agent working under the cover of a ˜journalist. 14. Apart from foreign machinations, BNP's fall was accelerated by its own failure to live up to its electoral commitments prior to 2001 elections. People were frustrated by unbridled corruption within political and bureaucratic classes, mismanagement, threat of Bangla-Bhai type ‘Islamic terrorism, lack of respect for law and justice, etc. Some of those closely related to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's family and her all powerful Office were allegedly involved in exercise of illegal power on all branches of government machineries and in amassing huge amount of illicit wealth. Whether these allegations were true or false, or if Khaleda Zia's family or BNP alone were guilty of such ˜crimes, nobody wanted to check the facts. But the damage was done. BAL and its propaganda machine were successful in portraying BNP as the only villain while constantly repeating the false claim that BAL and Sheikh Hasina's family were totally clean. 15. On charges of corruption, the all powerful Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), headed by a beneficiary of 1/11 changeover, was clearly biased against BNP. Only a few days prior to the elections, the ACC highlighted an alleged financial scam involving Khaleda Zia's son ˜Koko Rahman in a nation wide media blitz, but did not utter one word about the huge financial empire Sheikh Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana and son Sajib Wajed Joy, amassed during the BAL rule (2006-2001) as commissions and kickbacks. For both sides of the story, the reader may refer to a special report Bangladesh: The fortunate corrupts that appeared in the Weekly Blitz on December 20, 2008 and also in the website: http://www.newsfrombangladesh.net/index.php?hidDate=2008-12-20). People of Bangladesh seem to have a short memory. They were hoodwinked into forgetting the culture of corruption, terrorism and nepotism that existed during the BAL rule (1996-2001). Under the spell of a ˜pirhana-type media blitz launched at home and abroad, BNP and Khaleda Zia's electoral prospects were finished, whilst BAL and Sheikh Hasina remained unscathed and consequently they reaped the benefits of a sweeping election victory. ------------------------------------ (Dr. K M A. Malik is an academic and columnist. He is based in Cardiff (UK) and may be reached by e-mail: kmamalik@aol.com) http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=240672

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