Political offspring
Dynastic politics is a South Asian norm and Bangladesh's political progeny is on a steady rise
by ANWAR PARVEZ HALIM
Dynastic continuity is a part and parcel of Bangladesh's national politics. Over the last 39 years of Bangladesh, Ershad was in power for a nine year stretch. In the other 30 years, it was either the Mujib family or the Zia family who ruled the roost. Sheikh Hasina entered politics as the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She is present Prime Minister of the country, for the second time. On the other hand, Begum Khaleda Zia has been Prime Minister thrice. Her entrance into politics was as the widow of President Ziaur Rahman. The next generation of these dynasties are represented by Ziaur Rahman's son Tarique Rahman and Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
Tarique entered politics quite some time back. While his mother Khaleda Zia was Prime Minister, he became the Joint Secretary General of BNP. He is presently the party's Senior Vice Chairman.
Tarique played a vital role in the victory of the BNP-led four-party alliance in the 2001 election. He is firmly established in BNP politics and has a large following with the party. Though he is in London at present, he has an important part in the party's policy matters. It is just a matter of time before he takes over the reins of the party.
In the meantime, speculations have been making rounds for long about the entrance into politics by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In the last election he was by his mother's side campaigning for Awami League. He reportedly had done the groundwork in the US to ensure the party's victory in the election.
On February 25 this year when Joy visited Rangpur, he officially became a primary member of Awami League. Joy, who is a US-based computer engineer, is playing a significant role in materialising his mother's dream of a "digital Bangladesh". However, it remains unclear as to when he will become a full-timer in Awami League.
There are two views within Awami League. One is that Joy will taker over the leadership of Awami League from his mother. Others feel that it is Sheikh Rehana who will inherit the party leadership. Sheikh Rehana, younger sister of Sheikh Hasina, has not officially joined politics as yet. Her daughter Rizwana Siddique Tulip, though, is involved in politics in the UK and was elected Councillor in the last election from the Regent's Park area in London.
Analysts say that as Tarique entered politics considerably before Joy, he has a head start.
This propensity of political involvement by the progeny of politicians is not restricted to these two major political families. There are young political aspirants willing to follow the footsteps of their fathers or mothers in all the political parties in power and out. There are at least 14 MPs in the present parliament whose fathers were, or still are, prominent politicians. The student leaders of the sixties are the veterans of today; their contribution to politics is enormous. Interestingly, though, not many of their offspring have shown interest in entering politics. Most of them are involved in various other professions.
PROBE investigations show that there are 12 Awami League MPs in the present parliament whose fathers were Awami Leaguers. Some of them were popular and well-known personalities at a national level. Former Chhatra League leader Iqbalur Rahim is the MP from Dinajpur-6. His father M Abdur Rahim was the District Awami League President as well as MP. The father of Tanveer Shakil Joy, MP of Sirajganj-1, is Mohammed Nasim, former Home Minister and presently member of Awami League central executive committee. Mohammed Nasim's father, in turn, was Captain Mansur Ali, a renowned minister of the Mujib cabinet. He was killed on November 3, 1975, in Dhaka Central Jail.
Syed Ashraful Islam, MP from Kishoreganj-1, is presently the General Secretary of Awami League. His father was Syed Nazrul Islam who had been the President of the Bangladesh government-in-exile in 1971. He was the Vice President during Mujib's rule.
Najmul Huq Papon is the MP from Kishoreganj-6. He is the son of President Zillur Rahman and late Ivy Rahman who was killed in the August 21 grenade blast. When Zillur Rahman became President, Papon became MP of the constituency relinquished by his father. Alongside politics, he is also the Managing Director of Beximco.
Zahid Malek, MP of the Manikganj-3 seat, is the son of late Col. (retd) MA Malek who had been Textiles Minister of the Ershad cabinet as well as Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation. Zahid Malek has also taken over his father's business, Thai Bangladesh Aluminum Ltd.
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh is the MP of Dhaka-12 (Dhanmondi). His father Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni was one of the main organisers of Mujib Bahini, founder of Jubo League and Joint Secretary of BKSAL. Sheikh Moni was the elder brother of Sheikh Selim, son of Sheikh Mujib's elder sister.
Gazipur-2's MP Zahid Hasan Russel is the son of late Ahsanullah Master. After his father was killed by assailants, Russel became MP in the by-elections to his father's seat.
Tanzim Ahmed Sohel Taj, MP of Gazipur-4, is the son of Tajuddin Ahmed, the Awami League leader killed in jail in 1975. Tajuddin was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh's government-in-exile in 1971 and later was the Finance Minister of the Mujib government. Sohel Taj's mother Zohra Tajuddin is a senior leader of Awami League. Sohel Taj is presently a minister without portfolio.
Meher Afroze Chumki is the daughter of late Moizuddin Ahmed, President of Red Crescent and an Awami Leaguer. He was killed during Ershad's rule. Chumki is now MP of Gazipur-5.
Abdullah Al Kaiser, MP of Narayanganj-3, is the son of Abul Hasnat, presently Vice President of District Awami League.
Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton MP of Madaripur-1 is the son of late Ilyas Ahmed Chowdhury, an MP of Awami League. After he died, Liton became MP in the by-election and thus entered politics. Ilyas Ahmed Chowdhury was Sheikh Selim's brother-in-law. Sheikh Selim is Liton's maternal uncle.
Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni was elected MP from Chandpur-3. Her father was MA Wadud, a member of Awami League during its founding and a close associate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Dipu Moni's husband Toufiq Newaz is a lawyer. After passing her MBBS from Dhaka, Dipu Moni did her Masters in Law from London University. She is a lawyer of the Supreme Court alongside being a politician.
State Minister for Women and Children's Affairs Dr. Shireen Sharmin Chowdhury is the daughter of late Rafiqullah Chowdhury, a CSP officer and close associate of Sheikh Mujib. Shireen's husband Syed Ishtiaque Hossain is a pharmaceutical consultant. Shireen was made MP is the reserved quota for women.
Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Khairuzzaman Liton is the son of AHM Qamaruzzaman, also killed in the central jail in 1975. He was the Industries Minister of the BKSAL government at the time of his death.
Kazi Faruk Kader is the Jatiya Party MP from Nilphamari-3 and son of the late Muslim League President Kazi Abdul Kader. Barrister Andaleeb Rahman Partho is the MP of Bhola-1 and head of Bangadesher Jatiya Party (BJP). He is the son of Naziur Rahman Manzur, a minister of the Ershad government. Partho is the nephew of Sheikh Selim.
Back to Awami League and the former Mayor of Dhaka late Mohammed Hanif's son Syed Khokan is a leader of Dhaka City Awami League.
Upon the death of Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad, his son Azizus Samad Don contested in the Sunamganj by-election. However he is now inactive in politics.
The father of Awami League's MP in Narayanganj Shamim Osman and his brother JP MP Nasim Osman was AKM Shamsuzzoha, founder of the District Awami League and an MP.
Other than Tarique Rahman, the offspring of BNP leaders who are in politics include former Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman's son Naser Rahman. He became the MP of Moulvibazar-3 in the by-election during the last government. He is active in BNP politics.
Afroze Khanum Rita became MP of Manikganj-2 through by-elections. Her father is industrialist Harunur Rasheed Monno, minister-without-portfolio of the four-party alliance government.
After BNP leader KM Obaidur Rahman passed away, his daughter Shyama Obaid entered BNP politics. She contested from the Faridpur-2 seat in the last election. BNP leader Chowdhury Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui's son Irad Ahmed has shown interest to contest as Dhaka's Mayor.
The two sons of SA Khaleque, former MP of Mirpur, are involved in BNP politics. They are Mohsin and Omar Faruk. Irfan Babu, son of later Speaker Mirza Golam Hafiz, is involved in BNP politics. Son of former President Abdur Rahman Biswas, late Dr. Ehtesham Huq Nasim Biswas, was an MP from Barisal.
Prominent among those who have joined politics through family connections is Bikalpadhara leader Mahi B Chowdhury. When his father Prof. Dr. Badruddoza Chowdhury became the President of Bangladesh Mahi became MP through by-elections to the relinquished Munshiganj-1 seat. Later when the BNP government impeached B Chowdhury, he left the party to form Bikalpadhara. Mahi joined this new party. Alongside politics, Mahi runs Republic Entertainment.
However, a survey shows that there are more offspring of politicians who have chosen not to follow their father or mother's footsteps and have stayed away from politics. The prominent politicians who have refrained from passing down the political baton to their children, so far, include Awami League's Abdur Razzak, Abdul Jalil, Suranjit Sengupta, Ataur Rahman Kaiser, Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui and Sheikh Selim. From BNP there is Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Moudud Ahmed, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Noman, Amir Mahmud Khasru Chowdhury, Mir Nasir Uddin, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Khandakar Musharraf, Nazrul Islam Khan, Shahjahan Siraj, Shah Moazzem and Tariqul Islam. The prominent Jatiya Party leaders whose offspring haven't joined politics as yet include Kazi Zafar Ahmed and Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury. The leaders of other political parties who also don't have offspring in politics include Anwar Hossain Manju, Sheikh Shaheedul Islam, Rashed Khan Menon, Dilip Barua, Mujaheedul Islam Selim, Manzurul Ahsan Khan, Muzaffar Ahmed, Hasanul Huq Inu, ASM Abdur Rab, Nur-e-Alam Ziku, Dr. Kamal Hossain, Barrister Amirul Islam and Haider Akbar Khan Rono. Among the Islamic parties, the offspring of Golam Azam, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Sayeedi, Mujahid, Amini, Moulana Mohiuddin Khan and Saikhul Hadith have stayed away from politics.
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