By Christopher Giddings
For past several years, one of the top topics of Dhaka’s political arena is new generation leadership, which should ultimately take over the responsibilities of policy making. Keeping this target at the front, both the major political parties, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League (AL) are searching for young leaders inside. AL leader Sheikh Hasina already expressed willingness of bringing her only son Sajib Wajed Joy in the party politics.
Political analyst feels that, Ms. Hasina will possibly try to ensure the future presidency of Bangaldesh Awami League, very much within her home. Although there had been another potential candidate, her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana for the post of future president of the party, Hasina did not endorse this idea, and already gave signals to Rehana for not becoming ambitious for any political post in the party.
Sheikh Rehana is also possibly quite sure about the fact that Sajib Wajed Joy is the only possible candidate to become AL’s future president, although by now, this young man has greatly failed to give any appreciable performance to put any positive impact on the leaders, especially the seniors of Bangladesh Awami League. Moreover, Joy’s wife is a foreign lady and a non-Muslim, which will certainly stand as an obstacle for him to become Bangladesh’s future Prime Minister, as such marriages are not seen as normal by the majority of Bangladeshi societies.
But, here, chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda Zia showed an effective stand. He brought her elder son, Tareq Rahman in politics and made him the senior joint secretary general of the party. But, much ahead of becoming the JSG of BNP, Tareq Rahman started participating in the politics of BNP and helped greatly in the landslide victory of the party in 2001. Many believe that, Tareq was the silent figure behind such victory, who not only helped his mother in putting right candidates in the rights position, by providing her with electoral statistics, but also, very successfully made series of television documentaries projecting the atrocities of Awami League government.
These documentaries were certainly extremely helpful for BNP in winning people’s mandate. But, after he entered in direct politics by becoming the JSG of the party, Mr. Rahman for the first time in Bangladesh history, took the steps of mobilizing the grass root level workers of his party by traveling to each of the part of Bangladesh. He listened to the party workers and leaders and subsequently submitted reports to the party chairperson, which is now gradually turning into blessings for the party.
Although Awami League leadership also tried to follow the same track of Tareq Rahman, it was a grand flop for them to run the project with Joy at the fore front. Because, neutral analysts feel that, as a human being, Tareq is soft spoken but extremely intelligent and committed like his late father President Ziaur Rahman and mother Khaleda Zia.
Moreover, Tareq has an admirable personality and the excellent quality to attract people towards his vision. He is already telling the people to work in unison in building a prosperous Bangladesh, and initially to fight poverty and illiteracy. His next mission is to create substantial job opportunities for the people of Bangladesh, which currently suffers from unemployment problem. Just recently, he told repeatedly of fighting corruption, once BNP comes in power again during the next general election in 2007.
He is also talking of good governance as well continuing the ongoing battle to combat terrorism and Islamist radicalism in Bangladesh.
This young man has already become a known name in Bangladesh’s rural and urban population, and even the people of the country are greatly appreciative of his intelligence, zeal and bold leadership quality. Tareq Rahman greatly favors discipline within the party, which has already helped BNP is cleansing internal feud amongst the leaders, and it is rather expected by many that, this young man can possibly give something great to the entire nation in the days to come. He is not a leader now, just because he is the son of Ziaur Rahman or Khaleda Zia, but is well acclaimed for his own leadership qualities. In personal life, he is a soft spoken person and married to Dr. Jobaida Rahman, a physician and daughter of former Naval Chief of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh definitely needs good leadership for its future politics and administration, and there is no doubt, Tareq Rahman has already passed the testimonies of riding into the higher level of Bangladesh’s politics. Some people see a new Mahathir Mohammad in Tareq. Let us all hope, this young man can really transform Bangladesh into a developed nation with immense possibilities.
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