Serajul Alam Khan In search of a third force
The mystery man is at it again, this time envisioning a third political force comprising a federal government, provinces, a new constitution, a two-house parliament and more…
by ANWAR PARVEZ HALIM
The "man-behind-the scenes", Serajul Alam Khan, has something up his sleeve again, apparently, and this time is supposedly hatching plans for a third political force. He envisages a third force in the political arena, a force that stands in lieu of the tried and tested Awami League, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party.
Keeping the tenth national parliament elections in view, Serajul Alam Khan's political coterie has been spreading the word nationwide of this latest vision. A total of 14 social organizations have been formed to this end and dialogues are on with various like-minded political parties. Serajul Alam Khan has been spending late nights in discussion with different groups in various localities of the city – Paribagh, Dhanmandi, Bijoynagar and other places.
Supporters of Serajul Alam Khan have called him 'dada' from the sixties. Previously the Sheraton lobby was his familiar haunt, but as the crowds to see him grew in size and the flow of tea dwindled he changed his venue. His main 'hang-out' now is the office of Samajik Rajnoitik Andolan (Social Political Movement), situated on the ground floor of Sakura Market in Paribagh.
One of Serajul Alam Khan's associates informs us that this mystery man wakes at about four or five in the afternoon everyday. He goes to the Paribagh office where he holds meetings till around nine at night. From there he goes on to Oxford International School in Dhanmandi where discussions carry on till deep in the night. Taking part in these midnight addas are politicians, members of the civil society, professionals, retired military officers and others. In this manner, Serajul Alam Khan holds dialogue with about 200 to 250 people on average everyday.
Inspired by Serajul Alam Khan's new philosophy, the organizations which have been emerging in recent times are Samajik Rajnoitik Andolan, Samajik Shakti, Samajik Oikya, Karjakor Sangsad Andolan, Samajik Rajnoitik Jubo Dhara, Mukta Rajnoitik Andolan, Samajik Jubo Andolan, Bangladesh Ainjibi Andolan, Sramajibi Parishad, Peshajibi Parishad, Nari Oikya, Chhatra League (non-partisan) and several other organizations. Most of the leaders and workers of these organizations were originally involved with JSD politics. Serajul Alam Khan's name graces no position in these organizations. Even though he is the main architect of these bodies, as always he remains behind the scenes.
Close sources of Serajul Alam Khan say that already talks have been held with several smaller parties. They have committed themselves to this second stream of politics, though the leaders of these parties are not ready to go public about it for the time being. When the time is right they will emerge on a single platform, says Abdul Malek Ratan, Secretary General of JSD (Rab). He says JSD's 10-point programme is more or less on the lines of Serajul Alam Khan's 14 points. He says that BNP and Awami League lack the political technology required to take the nation ahead. That is why there was no alternative to Serajul Alam Khan's 14 points and the second stream of politics.
Abdul Malek Ratan says that JSD has been holding meetings in the various districts. In these meetings they have been highlighting three main topics – forming seven to nine provinces in the country; having a two-house parliament; and drawing up a new Constitution. These three points are included in Serajul Alam Khan's 14 points.
Professor Humayun Kabir Hiru is the Central Coordinator of the Samajik Rajnoitik Andolan. He has been the General Secretary of ASM Abdur Rab's JSD at one time. Speaking to PROBE, Hiru says, "We basically are spreading the message of Serajul Alam Khan's second stream of politics. We have units all over the country and so far have distributed 10 million leaflets. We are taking the message and vision of Serajul Alam Khan to the DCs, SPs, secretaries, government officials, upazila chairmen and various professionals."
According to Prof. Hiru, "Samajik Rajnoitik Andolan is a political platform." He says that the demand for dividing the country into provinces and having a two-house parliament is a universal one.
Prof. Hiru wholeheartedly agrees with Serajul Alam Khan that the Constitution needs to undergo a complete change. They have organized a seminar in this regard at the Press Club on May 7.
Musharraf Hossain Montu, former JSD Chhatra League leader and presently Member Secretary of Samajik Shakti, is a close associate of Serajul Alam Khan. He says their organization is active in 25 districts of the country and they will shortly apply to the Election Commission for registration as a political party. According to Musharraf Hossain Montu, those who are involved in the politics of BNP or Awami League, play the role of maidservants. One cannot expect them to do anything constructive for the country. It is the politics of Serajul Alam Khan which, on the other hand, holds promise for the future. He says, "We will be successful if we can convey our message to 50% of the people during the next election."
The student front Chhatra League (non-partisan) was formed in 2008 on the lines of Serajul Alam Khan's politics. Kamruzzaman Apu, a student of Computer Science at BIST, is the Convenor of the central committee of this organization. He tells PROBE that they have teams in all of Dhaka's colleges as well as in the universities of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Rajshahi. Each team comprises five members. Apu says, "Basically we spread dada's message among the students."
What dies Serajul Alam Khan actually mean by this second stream of politics?
Looking back, in undivided India even though the Indian National Congress, Muslim League, Jamiyate Ulema League, Communist Party and other parties differed in their ideology, they did have a common point and that was they were formed on the lines of Western political culture and political system. It was thus the British liberal social system that gave rise to the capitalism-based parliamentary democracy as well as the anti-capitalist classical socialism.
The parliamentary stream was headed by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Sardar Patel and Moulana Abul Kalam Azad. And the stream of classical socialism was led by Comrade Muzaffar Ahmed, Jyoti Basu and others.
At the same time a different stream of politics had emerged in this Bengal that reflected the local culture, a revolutionary spirit and a conglomeration of people-oriented activities which were taking outside of the subcontinent at that time. This was the second stream of politics. These were manifest in the Sepoy Mutiny, the Santal Mutiny, the Indigo Mutiny, Haji Shariatullah and Dudu Miah's Farazi Movement, Titumir's movement and so on. In fact, Subhash Bose's Azad Hind Fauj and Sher-e-Bangla's Lahore Declaration were of the second stream politics. And it was to expand this alternative stream that the party JSD was formed in 1972.
The veteran political thinker Serajul Alam Khan feels that the main objective today is to nurture a political growth based on the 14 points in order to develop an enlightened society.
The 14 points of this second stream of politics include a central government based on the federal system, a two-house parliament with the lower house consisting of 300 members and upper house consisting of 200 members, formation of provinces, a government of consensus, upazila-based self-ruled local government, a National Economic Council, a National Security Council, voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis, establishing Digital Bangladesh, expansion of the micro-credit system and initiating social business.
The 14 points also call for an economic alliance among Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India's northeastern states, Myanmar's southern region and the Kunming province of China.
Serajul Alam Khan feels that a national unity must be institutionalized on the basis of the state structure and system of government as laid down in the 14 points.
Political analysts do not dismiss the possible entrance of a third force, given the existing political circumstances of today. However, it is difficult to say when, and under whose leadership, this force will emerge. Serajul Alam Khan's followers are confident that whichever power comes to the helm as an alternative to BNP and Awami League, will have to take this second stream into cognizance if it is to be successful.
They feel that already much support has been drummed up for Serajul Alam Khan's political vision. Support has been lent by ASM Abdur Rab, Abdul Kader Siddiqui, Dr. Yunus Somman Rakkhya Committee (Committee Defending Dr. Yunus' Honour), Sujan and other organizations as well as individuals. Barrister Rafiqul Huq recently deliberated about the two-house parliamentary system at a programme in the Press Club. Oli Ahmed brought up the same topic at a meeting in Chittagong recently. Ershad's Jatiya Party continues to be vocal about the upazila system and formation of provinces. Other than that, several reformists of BNP and Awami League have been keeping in touch with Mr. Khan.
An associate of Serajul Alam Khan tells PROBE that Kalyan Party, Prof. Shahida Obaid, Forward Party and other smaller parties and forums are likely to unite on one platform at the behest of Serajul Alam Khan. However, Maj. Gen. Syed Muhammed Ibrahim (retd) tells PROBE that till date Kalyan Party has not had any discussion with Serajul Alam Khan in this regard. Similarly, Shahida Obaid and Forward Party's ABM Mustafa Amin also tell PROBE that they have had no discussion about a second stream of politics with Serajul Alam Khan so far. They say they have no desire to join this second stream.
Investigations reveal that those attached to this trend of Serajul Alam Khan's politics are mostly former JSD persons, or even presently involved in JSD politics. They are not very well known entities. That is why political analysts are questions whether these persons have the ability, the skills, the popularity and charisma required to ensure people's support for dada's emergent third force.
Swaroop Hasan Shaheen, President of Mukta Rajnoitik Andolan, says, "We believe in Serajul Alam Khan's vision and do not feel there is any need for haste. If you delve a bit deeper, you will see as it is people are fed up with the politics of BNP and Awami League. They just need some inspiration. We are working on this silently. Our politics had an ideology. We are not here to grab power. We want a change of the existing system and that calls for this second stream of politics."
In response to contacting Serajul Alam Khan over the telephone, he directly rejects such calls, saying he is unwilling to speak to the media.
The 14 points of this second stream of politics include
- central government based on the federal system,
- two-house parliament with the lower house consisting of 300 members and upper house consisting of 200 members,
- formation of provinces,
- government of consensus,
- upazila-based self-ruled local government,
- National Economic Council,
- National Security Council,
- voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis,
- establishing Digital Bangladesh,
- expansion of the micro-credit system and initiating social business.
Parvez1966@yahoo.com
http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=7068
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