By Bhaskar Roy
It is like a fairy tale gone wrong, like the bad wolf trying to eat up Red Riding Hood. The bad wolf finally lost. Will this happen in Bangladesh?
Addressing the Central Committee members of the Jatiyatabadi Swecchasebak Dal, a front organization of the BNP, former Prime Minister and aspirant for the next Prime Ministership, Begum Khaleda Zia, had this to say, "Frequency of movement by vultures has increased in Bangladesh and this movement must be stopped and vultures must be resisted unitedly". Khaleda, who is also the Chairperson of the BNP, went on to say that Bangladesh has not got anything from the agreements (with India) as the present government has compromised the national interest. "Our lands are taken away, innocent people killed along the borders but the present government is afraid to protest", Begum Khaleda said. This is what a Bangladeshi daily newspaper wrote on October 27.
There is no prize for guessing which country Khaleda Zia had in her sight. It was India, a country with which she has been at logger heads from the time she ascended the political stage after the assassination of her husband, President Zia-ur-Rehman.
Nobody can deny Khaleda Zia her political views, her ideology, and her likes and dislikes. These are her democratic rights. But as a senior political leader she has no right to make intemperate public comments which demean the upright culture of the people of her country, a culture which is respected and admired the world over.
A leader is judged by his or her character, vision and the ability to deliver to the people. Using expressions like "vulture" for a neighbor or any other country does not befit a good leader, and exposes her character. The expression "vulture" is a very derogatory expression in Bengali. Vulture is an expression of abuse and denotes a scavenger wishing death all around so that it can feast on dead and rotting flesh. Such expressions are never used in Bangladesh's genteel, educated and enlightened society.
If Khaleda Zia thinks that she can use such expressions for India and score political points, she is sadly mistaken. She has not only denigrated herself, but her party and even her country of which she has been Prime Minister twice.
In undivided India, Bengal, comprising Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India, was known as the cultural state of India. The culture was represented not only in art and literature, but also in tolerance and cordial existence among different religious communities. After partition, with the growing domination of West Pakistan, the people of East Pakistan revolted and formed Bangladesh in 1971 after tremendous sacrifice.
The Bengalis of East Pakistan revolted not only because of economic exploitation by West Pakistan, but mainly because of West Pakistan's attempts to destroy the Bengali language and culture. Begum Khaleda Zia, a product of Pakistani military cantonments, appears to be on the path of tainting the famed culture of Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, Khaleda Zia, as she grew in politics, began to demonstrate vitriolic anti-Indianism. The BNP was born in 1978 following the assassination of Sk. Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, by a group of army officers in August 1975. The party was formed by General and President Zia-ur-Rehman, following the huge political turmoil that almost reversed the country's liberation.
Therefore, those who were involved, supported and benefitted by Sk. Mujibur Rahman's death were naturally allied against India, because of India's support to the liberation struggle. Zia-ur-Rahman was a renowned freedom fighter. If he was a committed freedom fighter against the Pakistani occupation army, the pertinent question would be why he revived the Jamaat-e-Islami politically. The Jamaat leaders were well known for their role not only in supporting Pakistan but also for committing atrocities against Bengali freedom fighters and their families and friends. They were banned politically in 1972. It is, therefore, not surprising that the BNP, the Jamaat and other pro-Pakistani groups formed an alliance against India. It is also alleged that during the BNP-JEI government (2001-2006) work was in an advanced stage to convert Bangladesh into a loose confederate of Pakistan.
During her second term as Prime Minister (2001-2006), Khaleda Zia drove relations with India to the lowest level. On top of the Khaleda Zia government's anti-India agenda were (i) destabilize North East India by heavily arming the separatists, especially the ULFA, and (ii) allow Pakistan's infamous intelligence agency, the ISI, to launch terrorist attacks in India using Bangladesh as a launching pad. A third, but more important task was to eliminate Sk. Hasina, Awami League (AL) President and current Prime Minister. Three attempts were made to assassinate her, one of which almost succeeded and left her with a permanent injury. Sk. Hasina is perceived as the last major symbol of Bangladesh's liberation, and a friend of India. Her life remains under constant threat.
The "North East India conspiracy" involved procuring ten truck loads of lethal arms, ammunition and explosives from China to be smuggled into India. It was by sheer accident that this consignment was detected by the Chittagong police on April 01, 2004, coming out of the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd. (CUFL) jetty, which was under the industries Ministry headed by Jamaat Amir Motiur Rehman Nizami, a prime accused in the war crimes.
The investigations in the Chittagong arms case or the "North East India conspiracy" case has so far revealed startling information. The actors involved, apart from the ULFA, whose Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua, was an honoured guest of the BNP-Jamaat government, were senior officers of Bangladesh's intelligence agencies, Khaleda Zia's elder son Tareq Rehman, Minister of State for Home Lutfozzaman Babar, Home Secretary Omar Farooq, the ISI, the ISI influenced ARY media company based in Dubai, and apparently the Chinese intelligence, among others. It may be pertinent to recall that BNP Foreign Minister Morshed Khan had threatened at that time that "if India encircles Bangladesh, Bangladesh also encircles India". This observation needs no elaboration.
It is, however, intriguing why Khaleda Zia, Tareq Rehman and the BNP hierarchy allowed religious extremism and terrorism to grow. Enough evidence is available to prove that senior elements in the BNP including Khaleda Zia and Tareq encouraged and protected organizations like the Jamatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB), the HUJI, the Lakshar-e-Toiba and others. Jehadi NGOs, from the Gulf and Middle East as well as Pakistan were allowed to freely fund these organizations, which number around 120 today. Banning them has not helped very much because they have entrenched supporters in the bureaucracy established by the BNP-JEI government.
It is curious why Khaleda Zia and her family, who are nowhere near religious conservatism or obscurantism in their personal lives would invite reactionary religious practices and offer their territory to terrorists. Under Khaleda Zia's stewardship Bangladesh was on the verge of being labeled a country sponsoring terrorism. Unfortunately, however, the BNP and Jamaat embedded their cadres so deep in the Bangladesh system, that the secular government led by the AL faced an uphill task. Their strength comes from outside also, some very quietly.
India's $1 billion aid package to Bangladesh was chastised for carrying exploitative interest rate. But when China's $800 million aid programme followed recently with higher interest rates and more stringent conditions, there was silence from the opposition.
Briefly, to conclude, it is for the people of Bangladesh to decide if they want to dig back deep into blind antagonism, or seek ways to show the country's culture, development, peace and stability and inclusivity. Blind hatred is a sure recipe for backwardness. History is replete with such examples.
The BNP mother and son duo, Khaleda Zia and Tareq ruled Bangladesh like a mafia kingdom – unprecedented corruption, extortion, use of terrorists, and political assassination. Under this cover the Jamaat proceeded to expand its own base, hoping to emerge as the dominant party by 2011-2012. The people saw through them and in the December 2008 elections supervised by international observers, they were almost wiped out.
But Begum Khaleda Zia does not appear to have learnt any lessons. This is not to say the Awami League led government has done everything right. But they have changed Bangladesh's international profile to a country determined to eradicate terrorism, concentrate on development, create positive relations with neighbours, and reach out to the world.
In contrast, the BNP's record as the main opposition party has been dismal and destructive. Boycotting parliament en masse, it has not made any contribution to this nation's debate. The party itself, is in disarray. The two sons of Khaleda Tareq and Arafat are embroiled in huge areas of corruption and money laundering. Some of the party's stalwarts like Moudud Ahmed have gone silent. Khaleda's primary campaign line is anti-India, accusing the Awami League of selling the country to India, and shouting about non-governance. The Jamaat media follows the same line.
Ranting against India, abusing India, projecting India as the "evil kingdom" is not going to help Begum Khaleda. She has to do better. But she is on the path to do worse. She has left no room for the BNP to return to power. The BNP has to be recreated from top down if it has to remain as a viable political party. The BNP must realize that India will always assist Bangladesh. It is as much in India's interest as it is in Bangladesh's and South Asia's.
(The author is an experienced analyst of South Asian region. He can be contacted at
