Untold Facts

Gratefulness: Enough is enough

A renowned freedom fighter of 1971 war of Bangladesh and a retired General has reminded India that she should be grateful to Bangladesh for the Bangladesh freedom fighters aided India for defeating her enemy in 1971. I have not heard any other freedom fighter making as yet in about four decades such a plain and a straightforward reminder to India. What was repeatedly said by many and heard that Bangladesh must remain grateful to India forever as she freed Bangladesh with her Armed Forces. That was what even their present High Commissioner Pinak Chakravarty, as well, reminded all Bangladeshis in an open speech a few months ago.

The 1971 war had clearly two parties on the Bangladesh side, the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters and the Indian interests. The former group sought to have independence from Pakistan and the latter wished to ‘teach Pakistan a lesson’ by dismembering it. They had two different objectives but in reality turned into one goal against unity of Pakistan. The climax was the 16th December defeat of Pakistan Army in Dhaka and victory for the allied forces led by Indian General Arora.

There is a strong opinion that the Freedom fighters alone could bring about the victory, might be at some latter date, and further that a section at the top ruling elite in Pakistan wished to have excuse to let East Pakistan go off, sensing these facts from intelligence as that could have been, India took full advantage of the situation at about the opportune time to act and interfere as they did for perpetuating hold on Bangladesh politics, economy and culture. It was thus the unfortunate fait accompli not only for Bangladesh but also for the subsequent government dealing with de facto situation of helplessness in dealing with India as a sovereign country. The net effect was irresistible as they happened in the case of the 25 year treaty of subservience signed by the Bangladesh Government on the 19th March, the suicidal Border trade of 1972, the Indian dictated Constitution of 1972, the 1973 Berubari handover to India but failed to secure in exchange the TIN BIGH corridor sovereignty right, the Farakka MOU of 1974 that paved the way for the inequitable 30 year treaty of 1996, the CHT unfair treaty of 1996, etc.; and now the incoming inequitable and injurious for Bangladesh the Tipaimukh Dam of India, corridor being secured by India through Bangladesh that obviously threatens security and sovereignty of Bangladesh, taking hold on Bangladesh seaports and possibly unknown some more to follow soon to come.

In the last four decades Bangladesh had more than enough of debt servicing to India. It is now high time to tell them that enough is enough.

Author: M.T. Hussain

Seventy-Five Change: Bangladesh is the Beneficiary

The Law Minister of present Bangladesh Government has said recently that the Law Minister of the past BNP Jote Government had been a beneficiary of August 1975 change of the government in Dhaka. Was that so? Was he alone the beneficiary? None else? Or were there only a few with him? Or the whole nation had been and continues to be the real beneficiary of the historic change?

1. Oppression of pre-August 1975 Government
Three and a half decades have passed by since the August 1975 change. A new generation has come up in their full youth as of now. These millions of youthful energy are very little aware of the pre-1975 facts of people’s lives, their miseries, fears and oppression let loose on them by the government then in power in Bangladesh. In addition, propaganda galore has constantly been pouring in all ears that the man-god had an unwelcome fall in mid August 1975. In reality, the contrary had been true.
(i) The absolute dictator trampled democracy
The man-god although had all lofty promises previously for democracy, taking on to the State power in January 1972, soon turned a dictator of the worst kind, first without having declared democracy formally banned but then in January 1975 banned all political parties and kept the only one of his own with a little changed name BAKSAL further strengthening his absolute dictatorial power.
(ii) Corruption and looting of State property
The party leaders and cadres of all levels at the behest of the man-god stooped too low to grab the public and state properties whenever and wherever they could lay their hands on, as if they had acquired all rights to do so as booty of the victory of the independence war of 1971. All law enforcing agencies, not even the army could do anything to stop looting public properties. Smuggling along the ‘friendly’ Indian border of nearly 42,00 km had been their exclusive privilege that broke the structure of the economy of the country in quick succession so much so that in about two years of the rule of the man-god’s man made famine (Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen) took lives of thousands (27,000 government figure, few hundred thousands unofficial count) in 1974.
(iii) Rakkhi Bahini’s torture and killing of all political opponents
From the very inception of the man-god’s rule in early 1972, he did raise a Para military force by new recruits from specially motivated youths under the tutelage of the Indian central intelligence agency, the R&AW, outside the control and framework of the Constitution, as a Gestapo style armed force and in parallel to the regular armed force of the country, who were employed at exclusive will of the man-god to capture, punish and kill all the imaginary political opponents, particularly the youths of the country having political views other than the man-god. The figures killed alone by this Bahini in three and a half years until mid August 1975, according to an estimate, rose to about 40,000. Many of such killings had not only been directly ordered by the leader but also shamelessly boasted for as one for example was of killing on the 2nd January 1975 of brilliant Engineer Seraj Sikder, the chief of the Purba Bangla Sarbahara party, a left leaning political party. The boasting immediately after Sikder’s killing went in Bengali verbatim, “KOTHAI AJ SERAJ SIKDER (Where is today Seraj Sikder)’ at the floor of the otherwise sacred Parliament!
(iv) Private Hoodlums
The man-god had other private hoodlums privately armed for capture, torture and killing at will anyone taken to be imaginary foes of political groups other than the man-god’s own. Such hoodlum forces amazingly and unbelievably had in the main even been organized by his eldest son Sheikh Kamal, nephew Moni and a very dear one SP (Dhaka) Mahbub. Their casualties remained unaccounted for as ever.

2. Reliefs and Rejoice on the 15th August 1975 from the Inhuman Oppression
The people had a relief and rejoiced the fall of the man-god on the 15th August 1975 are well on record. The joy had reasons, (i) prices of essential commodities shot down to people’s purchasing power and relief that went sky high and went on higher and higher following unexpectedly the 1971 independence mainly due to man-god’s own men fleecing the economy, on the one hand, and exploitation of the evil opportunities by Indian big economy and interests, on the other, in connivance of the man-god’s own henchmen. (ii) The country and the people felt immensely relieved at the end of the absolute dictatorship and revert back to pluralism and multi-party democratic government the people had long struggled for to establish in the past. (iii) The overwhelming majority people were also elated that the change of August 1975 promised for return to the Islamic value system that the post 1971 government went on to eradicate in the excuse for ‘secularism’ that India had imposed in the 1972 Constitution having had no prior clear mandate of the people of the country. (iv) The people felt further relieved when the unconstitutional and killer Rakkhi Bahini was disbanded and some the selected few absorbed into the regular army and the private hoodlums groups naturally disappeared from the social scene immediately after the 15th August change.

3. The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution adopted in April 1979, had just formalized the aspirations of the people of the 15th August 1975 change. The country runs since then on until this time in 2009 what the heroic change right then initiated.

4. That Bangladesh did not go back to the lone party BAKSAL of the pre 15th August nightmare over the last 35 years and certainly do not wish to go back to those dark days are solid proofs that the whole country and not any individual is the big beneficiary of that historic and heroic change.

Author: Dr.M.T. Hussain

Hanging Portrait in Madarasahs: Encroaching Religious Freedom

There are already protests against the present Government order and press for it to implement hanging of the portrait of the noted person who they consider founding father of the country. The protests and abhorrence are in all likely going to go on, I am afraid, unending.

Apart from no unanimity about the noted person for his acceptance as the founding father by all and sundry in Bangladesh clearly manifested in the hard fact that to many people of the country the figure remains as ever a controversial person that divided the nation, at least, into two divisions, the ‘secular’ Bengali nationalists and the nationalist (Muslim) Bangladeshis, the point, in addition, that came up as the insurmountable stumbling block is that the hanging of portrait concerned went against the cultural tradition of the Madarasahs, in particular. The Tradition is nothing spurious or unstable or a temporary one but a historic one firmly rooted in the past one and a half millennium. The tradition developed from the very inception of the Medinan Khilaphat in the early seventh century A.D. along with the very education system based at the Mosque of Medina right then. Otherwise, the Muslims would have first of anybody the portrait of the Prophet of Islam in that historic mosque.

If one would dispassionately look back, any portrait of the prophet is not only available anywhere in the Muslim world but if there is any imaginary elsewhere, Muslims rise in protest for any bit of the question of such imaginary portrait. Why?

It is only the Muslims all over the world and no other religious believers who maintain despise for culture of portrait. In fact, religious groups other than Muslims have all love and almost cram for portrait of their religious leaders. That is how they developed a tradition of portrait culture.

Why could not the Muslims accept the portrait culture? It is not because of anything but for the TAWHEED or the unadulterated belief in the ABSOLUTE ALLAH that the fortunate Muslims alone pursue as a single group of human race. Madrasahs being the nerve center of the Islamic learning and culture building it maintains the tradition with all earnestness. It is not only the practice in Bangladesh but also all over the Muslim world and in the community elsewhere.

The Bangladesh Government by trying to force hanging of the portrait has not only waged a unholy war against the long tradition of the Muslims but also stepped on to interfere into the religious freedom of the Muslims that the Bangladesh Constitution and the UN Human Rights Charter have made mandatory for the government not to interfere with.

Author: M .T. Hussain

Foreign Ministry took six months for Self-Confidence!

FM took Six Months to Act
At long last the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has made a rejoinder to Pinak’s latest of so many insinuations he had in his credit against sovereign Bangladesh. This was Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty’s blaming the ‘80% touts and pimps’ in Visa applicants and of the figure exactly of ‘25,000 of Bangladeshis’ yearly not returning to Bangladesh from India having had entered India after obtaining normal visas from the Indian High Commission Office in Dhaka! Many other similar and serious insinuations and derogatory comments by the same honorable person, a trained diplomat, went unattended or unheeded to, much less to make any protest or made any rejoinder to any by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry (FM). One may wonder if the FM had to take over six months to gain self-confidence in dealing with similar delicate relational matter between Dhaka and Delhi to make the July 22 rejoinder.

There could be only one possible explanation of this amazingly undesirable delay and conspicuous inefficiency of the FM.

High Caste Bengali Attitudes
Pinak is a high caste Bengali as his surname CHAKRAVARTY indicates. His native tongue is exactly what most of the Bangladeshis speak though with little different in mode of accent and pronunciation, one could say Englishman’s English and American English. That is why he is more akin to the ‘Bengalis’ of Bangladesh and little with other Bengali speaking Bangladeshis. One may note that that is what remains the distinctiveness of the political divide of the people of Bangladesh since almost the very inception of independent Bangladesh. The 2008 December election provided victory to the so to say pure ‘Bengalis’ and defeat for the Bangladeshis. Pinak is well known to have a big role in that victory. Thus he became so close to the present government representing ‘Bengalism’ and not Bangladeshism. The confidence and closeness so developed made Pinak almost one of the government, and at times his loose talks were taken as anything between two very close friends, and hardly of any polished diplomat of a foreign country.

Intimacies
The ultra ‘Bengalis’ and the government for the last six months did not mind his fowl talks and many unmannerly utterances. But the overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis did refuse to relish any such of his utterances. And so did they continue to protest. One must wonder now if the Government’s deep love and closeness for common ‘Bengalism’ has some how been dented.

Bitter Past
If one would look back in history of the events of 1940s it was mainly the high caste Bengali CHAKRAVARTY’s, BANNERJEE’s, MUKERJEE’s etc. who with rare exception like Sarat Bose forced on the one and united Bengal to get divided into two. Had they been little tolerant at that time, we would remain together and Bangladesh would not have been a reality as it is now after 1947/1971. Dhaka would remain a district/divisional town and Kolkata the capital of united Bengal as it had been during the British period of 190 years (1757-1947). There would have been in that case no envoy of Delhi in Dhaka much less what Mr. Pinak holds the position here of High Commissioner of Delhi. But political dynamics at that time made what the reality is now. Bangladesh is now an independent country, Dhaka its capital and Kolkata centered Bengalis are not independent but member of a small unit or province of bigger India having capital in Delhi. One may wonder if Pinak has any inferiority complex as a marginal Bengali of India and not as fully independent as the Bengalis of Bangladesh.

Pinak’s Mental Complex
Mr. Pinak as a diplomat represent Delhi and not the Bengalis of West Bengal. Dhaka’s position is what Delhi’s in India. Bangladesh is a sovereign country what India is among independent nations. Thus it is not only Delhi but also her envoy in Dhaka Pinak must behave like a diplomat of a foreign country according to Geneva Conventions with full dignity in dealing with prestige, honor and people’s sentiment of another country. That Pinak is a Bengali and the present government in Dhaka represents ‘Bengalis’ is not all truth but only half-truth. Though almost all Bangladeshis speak Bengali as their own native language, the geographical border and history have given them a distinct identity not only different from the Bengalis of West Bengal but also from the people of India. How could Pinak be careless about the fact except in derogation of the honor and prestige of sovereign Bangladesh?

FM’s Self-Confidence at last
But the callous non-response of the FM to Pinak’s all those derogatory remarks in the last six months surpassed even Pinak’s sub-standard dealings. Even so, one may say, better late than never, and for the fact that the FM has gained the self-confidence for self-respect needed of a vital unit of the Bangladesh Government.

Author: M.T. Hussain

A Book review -BDR Massacre: Target Bangladesh

BDR Massacre: Target Bangladesh by M. Z. Abedin, 184 pages, Hard Bound, Published by Eastern Publishers, London, Price Tk 350, US$ 10/-, July 2009: A Review:

The book BDR Massacre: Target Bangladesh by journalist Mohammad Zainal Abedin is all about the massacre of the unprecedented and horrendous in history of the killings of Bangladesh Army senior officers, nearly five dozens, on the 25-26 February 2009 perpetrated in ‘mutiny’ by the worst brutes from among the BDR Jawans (foot soldiers). Possibly this is the first of such book that covered the mayhem in some available detail.

The author has introduced himself as the former student leader and a 1971 freedom fighter of the genre of the present ruling party, Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), but claimed to have left the party for every kind of evils and corruptions he had experienced in the body, then took to teaching and journalism.

He had some other books; the noted one was on the Indian Intelligence Service, R&AW that won him a prize of honor in 2007 of the LISA (London Institute of South Asia). For some time he edited and published a Bengali weekly EKALER KATHA until he left for the USA for residence there along with his family in 2007.

The book under review here consists of four main chapters, a few photographs of the Army officers killed, a foreword and author’s own explanation. The book is dedicated to the memory of the Bangladesh Army officers killed in the BDR Headquarters on the 25-26 February 2009 that rightly gives his feelings about the unfortunate dozens. The foreword by Professor Mahbub Ullah has warned rightly the readers of some ‘pitfalls’ in the work. Even so, he has encouraged all to read it through.

Cunning Big Brother
The title of the book has indicated what the author in the book had in his view in pointing out to the machination of the well-known BIG BROTHER (India) of Bangladesh in the mayhem. He had some circumstantial evidences but not all to substantiate his thesis, possibly because, the cunning CHANAKYAN had been so crafty all along in the past history that many had been outwitted and so are still now. The motive for help of ‘paratroopers’ offer of Delhi to the PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh just at the onset of the mayhem on the 25th February curiously has not been explored in necessary detail.

Vulnerable Bangladesh
The harsh reality is that Bangladesh has its own geographical vulnerability virtually encircled almost on all sides by the mighty regional power having nearly 4,200 km common border. Being thus advantageously situated, why should India care for any military threat from Bangladesh? Why should the Bangladesh Army be of any worth cognition so far as military engagement is concerned? The Baraibari or Padua fight of early 2000 between the border guards of the two countries, BDR and BSF, could have been nothing of show of military strength or any of major engagement between the two sides. There is no comparison of the armed strength and arsenals of the two sides, much less the existence of any nuclear one that Bangladesh does not have but India has many. All these questions and underlying points would certainly and clearly state that India had no good reason for the mayhem whatsoever against the Bangladesh Army or the BDR.

India Gains Most
There are other issues, as well. India need not invade Bangladesh for she has been having since after 1971 all advantages that she wished to accrue. India dominates Bangladesh in politics, culture and above all in economy. The latest official figure in balance of trade in favor of India runs in nearly 3 billion US$. The unofficial figures, run still higher that occur as regular feature through all sorts of illegal trades like smuggling along the porous borders, land, river and sea waters not only for normal goods but also of illegal sale of items like arms, illegal drugs etc. The vulnerable economy of Bangladesh continues to face threats from much bigger Indian economy since the last four decades now that India continues to accrue benefits from, no matter if the BDR and the Army is more efficient or not. Unfortunately, these points have not been addressed in the book that made it one - sided view of things in drawing his conclusion in somewhat tunnel vision way.

Hasina and Moin
The other amazing point was that the two days killings and massacres went on almost uninterrupted not only in full knowledge of the PM of Bangladesh and her Army Chief but also of their curious inaction and a sort of playing with lives of nearly five dozen senior and brilliant army officers. How come that Mr. Abedin did not throw enough light on this very vital and crucial point? What the writer would say if anyone would doubt his siding with these two persons, in particular, in his putting all blames on India?

Hide and Seek
The hide and seek game the government has, in fact, been playing as were clear from the partial report made public and not the whole of it and still claiming ‘success’ in handling the mayhem should substantiate the point that the writer might have put his effort to isolate the two figures as mentioned here giving all blames on India that can not be beyond skepticism. No sensible person in the know of political dynamics can be oblivious of the fact that Hasina in particular in her heart of heart has a burning desire to punish any army men whenever she would have any scope to do so, particularly after the 15th August victorious army coup of 1975.

Politics for Reprisal
One may recall here, a verbatim quote of Hasina made public by London based Octogenarian BBC Bengali Service journalist Mr. Serajur Rahman, ‘AMI RAJNITI GHRINA KORI KINTU PITRIHOTYAR PROTISHODHER JONYO RAJNITIIE ESHECHI’ (I hate politics but just only to take revenge of my father’s killing I have taken on to politics)’. That she is after the blood of the 15th August 1975 coup heroes is no secret that she wish deeply to finish this time as all evidences are clear to any body keeping track of facts surfacing. Soon after she took the Chair of the PM in 2009 she has already cleaned off the general administration, law enforcing agencies, education, etc from all her ‘undesirable’ lots and replaced with the party men and women. She has then on put her ugly hand on the army, as well. Many brilliant senior officers have already been sacked and removed at her free will for she is the Defense Minister, as well. Should not the skeptics doubt that she enjoyed playing with the valuable lives of the five dozens army officers in the mayhem for her sadist pleasure?

Not Army but Militia
Hasina’s father under direct tutelage of the Indian R&AW raised the Rakkhi Bahini somewhat in fashion of Militia he had in the 6 Point autonomy formula aiming then in independent Bangladesh ultimately to replace and drop altogether the regular Army of Bangladesh. One may not but wonder if she has been going on for similar venture and for that end killing of senior officers and dismissal at random lately of meritorious senior officers of the regular army.

Blind for Vengeance
That Hasina could be stooped to anything at her wish is well documented not only by the High Court of the country that twice warned her few years ago of misdemeanor. Justice Shabuddin after leaving the position of the President of the country in late 2001 had a statement published in the daily Independent on the 5th January 2002 that may speak well about her mentality of vengeance and of a clear psychopathic case. In making response to her calling Shahabuddin a ‘betrayer’ he retorted, “ Did I give any undertaking that the victory of the Awami League would be ensured in the election (2001)’?

Rentu and Hasina
Even though some of the facts about Hasina’s abnormal behavior as mentioned in the Rentu’s autography AMAR FANSHI CHAI may be questioned, but the fact has been proved beyond doubt from many other sources that she is really a psychic case, and so possibly had her sadist pleasure in the BDR massacre.

I would feel that by leaving Hasina off from the actors of the BDR massacre by the author, he lacked in his perceptional dimension that need be corrected.

Supplementary and Complementary
So far as India’s likely involvement in the mayhem was concerned, it was supplementary and complementary to Hasina’s perception of gains and sadist lust for revenge. India has a game plan in Bangladesh that according to Indian retired Bengali General Shankar Roy Chowdhury is part of the GREAT GAME in the region that Hasina is well placed in Dhaka to play very effectively for Delhi, when and how is a different matter. But one may look back and ponder coolly that for what Hasina had been motivated, trained and fully groomed for during her full protection she had been under the powerful Central Indian Intelligence Agency, the R&AW, and the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India for long six years during August 1975- May 1981.

May be the writer would in future bring out a revised edition of the book giving attention to the ‘pitfalls’ sooner than latter for the issue he has taken on to address is really a very important one for the safety, security and sovereignty of Bangladesh that his commitment to patriotism, I would suppose, would very much demand.

Review by: Dr.M.T. Hussain

Judicial Murder Fear through Miscarriage of Justice of the 15th August 1975 Dhaka Coup Actors

Appeal Lying in the Supreme Court

That the Bangladesh Government led by Sheikh Hasina and the Law Minster including some other of their colleagues look poised to make unusual hurry for disposal of the appeal of the accused of the 15th August 1975 case lying for hearing over a year at the Supreme Court. Apparently their haste may be appreciable but the hara-kiri they have been signaling for could invite skepticism.

Four Additional Judges Appointed

It was appreciable that the law Minister publicly stated to the media earlier that in order to have enough judges to hear the specific appeal, new judges need be appointed. So did he manage to create four new posts approved by the President of the Republic in a day and very smartly the next day on the 14th July four new judges were appointed from among the High Court judges. All these actions have been wonderfully quick and efficient, indeed.

Something Fishy

What, however, lacuna was that in selecting and appointing the four new judges seniority had been violated by the Government. In addition, there has already been some complaint that the new judges are known to be partisan and not political party neutral. Further worrying was that one of the cabinet state ministers has had already publicly stated that they would finish the trial before the 15th August of 2009 and also to finish execution accordingly to death of the convicts before the day.

Fishy still Further Back

Recently, the octogenarian and retired Bangladeshi born BBC journalist Mr. Serajur Rahman, now a permanent citizen of England, stated in an article published in a Dhaka Bengali daily that in part in verbatim of Sheikh Hasina read as follows: ‘AMI RAJNITI GHRINA KORI, KINTU PITRI HOTYAR PROTISHODDH NEAR JONYOI RAJNITITE ESHECHI’ (I hate politics but just only for taking revenge of my father’s killing, I have taken up to do politics). That was what in her recorded interview in early 1980s. In fact she entered into Bangladeshi politics in early 1980s having had a six years self exile in India following the 15th August 1975 incident in Dhaka. However, for realizing the goal she had in the matter she had to wait until 1996 June when she took over as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

She took to do Judicial Murder

She was on for five years term. So she started with hara-kiri by filing a ‘murder’ case against the actors of the 15th August not by herself but by a third person, then on she put all her energies to get a verdict of her own choice by a lone special session judge. The judge, a hand picked of herself, made himself other hara-kiri so much so that he admitted in the judgment for time constraint, refused to listen to the defense lawyer that the matter was not in any way simple ‘murder’ as defined in the codes but happened to be a victorious coup d’ etat that itself is automatically indemnified, and even so caring little he gave death sentence to 15 accused as simple ‘murderers’ and ordered execution by ‘FIRING SQUAD’, amazingly nowhere there provided for in the criminal procedure code! Certainly the verdict made on the 8th November 1998 by the hand picked judge satisfied Sheikh Hasina’s ego for reprisal she had in mind.

The High Court Split Verdict and After

The death reference went as required to the High Court. The two judge bench while considering the matter faced threats from Hasina’s party cadres including the Home Minster Nasim who led procession to the High Court campus and staged demonstrations etc yielding sticks in hand just only to have the death sentence of the 15 confirmed by so intimidating the judges. But the verdict was split. As soon as the split verdict was announced the party hoodlums made a hell of lawlessness all over the country. In Mymensigh, 100 km away from Dhaka the brother’s residence of the one judge who acquitted 5 was attacked and put on fire. Another home of one acquitted was also put on blaze near Narayanganj, 25 km away from Dhaka.

The Third Judge and the Appeal

The third judge considered the split verdict and added another two to death sentence in April 2000. Then the accused went on for the appeal and in the process she fell from the State power. Shortage of judges for hearing of appeal for only five under custody in the Central Prison, others possibly staying outside the country since 1996, kept the case pending. The smartness of the present government made the difference for appeal hearing to begin soon.

Expectations

Now that the case is expected to be disposed of in the Appeal hopefully in neutral and fair way that it obviously lacked during the period 1996-2000 giving into clear miscarriage of justice, and that Bangladesh has now independent judiciary, the lapses occurred in the past in the due process would be duly taken care of at the appeal process. The first and the foremost one should be that the 15th August successful coup need be duly considered as of any victorious coup took place elsewhere and in terms of legal norm that in case of Bangladesh gave the legitimacy and continuity of the Government following the 15th August coup. Further that the coup paved right way for restoration pluralism and multi-party democracy in the country by removing the BAKSALite dictator (Hasina’s father) of the lone party system that the leader had introduced in January 1975 having little regard to the democratic wishes of the people.

Some Facts for Optimism and Expectations

That the case has not received due care in the due process was blasted by not only ordinary intellectuals or citizens but also by personalities like one retired Chief Justice, one seating High Court Judge and a retired judge of the High Court. They all condemned the verdicts for hanging the accused. The retired Chief Justice stated with the BBC Bengali Service in 2002 March 26 that the case ‘was not of a simple murder but politics was linked to it’. The seating judge referred to above stated with a local English daily The Independent on the 26th March 2001 that ‘after one hundred years people will say that it was not a judgment at all’. About the then Army Chief (1975) General Shafiullah, he further remarked that he should have been one of the accused in the case and not a witness. The retired High Court judge referred to here in a public meeting held at the Dhaka Press Club VIP Lounge on the 15th August 2008 stated in unambiguous term that ‘whoever would wish that the 15th August actors (he named Farook) hanged, they must first demand hanging of General Shafiullah (he being then the Army Chief)’. His relevant comments were published in many dailies in Dhaka the next day, the 16th August 2008, and about right then in some periodicals, as well.

Author: Dr.M.T. Hussain

Political Witch-Hunting: Not Fair Trial of War Crimes in Bangladesh

War Crimes Act 2009
That the war crimes tribunal bill was passed on the 9th July in the Bangladesh Parliament and that the trial of the violators of human rights of 1971 is to begin soon as per the act just passed and just as the law Minister has iterated to the press, it is expected by all sensible persons that 100% neutrality would be maintained in the due process of law.

Partisan
The point of neutrality has many facets that the due process would certainly take care of. Even so, I have a fear that not all perpetrators of human rights would be taken to task and put to the dock in the due process of law. That is what I intend here to point out for all those wishing for fairness of the trials that the Law Minister is known to have assured.

Two Opponents
The first and crucial point, despite the fact that the 1971 war had been fought sporadically and mainly in hit and run guerrilla style during the period of 9 months from March to early December, it was a fight between two distinct and opposite groups. One group started to fight for independence of Bangladesh and other for preservation of the integrity of Pakistan against dismemberment.

Intervener
The intervening party was the federal Pakistan army that began very much foolishly with its so-called Operation Search Light on the 25th March 1971 in the Dhaka city. The army then on took about a month to reestablish its control lost to the Awami Leaguers over the country’s far-flung areas. They conducted their operations with their ferocity at their disposal to establish control and did in the process excesses in violation of human rights.

The Awami League
The Awami League group did not seat at rest. They had their own operations though not with sophisticated arms like those of the federal army but with whatever they had in perpetrating violation of human rights on the patriotic Pakistanis. The ethnic non-Bengalis had been the main victims in the hands of the marauders of the Awami League Bengali cadres, certainly not all the Bengalis. The violations included arson, inhuman torture, violations of women, killing of young children, youths and old of all varieties whoever had been vulnerable and the Awamis considered anti-secessionists. The federal army did similar violations but not before 25th March but after or in other words, they took reprisal of the violations of all kinds for days and weeks of the Awami marauders did in their own crude operations until about the end of April 1971. That meant clearly that the Awami cadres had been the aggressors in the war, albeit due mainly to foolhardy public order the leader made on the 7th March speech at the Ramna Race Course, ‘TOMADER JAR JA ACHE TAI NIYE PROSTUT THAKO (keep yourselves ready to fight with whatever you have), RAKTO JAKHON DIECHI ARO RAKTO DIBO (that we shall give more blood as we have already given), AMI TOMADER (addressing the federal army) BHATE MARBO (we shall not give you anything to eat), PANITE MARBO (no water to drink)’, etc. In essence the crude directions meant only to incite the Awami followers not only against the federal army but also against the poor and vulnerable non-Bengalis in thousands who took shelter in Bangladesh following the massacre they faced in the hands of the frenzied Hindu communalists in various Hindu dominated provinces in the British India in the wake of the partition and in 1947. Thus the frenzied Awamis in early 1971 was just another version of the 1947 frenzied Hindu communalists.

Frenzied Awami Leguers
The frenzied Awamis not only massacred the non-Bengalis in thousands, the numbers are never known, not possible to be known in their exactness even in future, but also massacred Bengalis who for their own sacred belief in the integrity of Pakistan; such killings went not only during the nine months but also with more ferocity after the 16th December 1971, the day the Pakistan army surrendered to the Indian victorious army abandoning East Pakistan for independent Bangladesh. One eye witness reference of killings in Dhaka after the 16th December was mentioned to Sheikh Mujib by the famous Italian journalist Oriana Fallasy that he denied though, but some photos of the brutal killings were available in many press records in London. I have my own collection of one incident. Recently I have got a video recording of one incident obtained in the Internet from broad. The sum total of the issue was that violation of human rights including killing of many persons took place from both sides by the rogues of both groups in 1971 in Bangladesh.

No Authentic Facts
As regards the measure of ferocities and figures of persons killed in encounters, there are no authentic and reliable facts. Though the Bangladesh Government at the beginning in 1972 ordered to make enumeration of persons killed in 1971, the project was abandoned within weeks, as the result the leader wished to have would not factually be obtained!

Some Estimates
Some estimates, however, were later on done by three different groups, two based in the USA (Small and Singer, New York, 1982; Sisson and Rose, Harvard, 1990) and one Sharmila Bose (2005) based in India. All these groups had different figures of persons killed in 1971 in Bangladesh varying from 100,000 to 300,000, far less than the so-called ‘3 million’ figure. However, there were near agreements of them all that the Pro-Pakistanis killed by their opponents exceeded all those of Pro-Bangladeshis. Such disagreements in figures do not say that there had been one-sided violation of human rights and excesses. Excesses of human rights violations have had been carried out by the rogues of both sides.

Sri Lanka
On the civil war/independence war (Tamil’s perspective) in the Sri Lanka that ended recently, the UN, the Human Rights Watch, etc. have clearly stated that in the war for years both sides have had violated human rights. That was quite reasonable and truth about facts.

Moral Wrong
In view of the above facts how come that Bangladesh have passed the International Tribunals Act 2009 to put on trial not the defeated and vanquished real actors of the federal Pakistan Army but some fries who out of their patriotism for the preservation of the sovereign State of Pakistan stood to take ideological stand, and might have gone for some excesses not all on their own but for self defense and for some insignificant resistance to the opposite groups. The rogues who did the more excesses from the victors’ side are given automatic indemnity. Is this not morally wrong? Certainly was it.

Mujib about Wrongs
The question of moral wrong was in view of the Bangladesh leader Sheikh Mujib in 1974 as he got many disputed issues settled with Pakistan when he stated publicly in exchange for many bargaining including the recognition of Bangladesh as the independent country out of the Pakistan legal framework, ‘FORGIVE AND FORGET’. Mujib knew for sure that himself being the youth leader of Pakistan movement in late 1940s, he along with the people of the region of East Bengal and Sylhet (now Bangladesh) fought resolutely with all determination and through popular votes of over 97% for the founding of Pakistan out of the British Indian subcontinent. The so-called mandate claimed of the 1970 election by certain quarter was in no way for independent Bangladesh but for maximum autonomy of East Pakistan based on the Awami League’s six point demand. That meant clearly that the people was not in full agreement with what happened as de facto position following the armed aggression of India in December 1971. It is on record that Mujib even as late as in October 1974 in his conversation with US Foreign Secretary Henry Kissinger termed the Indian army of 1971 in Bangladesh operation as the ‘Occupation Army’ (See, US State Department declassified document published in the Dhaka weekly The Holiday, 6th March, 2009).

Unsettling
Thus it is very crystal clear that the present Awami League Government of Bangladesh has taken on to unsettle the issues settled 35 years ago by the founding leader in 1974 for no good reason now of the country but only to support possibly the hegemonic interests of the BIG BROTHER. The Government has thus taken on to widen division and hatred among the people that would only impede reconstruction of the poverty-ridden country, nearly half of the 150 million people living under the poverty line and in the vicious cycle of poverty trap.

Witch- Hunting
The trial, as many rightly fear, would not be any fair process but by all standards be a political witch-hunting. The Awami League Government of Sheikh Hasina, by crude operation of the various genres of the fascist and rent seeking family members from among the cadre students, labor, youths, musclemen, etc., have already created havoc for all other peace-loving non-Awami Leaguer citizens from the very day one of this government on the first week of 2009. The first term of Sheikh Hasina’s government (1996-2001) was on record publicly intimidating the judges of the High Court, etc. for having verdict in judgment of their party chief liking. The lacunae of the 2009 act as is known would give them further leverage for only political witch-hunting.

Need to Stop
The trial process under the reconstituted tribunal of 2009 thus proposed to be started should be stopped for good as the earlier version of 1973 had been kept non-functional by the founding leader as he did not pursue even a single case in the rest of over two years of his term in power that ended in August 1975, not anything so after then in 35 years until 2008.

UN and Others
The UN, EU, and other human rights bodies like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International etc. have, I am sure, some due role to play in the matter as they have stood rightly to indict both sides and not one group in the violations of human rights lately in Sri Lanka.

Author: Dr.M.T. Hussain

Identification of Historic Sites and Memorial Building in Bangladesh

An appreciable directive from the honorable High Court was delivered on the 8th July (09). The directive made to the Government of Bangladesh to identify places of historic sites and erect suitable memorial structures in those places.

To me the directive seemed to be insufficient for though it wished to generalize the sites, yet it narrowed it specification to a few relevant to 1971 alone. Thus it turned ridiculous so far as the past important historical sites and big events had been concerned. That was certainly though their wisdom but unfortunately and clearly implied that Bangladesh has no past history beyond 1971; no honest and wise historian would agree with the thesis of tunnel vision.

Bangladesh is not any of new land of new immigrants from elsewhere. Despite immigrants settled in the region from time to time in the past, there had been local natives as well. Such population mass, however, did not make any composite nation state in the long past as is understood in the modern sense.

Although there are inconclusive debates about independent entity of the nation state of the region, most of the erudite historians identified the Muslim Sultanat of Shamsuddin Ilias Shah of the early 15th century as the first sovereign of independent country in this region; Bangladesh of our time forms only a part of that independent Sultanat.

On further historical development during the Mughals, the people here lost some independence, regained much again in early eighteenth but fell down tragically to the Englishmen in mid 18th century.

To regain the independence and sovereignty, our forefathers struggled for 190 years until 1947 and then decisively succeeded in driving out the foreign rulers when fortunately the exact geographical area of Bangladesh (East Bengal and Sylhet) was secured. Thus we had the entity separated from the rest of British Indian subcontinent. In 1971 Bangladesh got the entity as independent country not in any imagined geographical area but in the exact of the area our forefathers secured in 1947. Had they not had the area in 1947, the question of independent Bangladesh would remain an illusion, never to be realized, as long, much less in 1971, as the Indian Union that the British had left here in 1947 would remain intact, secured, integrated and undivided, as that has been for the last six decades.

Now when the Government is rightly directed for exact location of identity of the historic sites of Bangladesh, one must not miss the facts and sites that specifically got marked the geographical entity in 1947. It was neither the gift of the colonial British nor of the Indian Congress Party but the fighting spirit and huge sacrifice of our forefathers under the All India Muslim League, Bengal Muslim League, in particular that for sure secured this geographical entity in August 1947. The historical fact that the Muslim League established in Dhaka in 1906 got the chunk of geographical area is almost forgotten. Do our present progeny know the exact site of the founding of the Muslim League in the present Dhaka city was at the Shahbag area? One researcher in history told me the other day that what was the old one story dilapidated building known as Madhur Canteen, in fact, in the Dhaka University main campus was the rostrum of the historic Muslim League Convention in 1906. If there would be any dispute about the exact site, one cannot escape the fact that the Muslim League Convention of 30th December 1906 was located somewhere there. I hope that the Government would work to fix up the site, as well, along with other sites.

Author: Dr. M.T. Hussain

Bangladesh: Monarchy in Making

Monarchy Waning Elsewhere but Shaping in Bangladesh
No matter whether the withering tradition and old institution of monarchy building is almost lost in oblivion, Bangladesh has embarked fresh on the lost model. The Bangladesh Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken a silly decision on the 6th July 09 and to take effect on and from the day, the government that observed their completion of the six months’ ‘success story day’, as well, in power. The decision approved by the cabinet provided not only life long Special Security Force (SSF) but also in highly fortified big buildings abode in the capital city protection for the Prime Minister herself and for her younger sister Sheikh Rehana being the daughters of the founder in 1971 of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Huge costs involved in the projects for how many years and for decades or if to end with the two only or to extend later on for other family members, no one knows for sure at this time, would all be met from the public treasury of the impoverished nation. There is, however, already a clamor in the air and street that similar SSF security should also be provided for the opposition leader Khaleda Zia and her family members. Earlier in her first term (1996-2001), Sheikh Hasina did enact such a provision for herself and Rehana that were later on turned down by the next BNP Government in 2002. In 2009, the Hasina government repeated enacting the same immoral act if not apparently illegal decision that has naturally raised many questions now than had been raised in 2001.

Advancing and Retarding
As the human civilization grew up and advanced people’s thinking as well improved and refined in terms of equality and dignity of human beings. Democracy took root in society that replaced gradually feudalism and particularly the idea of Monarchy. Kings, Maharajas, Emperors, etc. gave way to the idea of democracy, that is, the government of the people by the people and for the people took roots in civilized societies. Equality of all citizens became the core issue, albeit sustained by inbuilt social norms, values, usages, morality and rule of law based on those basic humane values in society. Bangladesh in the past had all those days of emperors, kings, oppressive feudal lords, etc. The people in the past fought relentlessly against all those old oppressive systems for democracy, equality, and rule of law and for equal dignity of all human beings or citizens in a free society. That is what Bangladesh in 2009 is duly expected to be one.

British Legacy yet Different
It is true that Bangladesh owns the legacy of the British system of parliamentary democracy as if it had been panacea for all social ills. The system had proved hardly been so not for its essence but for the insufficiencies Bangladesh have had inherently built up from within for centuries that essentially differed from the British social milieu. The overall scenario we have been experiencing for decades in the streets and even inside the parliament are nowhere seen the way of anarchy in any mature democracy, much less in Britain. Merit and quality matters in matters of all democratic dispensations and not rowdyism and street fights killing each other in open and in police presence. The economic social justice though is not to be overlooked along with democratic dispensations.

None Borrowed Monarchy but Democracy
Many countries have borrowed democratic idea and system from the British. But none did take their Royal system of the hereditary Crown for the system is not only peculiar to the British but also untenably unsuited with any other The other crucial matter of the Crown is that it is only titular head and has no power so far the running of the country is concerned. The Prime Minister’s Cabinet in the Westminster Parliament runs the full governance of the country. So far the titular head model adopted in other countries, such head of the State enjoys almost no power just as the Royal Crown of Britain. The Prime Minster enjoys executive power as people’s elected representative just only to provide leadership for a fixed term, certain to vacate high position through reversal of popular votes and then to remain equal not unequal to all other common citizens. Any question of enjoyment of extra and inequitable benefits after one leaves office of public interest is foreign to democratic norms and practice.

Edward Heath
I recall clearly a press photograph of an incident of 1974 about the just resigned British Prime Minister Edward Heath with a suitcase in hand waiting in front of the 10 Downing Street for a taxi to take him to a friends home for temporary stay until he would have a rented accommodation of his own. He was a bachelor and had no home of his own in London until then.

Selflessness
Bangladesh is not of any rich country, much less of the level of Britain. How many of our top leaders in politics could have been of the poor pecuniary level of Edward Heath not having his home in London that I cited of his position in 1974?

Permanent Residents of the West
None of Hasina’s and Rehana’s sons and daughters lives in Bangladesh; they have all homes in the USA, Britain and Canada. Hasina owns the late Dr Wazed’s well protected big home at Dhanmondi, apart from the famous Dhanmondi 32. Further security could be added there in both homes, if she leaves office of the P.M. What the need for other secured home? Rehana, a British citizen, has at least one home at Harrow, a posh area in England close to London.

Every Citizen Must have Full Security
When one urges for the SSF level security for particular person/s one must as well be careful to note for security of all citizens irrespective of position and status for that is constitutional rights of every citizen of a free country to have. No specific life is more precious than any other humble being. As each and every human life is sacred, the State has the bounden duty to protect lives of each and sundry that Bangladesh is criminally lacking in this obligatory act as we see lives taken in unnatural ways not only in the cities but also all over the country each day in and each day out.

Author: Dr.M.T. Hussain

Pilkhana Success Story Of Hasina !

I had an occasion to listen to a noted person of Dhaka in a foreign media in the morning of the 6th July wherein, while eulogizing the success story of the 2009 Awami League Government’s six months in office, he listed at top of the success the handling of the Pilkhana mayhem of the 25-26 February 2009. How could one differ with him? He did not elaborate, but we may do it for the people of Bangladesh.
1. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina in orchestrating the mayhem in full knowledge, first of everything got rid of to brutal deaths of as many as 65 meritorious and highly trained and experienced Bangladesh Army officers in a single go of nearly 56 hours.
2. That she on her own did not permit the much more expected neutral and impartial report on the mayhem made and to see light of the day. The hush up could not have been but for saving certain elements in the orchestration linked to the high ups.
3. That she has already let Moin, the then army chief, who could have saved almost all lives of the 65 but for his inaction on the 25th February morning in full connivance with the P.M., to leave the country.
4. That she has, by the orchestration, broken the morale not only of the national army but also of the BDR, police and other auxiliary forces that could otherwise face with more confidence the enemy from across the international geographical border.
5. That after breaking the morale of all these forces, she has taken further on to remove some other highly trained and brilliant ones, as well, the latest one being the straight dismissal of Brigadier Azmi on the 25th June. It is known that his only fault was that he happened to be the son of former Ameer of the Jamaat E Islami, Professor Ghulam Azam, the old man in his mid eighties and naturally very near to the grave. Hasina might have thought that Azmi would go for any putsch! One might recall here that in her first term (1996-2001) she went all her way out in shear vengeance not only to make judicial murder of the 1975 15th August coup leader but also harassed the family members in all possible ghastly forms. She had removed Col (R) Farooq’s sister Yasmeen and her husband Ashfaq from their permanent jobs of senior pilots in the Bangladesh Biman!
6. That it is easy to be pretty sure that Hasina emboldened by the February orchestration she is going to play similar other havocs not only in the army, BDR, police etc. but also in the civil administration for her own ego centricity and lust for elongation of the State power that has further been nodded and confirmed by the Cabinet on the 6th July, the day they marked the so-called six months’ success story by duly putting on additional burden in giving not only Hasina but also Rehana, two of Mujib’s now surviving daughters, the highest security of the SSF at huge public cost for life, unprecedented in the history of mankind except in case of some Royal Sovereigns.
7. That she has the big neighbor’s paratroopers ready to help her solidify the base of power that she was assured during the orchestration that in fact threatened Bangladesh’s sovereignty, she had thus the moral boost guaranteed from across the border, and may be so also the HUQQA HUA cabinet guaranteed her and Rehana the Sovereign’s SSF protections for life.
8. Now she can do and undo anything that the BDR mayhem had opened for her the great opportunity to remain in power until her life ends, but again to transfer to her second in throne Rehana and then followed by Joy in the line of succession.
9. I am sure some other guys more intelligent than me can add many other ‘success’ stories like fortune making through all forms of dubious means, TENDERBAJI being only one of many in Sheikh Hasina’s and her bully boys corporate success story, in addition to the BDR mayhem of Bangladesh.

Author: Dr.M.T. Hussain