Untold Facts

Mujib’s ghost reappeared in anti corruption issue in 2010

False allegations
The 2004 Anti Corruption Act is proposed to be amended by Hasina’s cabinet on the 26 April that among other things making it fully subservient to the government and not at all independent for credibility has one specific and significant provision. The specific issue is that any one making ‘false allegations of corruption’ shall be punished ‘with up to five years in prison, as well as fines’. The punishment so proposed for any false complaint reminded me about the ghost of Mujib nearly fifty five years ago in mid fifties.

Mujib Anti-Corruption Minister
Sheikh Mujib, Hasina’s father, had been the Minister for Anti-corruption in the United Front Cabinet that followed the 1954 general election, first ever since 1947 independence in the province of East Pakistan. He was known to be a fiery speaker. Many would enjoy listening to his public speech. Soon after the election I came to the capital city Dhaka from my rural birth place in the then greater Rangpur district for college education. I heard a lot about his name, but did not have fortune until that time to listen to him direct in public speech.

Mujib’s Paltan Meeting
With some friends, I went to the Paltan Maidan to listen to his speech. Possibly I accompanied one of my class mates from Noakhali, a devout of Mujib. It was a big meeting of about thousand listeners. I stayed not very close to the rostrum, not far either. I had attention to what he said in the speech of about half an hour. Nothing that all I remember now. What I clearly remember about his roaring voice against corruption in the province. So far as I can further remember is that the United Front of the pre-election trio HAQ-SHAHID-BHASHANI had promised in their 21 point manifesto for rooting out corruption. I had so my sole attention was on the point of combating corruption by the seating minister for the portfolio.

Mujib against corruption
He spoke at length about all encompassing corruption in all branches of the government. For all of them he made stern warning as normally we hear from all politicians until these days. His typical warning to all corrupt in government and other institutions came like this: ‘DURNITIR KONO KHABOR JANA THAKLE EK KHANA TIN PAISER POST CARDE AMAKE LIKHE JANABEN DEKHBEN DURNITI KEMON KORE AMI SHESH KORI’ (If any one of you happen to know any news about corruption, you may drop in mail for me a post card of three paisa about the fact, you will see how the corruption will be finished).

Story of TIN PAISER POST CARD
As the news followed many had many postcards with facts mailed to Mujib soon afterwards. Unfortunately none was known to have taken in to task. On the contrary, some had been pursued for lodging ‘false’ complaints in post cards addressed to Mujib, the then Anti Corruption Minister. What we hear today is the same ghost speaking on from Hasina’s cabinet decision in matters of ‘false’ complaints about any corruption matter. Who would dare to make any complaint now taking all risk for five years imprisonment and fine as well?

Fourteen corruption cases
Shall I elaborate another point about Mujib’s resorting to corruption? Soon after he was out of power, there had been at last fourteen registered corruption cases against Mujib. Incidentally one of my close relations had been the IO for some of these cases, and so I was fortunate to know something about his corruptions. Mujib was lucky though that in course of political hic ups in the country all cases had been lost in air that particularly Maolana Bhashani, Mujib’s political father, got him freed from all charges through his JALAO PORAO movement and virtually turned him the hero by late1960s.

Hasina’s thirteen
Hasina had thirteen cases of corruption, less than one her father had. She has already been freed in seven cases by the time passed of her absolute rule for 16 months now. No judge dared to pursue even in a single case of corruption. The rest six would go off from the court registry soon, or else the concerned judges would loose not only their livelihoods but also God given the only head above neck. The murderers of her party cadres are ever ready to do the very simple job with guaranteed impunity.

Fascists for Hasina
If we come back to the main point of false corruption charge and imprisonment for any such matter in the ACC proposed incoming law, there is little hope that real corruption charges would be unearthed in operation of the proposed law. The fear psychosis that is now widespread in fascist climate would certainly prevent all corruption matters to come in front for consideration.

Give account of properties
Hasina government had committed to contain corruption in their pre election manifesto. During the last 16 months they have done the opposite. They promised time and again to make public their assets and properties but did not keep the promises given. On the contrary, their cadres at various levels and of genres have already earned a lot in billions through resorting to all forms of illegal, immoral and unethical acts. It’s now overdue that these illegal and immoral earnings be taken to account and to task for corruption by the government of Hasina. If these corruptions are not taken to serious task, it would be useless to talk about containment of corruption, much less effective control.

Corruption led to Muijb’s fall
Hasina could be politely reminded that one of the main reasons Mujib fell from the lofty position of ‘Bangobondhu to Bongoshotru’ (Anthony Mascarenhas, The Times, London, 17 August 1975, and also Dr. Said-ur Rahman, monthly Itihash Onnesha, April-May, 2010, pp. 48-50) had been his patronage of huge corruption by the party lieutenants during 1972- August 1975.

Morality Issue
Anti-corruption is a closely issue related to morality of the people. That morality is not automatic. It has to be built and inculcated in human psyche through rigorous childhood training at home and at school. The secular state principle that the 1972 Constitution provided and the still more overtly secular curricula Qudrat E Khuda Education Commission of 1974 destined to pursue could do little positive in this matter. There is as such urgent need to re-orient our school curricula to moral and ethical learning.

Toothless, Clawless and spineless
I am afraid that the ACC law proposed to revise would do little as it appears for effectiveness being already toothless, clawless and spineless but would only do some eye wash in the overall vicious syndrome of all encompassing corruption making of the present ruling class led by absolutely autocratic and unenlightened feudal mind set Hasina and her family members staying abroad and in the country, the ghost of late lamented Mujib being unfortunately in the dominance.

Author: HB Khair

Mehnaz hospitalized: Lamb and Wolf Story

Ms. Mehnaz Rashid (39), daughter of Col (R) Khondoker Abdur Rashid, detained in prison for over six months without any formal charge is known to be admitted in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on the 27 April, as the report published in a Dhaka daily on the 28th. She has about one year baby with her. She was so seriously ill that the Gazipur District Sadar Hospital close to the prison of Kashempur she had been inmate failed to treat her. Although her detention was attributed to a bomb blast in Motijheel in Dhaka city in October last year alleged to kill Hasina’s nephew Taposh but remained unhurt, people knew well that she had been caged in prison with the baby for the ‘fault’ that the government failed in the last 14 years to arrest her father Col( R) Khondoker Abdur Rashid who is one of the fugitives and political victim of Bangladesh PM Hasina’s personal vengeance and accused in the notorious ‘Mujib Murder Case’ convicted to death sentence on the 27th January 2010 in the well known Kangaroo Court Trial.

It is not very difficult to see that she has been a hostage PM Hasina has made her abusing the absolute State power. It is not easy to see her release in the immediate future for Mehnaz’s father a fugitive in some foreign country is unlikely to surrender at Dhaka for his death punishment executed. If that be and that is quite likely so, must Mehnaz continue to suffer imprisonment and that also without any formal charge against her framed in the due process of law?

It is known that the government of Hasina has taken up seriously with the Interpol and some foreign intelligence agencies to track down Rashid and five others like him and bring them all back for execution to death. Well, the matter is appreciable. There is no good reason that they might not succeed except a lacuna that had they been in any of the no death penalty 95 countries Hasina might fail to bring them and Rashid as well. Why should in such possibilities Hasina must violate arbitrarily without due process of law basic citizenship and human rights of Mehnaz? Well, Hasina goes by the logic of the Aesop’s Fables’ Lamb and Wolf story as the matter of vengeance and shear barbarism of jungle law enforced against Mehnaz.

All of the independent human rights organizations owe a moral duty to impress upon Hasina as they did before with Mehnaz’s mother Mrs. Zubaida Rashid who faced similar annihilation in late 1996 by the same Hasina, the PM of Bangladesh for then she had been arrested and put to rigorous police remand. It was the international community pressures that forced Hasina to end the barbaric act of arresting the innocent wife of Rashid who had been out of the country to escape arrest. Mrs. Rashid since then had left the country and never ever returned the rigors of Hasina’s jungle law. Her jungle law has taken over their daughter and the baby grand daughter.
There are some humanitarian organizations in the country, but they are so scared of the fascist goons of Hasina that they do not want to loose their God given lone head over the neck.

The whole onus is thus on the civilized international communities and the international organizations to keep on putting moral pressure on Hasina for Mehnaz and her baby in the humanitarian cause of gross human rights violations.

Author: B K. Din

Hasina’s politics of vengeance: End is imminent?

The sycophants of the Bangladesh PM Hasina eulogized her as the GONOTONTRER MANOSH KONYA or the pet daughter of democracy. But her speeches, mood, actions are all contrary to what open democracy is all about.

Democracy is people’s consensus rule. Although in the definition ‘of the people’, ‘by the people’ and ‘for the people’ are well accepted, these are not end in themselves. There are other qualifier elements in the full idea.

Equality of all human beings is one such essential issue. But the matter is not that easy to put into practice. On the contrary, it’s very difficult if not impossible to materialize equality of all citizens but for which effective operation of democracy remains only a dream.

Practically unattainable inequality is closely conditioned to the question of equality before the eye of law. It’s again an impossibility in midst of the inequality of all human beings even in the more developed democratic and economically well off societies. One instance of practical limitation is that all human beings are not created with the same level of gift at birth in native capability. In fact, inequality is inborn not only in inborn capability but also difference and inequality of parental socio-economic status impinging on developmental issues from childhood to adulthood. Even the pro-socialists could do little about reduction of inequality in this area. Hasina engineered the judiciary what was left even by the colonials to such a dangerous level by her naked interference that one retired Chief Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury has openly and fearlessly accused Hasina for establishing ‘KANGAROO COURTS’ obviously for scoring her vengeance against some specific accused (daily Naya Diganta, Dhaka, 26, April, 2010). Among other worrying issues, he further observed that the Judiciary is now dangerously housed in a fragile glass structure to breakdown at any moment. These are all as result of irrational vengeance of the top boss.

Democracy can hardly override these basic inequalities, much less the psyche of vengeance. That is why the term equity has lately been accepted in social matters in place of equality that also clearly implies for not settling personal scores but issues for greater good beyond personal vengeance.

For creating equal or level playing field, some issues are crucially essential. The first one being the encompassing sense of human values in society, that is, respect for all on equal basis and nothing of personal hatred, enmity, vengeance for anybody at all. This sort of humane attitude could be created by self control on animal passions of individuals. This is easier said than done. Self control and building psyche above self are two basic mental training needed for such polished development of minds. The British people, the pioneer of modern democracy claim that their mode for democratic society had been attainable for they turned up ‘British Gentlemen’ through their education system over long period. How far the claim is sustainable may be debated. But it remains really true that they had been largely successful in producing a political system of democracy through inculcation of the basic essentials or pre requisites of democracy. Workable equality, rule of law and minimum social justice have been delivered to the citizens. None remains unfed, none is out of minimum schooling, none is deprived of medical care and none is without a minimum standard of shelter or roof over head.

In less developed countries, much less the poverty-stricken overpopulated ones like Bangladesh, thinking in terms of British democracy is only a utopia. One must not miss the facts that the British took a very long time for several centuries to arrive at the present stage of democratic culture marked by tolerance, respect for others views and for essential needs, supremacy of rule of law with independent judiciary, fair election for public offices from among the citizens, effective and non-partisan law enforcing agencies, neutral but efficient bureaucracy run by committed selfless rulers for welfare and common good of the people.

Do we have in Bangladesh these basic requirements for democracy to provide welfare and common good to all citizens? I am afraid, not. Not even a single norm exists, not to speak of all of the requirements.

Let’s take the number one issue of food availability for all citizens at the minimum nutritional level. The fact is miserable, at least for about 50% of the total population of 150 million, the latest figure about nutrition being perceivable that 75 million live under grinding poverty line of an earning about one US dollar a day. The problem has multiplied along for nearly 40 million or so even having no employment for that minimum earning. The VGF (Vulnerable Group Feeding) of about 4 million of the destitute have made little dent for improvement in the nutritional issue. Well, there are, in contrary, some 5% or so enough to add fats to their body in overeating. Even the government statistics that inflate or deflate their figures for political use of the ruling class could not hide the facts that gaps of earning between the richest few and the poorest millions have constantly been widening.

Poverty and helplessness of the millions have given more advantages to the old feudal class to squeeze the poor vulnerable millions in their own localities and under influence in labor hiring both in rural and urban areas. The monthly minimum wage of about 25 US dollars to garment workers is a shameless example of the kind of poverty, vulnerability and exploitation by the new feudal lords in the garments sectors employing nearly 2 million or so workers mainly poor destitute girls and women. The worrying fact is that they work in uncertain security conditions and in whims of the employers. No power to bargain for better wage and working conditions. Conditions of rural poor are no different, no matter landless ones, marginal farmers, day laborers, small shop keepers, retail sellers, etc. What the kind of democracy can help them out from the ignominy of their existing miserable socio-economic condition?

Democracy in practice helps the well off and the elites already enjoying everything from A-Z and not the vulnerable poor except at times of terminal election and vote rigging, vote buying and vote selling. The dominant party touts misuse the vulnerable millions and their right to franchise as dishonest brokers, hoodlums, bully boys, musclemen would wish to do. Physical beating is a common occurrence not only of the weaker opponent political supporters but also at times between same party men for quantum of share of booties of the tender snatching, rent seeking money earned, admission racket ‘gift’ secured, etc. The most worrying fact is that moral erosion in such illegal and unethical acts perpetrated by young leaders in making known as the college-university students of the party in power.

It’s not correct to say that the bullies of various genres do all intimidation and crate fear psychosis against opponents all on their own. In most cases the simple folks, illiterate lots, ignorant scores who continue to ruin the minimum of democratic norms and values, much less respect for views of others, are just being prompted and then patted by the topmost and other similar level leaders of the party in power, in this case Hasina and her cohorts.
Hasina’s widespread habitual lying and bluffing the gullible millions with many hopes of impossible are other most damaging facts ruining democracy in action and credibility for the democratic system itself.

The crisis is not just the lack of advanced political culture but also of the absence of inculcation of humane values or what some others would label as gentling the masses in matters of tolerance, respect for others views, rule of law for upholding equality of citizens as pre-requisites for improvement of democratic culture and success of operational democratic system.

Humane values are not automatically born in human psyche except inculcation from childhood taught by cultured and gentle parents but also in learning institutions at latter stages of life. The wrought of moral erosion had started in post independence days. Parents, school curricula, teachers, social and political leaders all owe a lot for the erosion.

I think it’s now high time to make a turn about. The beginning must start at home. But unless the political culture is cleansed for democratic values from the top, there is little hope for any effective improvement in the area.

In the political culture of vengeance and intolerance that Hasina has been championing are nothing but vicious fascism all around, let God give her some humane sense compatible with the GONOTANTRER MANOSHKONYA for open and plural democracy to survive in the country. Or else, she must destine the nation into fascist state that her father tried in a sort of suicide attempt but failed in no time.

Author: HB Khair

Lost: To win again in future

The nationalists and the Islamists of Bangladesh have already lost the game. They missed the bus at the moment they were supposed to catch. It’s now futile to catch the missed bus. Even so, they look trying, possibly the next one, if there is any left in row.

Immediately after the end of the independence war on the 16th December 1971, there was left none of nationalist as was known just only after August 1975, much less Islamist, in Bangladesh. Here the Bangalis of Joy Bangla genre emerged victorious over Islamists, Muslims and Pakistanis.

The victors had hey days for three and a half years until mid August 1975. On this memorable day the Joy Banglas had been defeated, and then the Islamists reborn. The new nationalists were still to take birth. Thus these new brands reborn or newly born all owe to the 15th August surgical operation of the Joy Bangla top boss. Not only that the once charismatic top boss had been toppled from the state power through a victorious coup d etat but also new direction for the country was set in. Thus was reborn not only the Islamists to have their say in politics but also followed by emergence of new nationalists. Had there been no 15th August revolutionary change, there would not have any scope of rebirth of the Islamists and the new nationalists. The 1972 Constitution with the fourth amendment and the lone party BKSAL dictatorship by controlled centralism and overt secularism of peculiar kind would continue to bar Islamic politics.

To be more specific it was the 15th August 1975 victorious coup that made Islamic politics permissible along with some other basic changes in the State principles and the Constitution. The nationalist politics, particularly the sort of BNP as a political party came up only after the same historic change. Thus it was the very change, if survived, these groups would have right to do politics. Otherwise, not at all.

The unfortunate thing was that these groups shied away from the 15th August legitimate occurrence and let the heroes of the legitimate revolution put to Kangaroo Court trial and judicial murder on the 27-28 January midnight in unusual haste in midst of worldwide protests against the execution to death of the five heroes. Thus on the very dark night the Islamists and the new nationalists have lost all legitimacy to do politics along with the passing away of the five martyrs to the heaven for the simple reason that the 15th August legitimate occurrence had been labeled by the Kangaroo Court as the ordinary killing and nothing of mutiny won in the army coup d’ etat. That is why many rightly saying that they have lost the bus for the time being, if not forever.
Well, they may look for avenues for rectifying the serious missed opportunity. I would have thought that they may try to their bits with the following efforts:

1. They must condemn the judicial murder of the five heroes in open and in media.
2. They must ask for retrial of the judicial murder as is being pursued elsewhere, say for ZA Bhutto’s judicial murder 31 years ago in Pakistan.
3. They must from their commitment declare openly the five highly lauded heroes as Shahids of martyrs.
4. They should as well seek forgiveness from the people for not standing with the victims against the fake trial just as the people 35 years jubilantly praised them for the coup along with nearly all people who showed not the slightest sympathy for the fallen Pharaoh, the most oppressive ruler people had in history.
The four points listed above if done in earnest, the people might forgive them, and in turn they may recover their lost credibility for future stay and viability in active politics.

Author: HB Khair

January 27, 2010: Watershed in the History of Bangladesh

The day – January 27, 2010 – will go down in the history of the South Asia as a black day on which five patriotic officers of the Army who saved Bangladesh from becoming the colony of India 35 years ago, were hanged. It was not surprising because the Prime Minister of Bangladesh – Hasina Wazed – is the daughter of the traitor – Sheikh Mujib – who was the President of the country against who the 15 August 1975 coup d’etat was carried out. It was vendetta, not justice; its shadow will loom large over the country until the legacy of the traitor is disowned and discredited in Bangladesh. It took Sheikh Hasina 35 years to discredit the heroism of the best sons of the soil as mere murders. It will not take that long to discredit Hasina – the lap dog of India - who has since become so bolds as to wear her father’s treachery as a badge of honour. It would not be long before Sheikh Mujib is seen as the worst traitor in the sub-continent since Mir Jaffer.

Bangladesh is the product of conspiracy and war in which India played the major part. India deserves credit for being able to recruit popular Muslim leaders of Bengal to betray their fellow Muslims to advance the objectives of India. Sheikh Mujib was a student leader active in the Pakistan Movement and he could have become the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1971 when he emerged as the leader of the Party with the largest number of seats in the parliament. He met President Yahya Khan and accepted his invitation in March 1971 to form the next government. But only a few days later he conveyed regret to Yahya Khan after his Indian agent handler came back from New Delhi and informed him that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had agreed to invade East Pakistan in support of his Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Sheikh Mujib betrayed his constituency, refused to take office as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and followed the direction of his handlers from India. That truth has since been revealed in several books published in India and now his daughter – Prime Minister Hasina Wazed - has admitted that her father was a traitor (following story). The irony is that the politicians in Pakistan continue to sell the Indian propaganda that secession of East Pakistan was the ‘inevitable consequence of maltreatment’. What maltreatment? No one bother to ascertain or detail!

The senior most officer executed - Colonel Syed Farook Rehman – was like a son to me. I met him in Libya where he along with other officers who took part in the coup d’etat of 15 August 1975, had been given political asylum. A relationship of warmth and trust developed between me and Colonel Farook. He is the most fearless person that I came across in my life. The only person to benefit from his courage and fearlessness was the President of the country - General Ershad. He recognised the honourable role those young officers had played in loosening the shackles in which India held their country – Bangladesh. He allowed them to return to Bangladesh, whereupon they founded a new political party- Freedom Party. Colonel Farook contested presidential elections against General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, and secured respectable fifth of the votes cast. It was only after Mujib’s daughter – who had lived in exile in India for a long time – returned to Bangladesh; took the reins of her father’s party – the Awami League – into her hands and won the elections with the guidance and financial help of India in 1996. She had been campaigning on a platform to avenge the murder of her father. Most of those who had participated in the coup d’etat in 1975 left the country. However, the five (Colonel Farook, Lt Col Sultan Shahayar Khan, Lt Col. Mohyuddin Ahmed, Major Badrul Huda and Major AKM Mohyuddin) who were hanged on January 27, put faith in ‘indemnity’ provided by constitutional amendment. They were clearly wrong to have trusted the ‘judiciary’ to uphold that their action had been motivated by ‘high purpose’ and not ‘personal benefit’.

I feel sad that they were unable to articulate the ‘high purpose’ that motivated the action they took on 15 August 1975. It has since been clearly established that Sheikh Mujib acted under the guidance of and in collaboration with the enemy - India - to dismember his country. To remove a traitor – an Indian agent - from power is indeed ‘high purpose’. Now Prime Minister Hasina Wazed has admitted that her father was a traitor who worked with and for the enemy – India. It took her 35 years to so tire the people with rhetoric and propaganda and so undermine the institutions of the state that she could get away with murder. The execution of the five patriots on January 27 this year was indeed murder. The parliament reversed the ‘indemnity’ and a ‘special court’ passed the death sentences during her first term as Prime Minister. But she could not get high judiciary to bend to her will and reject their appeal. The military was also not willing to endorse their execution. Hasina had to wait until the Peelkhana mutiny and massacre by BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) of 25-26 February 2009, to terrify the people as well as the judicial and the military establishment to an extent that the ‘feared outrage’ that had prevented her from sending the five military officers to the gallows did not materialise.

This is the second instance of the Indian Intelligence (RAW) having won a victory far more substantive than any won by its military. The first was to absorb the independent state of Sikkim into India. Sikkim is a Buddhist country lying between Assam and Nepal that provided a route through low passes to Tibet province of China. Since India‘s imperialist rulers have always had an eye on Tibet as a target, they looked at occupation of Sikkim as a pre-requisite as it provided direct access to Tibet for military or clandestine operations. The methods India used in Sikkim were very similar to those in Bangladesh. India installed its protégé – Kazi Lhendup Dorji – as the Prime Minister of Sikikim, who set up a pro-India Sikkim National Congress (SNC) as an affiliate of the Congress Party in India. The SNC started a movement for the ‘abolition of monarchy’. Demonstrations against the King were organised by RAW in which Indian military personal in civvies took part. Eventually, the Prime Minister Kazi Dorji invited the Indian Army into Sikkim to remove its ruler – Chogyal Palden – on April 6, 1975. The country of Sikkim was annexed by India and the annexation was validated by a referendum – something that India refuses to hold in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In Bangladesh, the Army had emerged as a strong institution willing and able to oppose and resist Indian domination. There had been three military coup d’etats in Bangladesh – all of which were successful - and the two led by the Army Chief - General Zia ur Rehman and General Hussain Muhammed Ershad – became the vehicle for new political parties to be created that won popular mandate in free elections. Naturally, the military of Bangladesh is seen by India as an impediment to its hegemony and by Sheikh Mujib’s Awami League as an obstacle in it collaborative rule. RAW came up with a plan to ‘remove the obstacle’: 1) to rig the elections to give the Awami League (AL) a landslide victory; 2) to use the AL members to incite a mutiny by BDR (which is border police) against their officers (who are seconded from the Army); 3) to use AL workers( even ministers) to facilitate the smuggling in of professional killers from abroad and arrange their exit while the Prime Minister herself provided time and opportunity for them to ‘complete the task’ by opting for prolonged negotiations keeping the Army from timely response to save the lives of their comrades and the honour of their wives.

History has seen many mutinies by soldiers against their officers but the officers were always of a different race or religion to that of the soldiers. I cannot recall any instance in history where soldiers engaged in the rape of the wives of their officers before murdering them. Fifty seven Army officers were killed in the Peelkhana Mutiny and Massacre in two days which is two more than during the 1971 insurrection and war. This is the most vicious mutiny in the annals of history; it is also the most diabolical because the allegedly popular elected government was complicit in every stage – planning, execution, exit and cover up. The people as well as the officials in Bangladesh know the facts, thanks to the Internet. But no one is willing to risk giving evidence. They are literally scared to death. It is widely believed that if any one expressed doubts about the AL version of events, he would invite the ire of RAW and be murdered like the Army officers and their wives held hostage in Peelkhana. It was in this environment of fear that the five patriotic officers were executed - eleven months after the BDR Mutiny; just over a year after Hasina became the Prime Minister for the second time.

The execution of the five officers is bound to be seen by the AL and RAW as the final triumph over the people of Bangladesh who, they believe, would have to comply with their every whim and wish and be punished for even the mildest protest. That India succeeded in getting patriots to the gallows and traitors into power, is a huge failure for Bangladesh as a country. It is not a failure of the ‘five martyrs for freedom’ who suffered long incarceration before being hanged, or their dwindling band of supporters; it is the failure of the society that allowed that to happen.

The colonization by India of Bangladesh is now complete. Prime Minister Hasina Wazed is complying with India’s orders unafraid of any institutional (the military or the judiciary) constraints or robust political opposition. She is now so confidant that India would be the overlord of Bangladesh for ever that she has now admitted that her father worked for India. She clearly thinks that she must henceforth work overtly for India and be rewarded with rule by ‘Mujib Dynasty’ in perpetuity. The military has been restrained in performing its statutory role to safeguard the national interest as RAW has demonstrated that its hold over Bangladesh is tight. No wonder the senior officers of the military are afraid they might be murdered by RAW agents or dismissed by the Government if they are suspected to be patriots unafraid of India.

The politics of Bangladesh is bound to become more polarised into ‘lackeys of India’ and ‘Muslim patriots’. The latter are bound to see Sheikh Mujib as a traitor worse than Mir Jaffer. (Mir Jaffer also became the ruler of Bengal as reward for cooperating with the British). The judiciary in Bangladesh has shown that it will also obey India’s wishes which is ensured by Hindus as Judicial officers at all levels including the Supreme Court. The people noted that the SC Bench, which upheld the death sentences to the five martyrs, had two Hindu members. It is a case of kangaroo court justice as it was ignored that those officers had acted as commanders of their units and should have been tried by a court martial. Until 1996, these officers had lived and worked in Bangladesh where they were seen to be patriots who saved their country from tutelage of India. That is why they had been given pardon and immunity from prosecution.

Hasina Administration has shown its obsequiousness to Indian interests also by handing over ULFA leaders to India even though there is no extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh. With the Armed Forces and the Judiciary so intimidated ‘new realities’ are being created quick and fast to prevent any future government of Bangladesh to be able to say ‘no’ to anything that India asks. The construction of Tipaimukh Dam is one; agreement to allow India to connect the ports of Bangladesh by rail is another. The people of Bangladesh are bound to reach the same conclusion that Colonel Farook and fellow patriots reached in 1975. They had concluded there was no way to stop the Indian protégé – Sheikh Mujib - except by physically eliminating him. By being complicit in Peelkhana massacre Hasina has now reinforced the legacy of slaughter with the help of and at the behest of India. She is not merely the ‘daughter of a traitor’ but a traitor in her own right. The attempt to remove her may entail slaughter much more widespread over much longer time. It would be foolish to forecast her fate. But her days are numbered. ++

The above is the Editorial of LISA Journal, London, UK Issue No 14 - (April-June 2010)