Untold Facts

Farook, Shahreer, Huda etc. died not defeated: Mujib was defeated and then Died

All living matter is mortal. So is man. Fortunate in death are those who die for great cause. Army men take vow to die for a great cause. The cause is fighting for one’s nation and country. Farook, Shahreer, Huda, and two Mohiuddins gave life for the great cause they took vow for to defend just at the beginning of the commissioned army career.

They kept their vow to the last no matter caring anything that they had been branded as ‘killers’ not only by Hasina in shear vengeance (See, daily Naya Diganta, Dhaka, 24 March 2009) but also by the spineless judges seating on the comfortable cushions passed on to them by the British colonial rules along with the old fashioned code that the past colonizers themselves in their freer country do not own now so far as death sentence is concerned for due respect for the latest version of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (UDHR).

The international civil communities have already condemned the POLITICAL TRIAL (See, The Economist 27 November 2009) and execution to death in unusual haste of those five deeply patriot army men and decorated freedom fighters of 1971. The condemnations were joined by appeals from the European Union, some Muslim countries who still had the penalty in force but abandoned by 95 other more civilized and humanly countries respectful for UDHR. The great martyrs have thus opened avenues for the brightest legacy of patriotism for Bangladesh’s history to be rewritten in future like the native, for example, here in Bengal of the patriot and martyr KHUDIRAM executed to death by the colonial British judges having had based on the same criminal codes.

The executions to death on the 27-28 January 2010 midnight in Dhaka of the five heroes for the misplaced and misrepresented ‘offence’ making successful mutiny into an ordinary killing matter, however, did not as yet judge to be null and void the notorious and hateful absolute dictatorial BKSAL the fallen leader had ironically wished to live with for all his life and even after for his next hereditary in succession. In other words, the notorious BKSAL did not survive but buried along with his fall in the 1975 mid August.

The heroic freedom fighters took on very rightly not only for ending the corruption bonanza he hold on but also the anti-democratic lone party dictatorial BKSAL and the BKSAL’s absolutely oppressive rule. The self sacrificing patriots had cut the very roots of betrayal of the 20th century Mirzafar the common democratic aspirations of the people who otherwise appeared ‘democrat’ in rhetoric but had been the meanest of the worst rulers in recent civilized human history. Not only that the demagogue had to pass away but also with the death the mode of rule of the notorious BKSAL. The five brilliant army officers embraced peaceful death but kept alive their commitment to the country to be run through openness, pluralism and multiparty democracy. On the contrary, the demagogue passed away and along with him the most notorious BKSAL.

Whose success was there at death? Mujib’ Mirzafar’s or of the great patriots Farook and his close colleagues in the great acts of the victorious mutiny and revolution of the 15th August1975?

Author: BK DIN

Hasina on Mujib’s secession: A Response to Monjurul Hassan of Lisa

Limited response
On going through the item by Mr. Manjurul Hassan published in the LISA Journal of April- June issue, I felt that I should make a response on some points for correction and possibly further insight in to matter of Hasina-Mujib-secession episode.

Incorrect
First, one date need be corrected. The date mentioned there for army action incorrectly as 23 March which should be 25th March, 1971. This was nothing anything big.
The other point I like to have for my enlightenment and information is that the writer mentioned about a book by General Manekshaw wherein the figure 80,000 Hindu Mukti Bahini with dress uniform of Pakistan army need to have the name of the book, publisher, year, page number. etc., if not the exact verbatim of the General.

Important issues
There were in the item many facts seen, I felt, only from their apparent verbatim meaning, not measured on other possible issues and relevantly proper context.

Secession and Mujib
Well, there can be little doubt that Mujib proved himself ultimately to be the secessionist in the 1971 episode of Pakistan and Bangladesh. But there had been other facts and issues in the overall development and his shifting of positions.

The seed of secession
First, the six point ‘autonomy’ formula he advanced since mid 1960s had the seed of secession. But another hard fact was that he himself was not that an intellectual to develop that six point in the way done. He was in reality a rabble rouser, and more than that a power hungry person having no self appreciation of his own capability. One must remember that he had his Matriculation (School Class Ten) result with a very poor grade at the late age of about 22, whereas an average meritorious or IQ student normally would do that terminal examination at 15 or 16 years.

Disturbed youth of Mujib
Mujib had a disturbed youth constrained by issues from birth as an illegitimate child of a unwed Hindu young girl, then adopted by Sheikh Lutfor Rahman at his age three in 1923 in Calcutta after agreeing to marry that young woman as having had some favor as the man was a poor Muhrar or petty record keeper of the father of the that unwed mother, and a practicing lawyer in Calcutta (See, memoirs of a person still alive and asked us not to disclose his name for security reason, Jiban Smriti, Dhaka, 2006, p.642-43)

Charity boy and after
In early 1940s when the Pakistan movement had been gaining momentum, Suhrawardy was then an established Barrister and lawyer in Calcutta. Mujib managed to get into his lap as a charity boy for his foster father had no means to support Mujib in Calcutta, so got admitted at the Islamia College not by merit but by back door hand of Suhrawardy and Muslim League leaders. He did his IA and BA as well hardly through studies but by proxy, fraud and cheating in examinations. All these fraudulence also were prompted by the same League leaders for he proved by that time a courageous youth the League and Suhrawardy, in particular, needed most at that time of Hindu Muslim rivalry. When in 1947 Pakistan issue won and the nation and the new country established he stayed in Calcutta with Suhrawardy initially for the love of united Bengal idea that Suhrawardy pursued to the last but failed even having had blessings from the Quaid E Azam. Soon these leaders and young Mujib apparently abandoned the United Bengal idea and came to Pakistan. The division among the two factions of the League on the United Bengal idea remained in psyche of many. The pro-Indian left, in particular, continued to harp on the secular socialist united India of the Congress then led by Pandit Nehru.

Illiterate Graduate
In East Bengal/East Pakistan politics much less in all Pakistan politics Mujib would have any place had there been no Suhrawady’s prompting and at times Maolana Bhashani’s support for Mujib. Both these leaders had all doubts about Muijb’s capabilty to lead any country. Surawardy used to taunt him in presence of many as the ILLITERATE GRADUATE and Bhashsni as of UPPER CHAMBER KHALI or little grey matter in his head. Once Suhrawardy in mid fifties in presence of a close friend of mine had remarked about Muijib in verbatim like this: “If Mujib, better not God wills, becomes leader of the country (Pakistan), he will first destroy the country and then destroy himself, as well”.

Six Point: Whose brainchild
Maolana Bhashani had abandoned Mujib long back in 1955. Suhrawardy had him until his mysterious death in a Beirut hotel in which many suspected Mujib for poisoning Suhrawardy to death. Anyway Suhrawardy’s death in December 1963 opened opportunities for Mujib to go with rashness. The Six point, a brain child many top ups, some C.S.P.s in particular, claimed authors of the idea for ‘autonomy’.

Enmity of India and Mujib’s rise
As the idea had element of secession and a left group took Mujib the man who all the time used to be driven more by heart and little by head. The Indian intelligence had been involved and active enough to utilize the issue to teach good lesson to Pakistan by cutting it to ‘size’ by secession of East Pakistan from federal control. Suhrawardy was very much aware and careful about the evil design.

Bengali language
The Bengali language movement originated in early 1950s was appropriately picked up and used by these groups for the end. Suhrawardy was then very much present and alive and had no seriousness about the Bengali language issue except lip service. Suhrawardy did not take the Bengali language issue with any bit of seriousness; he would speak Bengali neither at family level nor in private uses. He would speak Urdu and English as also in his family.

After demise of Suhrawardy
Mujib came to be prominent after Suhrawardy’s passing away and launching of the six point program. Ayub Khan fell on Muijib, put him in confinement that increased his popularity and street movement for democracy just in the vacuum created in the aftermath of the 1965 September war against India. The fall of Ayub Khan and rise of Yahya Khan in late March 1969 gave new scope to Mujib to fix up issues with Yahya for his power game. .

Fishy
Mujib had rapport with General Yahya even before Yahya took over from Ayub (See, S.M Chowdhury, The Ultimate Crime, Lahore, p.98-99). Mujib had good relation with him until the last in March 1971. May be even after that as Maj. Gen. (R) Kamal Matin Uddin recorded (Tragedy of Errors, Islamabad, p.235) with awe that the death punishment verdict passed on Mujib for sedition in early August by the special military court in 1971 had not been authenticated in over four months time Yahya had been the President of Pakistan.

Opportunist
On the secession itself Mujib denied the issue in terms of the Agartala Conspiracy Case as Islamabad Conspiracy before1971. In mid 1972 he is on record stating in a public meeting held at the then Ramna Race Course ( now Surawardy Uddyan) on the 7th June that he had planned the secession and ensured Indian help for secessionist and independence war quite earlier (See, the Daily Sangbad, Dhaka, 8th June 1972). The next day, however, a statement by his political secretary Tofael Ahmad made correction to the Mujib’s verbatim saying that he had said nothing of the conspiracy with India (daily Sangbad, 9 June 1972) for the independence of Bangladesh. Possibly the after thought was that since Pakistan had not yet recognized Bangladesh as an independent country, the matter had been denied by his political secretary for political and international diplomatic expediency. Mujib himself said nothing afterwards on the issue. Mujib was out and out an opportunist for power grabbing employing all means foul conceivable that his contemporary politician and much more intelligent than Mujib Oli Ahad clearly recorded in his memoirs (JATIYA RAJNITI 1945 – 1975, Dhaka, 1975) as he had absolute love for power and was not a PATRIOT at all.

Mujib- Yahya relation
If we look back a bit carefully to the last days of parleys Mujib had with Yahya in Dhaka in March 1971, there seemed to no outsiders that there had been any rupture of relations between them. Some from among the 1971 Governor Malek cabinet told me later on that Mujib had hinted at Yahya to contain the rebels in the political anarchy that prevailed then and when things would cool down they would share power of the country, he as the PM and Yahya as the continuing President. Things however went out of hand and passed on to India’s favor for the aggression in December.

India’s aggression
That India made the aggression and the 1971 happenings were not independence war but civil war was proved in the verbatim of Mujib’s discussion details held as late as on the 30th October 1974 in Dhaka with the US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (See, US State Department declassified Document opened to the press on the 14th February 2009 and published in Dhaka weekly Holiday on the 6th March 2009).

Contrary evidence
The other two documents I know of was the fortnightly Impact International of the 25 September 1987, London, wherein Mujib’s main lawyer AK Brohi clearly stated being somewhat like his last dying declaration that Mujib was not a secessionist as far as he could understand him through close association in the treason case of 1971. He went further to sate that on being informed about the December India Pakistan war Mujib offered to Yahya to speak in the media openly where he wished to condemn India for attack on East Pakistan and to appeal to all East Pakistanis to resist Indian aggression. The other document is by Stanley Wolpert, Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, wherein Mujib himself offered for confederation with West Pakistan (P.175). That he faced a hostile situation in post war Bangladesh might have made the difference afterwards. Even so, in February 1974 he defied Delhi’s counter pressure and joined the Lahore OIC summit.

Mirzafar’s end
I noted these points and advanced some arguments not to defend him in any way for what he did against the people and not to say that he was not the traitor. He proved himself in the end as the traitor not only to Pakistan alone our forefathers had created making huge sacrifices but he as well proved himself to be the traitor Mirzafar for Bangladesh, as well. He thrived in ignorance, misinformation, disinformation and half truths thus befooling millions for a short period to rise to the height of power. And that is why the ‘freedom fighters’ like Col. Farook, Col. Rashid, etc did rightly execute the traitor on the 15th August 1975 in mass jubilation of the overwhelming majorities people here. What I do wish to maintain is that whatever Hasina stated about Mujib in relation to secession should have little credence, much less much credibility. It has by now been well established here in Bangladesh that Hasina is not only a woman of low IQ and merit but also a habitual liar for accruing self interest. Morality, truthfulness and humane virtues like them are not there in her psyche so far reining the country and for securing continuity of the dynasty are concerned in very much tunnel vision. She also inherited, may be for genetic reasons, in lying, half truths, misinformation and disinformation not certainly to endure very long.

Mirzafars
Let me state at the end that many people are well aware of the Mir Zafar betrayer of the late 20th century Bengal (East Pakistan) and have by now written voluminous books and published them about the betrayer, one’s title being DUI PALLASSEY DUI MIRZAFR ( Two Pallasseys and Two Mizafars). These are in circulation here and elsewhere. Hasina’s political and murderous caricatures are also being documented by honest people in the country. Patriots will certainly soon take this Mirzafar as well on to task for all the continual vices she has been into against the people, the country and the Muslim Ummah.

Author: M.T. Hussain

Hasina’s boasting about judicial murder readdressed

Hasina’s boasting
Hasina keeps on boasting in her public discourses about the 27-28 January Judicial murder she had perpetrated in her quench in blood for blood or as also many know the old uncivilized phrase KHUN KA BADLA KHUN. The second degree poodles at huge favor and perks Hasina provided her support for euphemizing the ‘KANGAROO COURT’ ‘POLITICAL TRIAL’ as upholding the ‘rule of law’.

Rule of Law versus Human rights
Death sentence and execution is abhorred in the civilized world. As many as 95 more humanely civilized countries have already abandoned the punishment in their countries. The UN have as well overwhelmingly passed resolution to drop the death sentence not for without good reason but to present their faces not only as civilized ones but also to remain respectful of UNIVESRSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHHTS. The declaration is inherently opposed to any death sentence whatever could be the nature and extent of offence for the simple reason that life can not be given by any human endeavor once death is done to anybody. The rule of law we have in Bangladesh providing capital punishment is a British colonial gift; they have nothing though of that punishment in their own country.

Muslim Law
In Islam there are three alternatives to in case of offences related to capital punishment. One is life for life, two, forgiveness, and three, payment of Kisas or money payable by the offender to the aggrieved party. Many great Muslims have left examples of forgiveness even in this country. I refrain from mentioning such names even though I know of some.

Vengeance
Hasina out of shear vengeance (See Daily Naya Diganta 24 March 2009) made the 15th August 1975 successful mutineers as ordinary ‘killers’ having rightly and lawfully had inherent automatic and provided indemnity by canceling through force of brute majority though not two third as needed being part of the Constitution, in late 1996 Parliament. The opportunist Opposition had let them go with the legally untenable cancellation of the Indemnity, and so the case of ‘Mujib Murder’ remained ab initio had been unsustainable. The frenzied Awami Leaguers forced through the POLITICAL TRIAL (The Ecnomist, 27 November 2009) in the Kangaroo Court (LISA Journal, January- March 2010) through intimidation of the spineless and timid judges of little sign of courage and integrity who all yielded all through Hasina’s dictates for the death sentence. The last bit was orchestrated on the 27th January, 2010.

Future
Future will certainly be on the side of the five executed to death on the 27-28th January mid night in unusual haste, despite worldwide appeals against and protests. Their heroic passing away would be rewritten in history comparable with not only patriot and martyr Khudiram of local variety during the alien rule of this country but also of Joan of Arc, Z.A. Bhutto, etc. who had been victimized and executed to death clearly as judicial murders. Based on the historical experience it is only most likely that both Hasina and Mujib would be left into the dustbin of history for the 15th August mutiny heroes who resurrected the nation and Bangladesh from the ashes of absolutely hateful lone party BKSAL to openness, pluralism and multiparty democracy interwoven with Islamic values, morals and lofty ideals.

Author: B K Din

HARTAL: As I look back

HARTAL is a bad program
None would support HARTAL or shut down of everything as we know in the region. It is counter productive so far as human productivities in economic utilities are concerned. For poor and underdeveloped countries, it is more harmful and in many cases matters of human sufferings and difficulties, particularly, for the millions of daily wage earner laborers. Yet the poorest country Bangladesh remained prone or used to HARTAL in the past and also likely to go in the present.

Personal reminiscences
At this point I recall HARTALs of the mid 1990s. Our eldest son was engaged for wedding in Dhaka city in October 1995 quite few months back. But we failed to fix the exact date due to frequent incoming and going HARTALs one after another not for a day or half but for days together. My son’s would be mother in law took the responsibility to find out and fix the date free of HARTAL. She and one Awami League top leader who later on in 1996 became a Minister happened to be not only both native of the same administrative district but also college class mates. So she succeeded to get a clear day free of Hartal and the wedding solemnized that very day on the 4th October 1995.
For our second son, we had the same difficulty in early 1996. He would study in UK and we fixed the date here in advance for his wedding keeping in view his time constraints for coming and again going back to UK after the wedding ceremony for he was still in the last leg of Ph.D. program. We thought there would be not much difficulty if there would be Hartal during day time as the bride’s parents’ residence happened to be in the Dhaka Cantonment protected area, and so we thought that things would be alright because, HARTAL had no bearing in the area but in civilian area alone. Yes, that was unfortunately the HARTAL day called by the Awami League on the 28th March 1996 and we had no better transport but a tempo, and that also after night fell through the Cantonment Number One Gate to our residence in the civilian area, about 2 Kms away from that gate.
I can recall another incident. I was waiting at the Peshkar‘s office of the Administrative Tribunal at Abdul Ghani Road in early 1996 for it was the day for one of the hearings in my case in relation to my dismissal from job in 1993 that I had challenged there. The incident that I intend to mention was that the Peshkar who clearly sounded to me as an activist of the Awami League let me know in advance that the next Hartal would be for 72 hours unstopped or for three full days and even nights. His advance information came true within days.

Hasina for hartal
Many others like me may have many painful stories about Hartal, apart from loss of properties, productivities, lives lost in infighting or by police excesses in the past. But I recall one of the stances of Hasina in favor of Hartal: HARTAL DILE SHARKARER TONOK NORHE- shut downs make government worried. I wonder, being myself a non political party activist, if Khaleda has hoisted the same signal for the Awami League and Hasina, in particular. I deliberately said of Hasina’s and less of the Awami League party or even the government having had my own understanding that the government is of one person or of one egoist brutish woman who show all the time burning in vengeance and nothing of humanitarian consideration since the day one of the 2009 January. No openness, no democracy, no justice, no rule of law, no humanitarian consideration for any opposition and the millions of dissenting and suffering poor. The only consideration is the ‘I’ and, at best, her deep dream for dynastic continuity at the cost of the country and the nation, albeit, for upholding Delhi’s vested interests as the loyal poodle.
One may further recall Hasina’s 173 days Hatral during Khaleda’s 1991-1996 first tenure of PM’s governance (130 days in the second term 2001-2006 and Khaleda’s 59 days against Hasina’s first term) having support as well among some ‘intellectuals’ who certified that there were no adverse effects of Hasina’s such long Hartals on the overall productivity of the country’s GDP! One must remember as well her public utterance that ‘EKDINO SARKARKE SHATITE THAKTE DIBO NA’- I must not give any scope for any peace to Khaleda’s rule even for a day! People would know that those intellectuals or members of Hasina’s civil society drummed up support to Hasina for such Hartal and break down of peace that led to the LOGI BOITHA culture.

Logi Boitha from Gozarir Lathi
Her father had only TIN HAT GOZARIR LATHI that she innovated further by LOGI BOITHA! The rest of the stories are fresh in many memories and so need hardly be repeated here. The drama of Emergency for two years, the digitally rigged election, the ‘overwhelming majorities win’ by the Awami League in the December 2008 election, the conglomerate and novice cabinet formed leaving out all seasoned Awami League politicians obviously for establishing personal rule and more seriously Indian hegemony strengthened much more than any time ever before.

Left’s disgust of Hasina
If one would take some seriousness about the matters of 23 point election manifesto of the Awami League being continually all violated and people feeling totally betrayed was voiced in a rally held in Dhaka on the 22 May and published as news in Dhaka dailies of the 23 May, of the 14 parties alliance partner Rashed Khan Menon of the Workers Party (One faction). The previous day the other faction of the same party led by Haider Akbar Khan Rono, a bit more hard liner, along with some other left leaning parties and cultural organizations declared their resolve to fight against the misrule, state terrorism and all those the people have been tired of and stood to resist including price rise, crisis of gas, water, electricity, etc. A few days earlier still other left leaning groups led by renowned intellectual Professor Badruddin Omar made another rally and vented their distrust of the Awami League Government of Hasina. He has as well been writing columns in some dailies seriously condemning Hasina for falsehood and betrayal.

Too little too late
Thus the Hartal call given by Khaleda on the 19th May at the Dhaka rally of nearly million people attended who all offered support with spontaneity and Khaleda gave six weeks advance notice of the common grievances of the people specifically mentioned therewith to meet in the time given is considered by many, even independent outsiders, as too little too late.

Caution
There must be some caution to observe by all concerned parties that the 27th June Hartal must be observed peacefully as democratic norm demand. The caution however, is to viewed in the open fear that the government led by Hasina and possibly still more uncultured and so unfit for democratic governance her Home Minister Sahara in charge of all internal security forces, the police, BDR, RAB etc. that might turn under their unusual pressure not for keeping normal the law and order but much more than that to make the Hartal bloody.

Author: Mohammad T. Hussain

Khaleda too little too late: Better late than never

Soon after the December 2008 election result was out and the Awami League (AL) won a landslide and BNP sized up, both beyond everybody’s expectations, a London resident friend then in Dhaka asked me what should Khaleda do right then. I replied without almost any hesitation, she must now make a rally at the Paltan Maidan and must explain to her followers and Islamic/Muslim elements that the election did not reflect the true wishes and aspirations of the people and provide political pro-active programs in the field. None of us are practicing and professional politician but all life teachers, he is still in job there to retire soon but I have already retired long 15 years ago due to old age and official superannuation. I tried to explain my hunch and give my intuition that the result had been somehow manipulated; I was not sure of what mechanics had been applied. Another friend from Karachi who preferred to be there after 1971 break up being a native of greater Barisal and direct school teacher of former CG Chief Fakhrudin phoned me from Karachi and gave me a clue of rigging by special squad of General Moinuddin, the army chief, in connivance with the Awami League and other powerful outside elements, not necessarily the whole army’s doing. I neither fully believed nor turned the idea fully as false.

Since then things have opened first by former AL Secretary General Jalil and made many issues clear by now that it was not only the election but the orchestration from the January 2007 Emergency etc until the election, ministry formation and all activities gone on onto May 2010 went on in some engineering pattern. The central point of the pattern was that there had been serious contracts between Hasina and her immediate lord Delhi for keeping her in power for life and through to the dynastic continuity in exchange Hasina promised to offer every bit India needs from Bangladesh for integrating her regional hold as the emerging superpower. That deal was struck in underhand position by Moinuddin that in return he was promised to have the position of the Bangladesh’s President with more power. It is still there but for the old Zillur Rahamn the difference occurred, but no one can be sure that the same Moin would not at all re-emerge in the position.

Khaleda had her shocks to withstand and possibly deep motherly weaknesses due to her two sons both partially turned disabled by Moin’s own men, long under treatment in foreign countries, not likely to recover again to full blown youth once again to work and life despite their chronological age still at late forties. The episode was unbelievable in any society with minimum humanitarian norms and considerations. In this sense Hasina was double lucky than Khaleda as her two issues in late thirties had been then fully settled in advanced foreign countries outside and also that they stayed away outside from long before.

Hasina’s advantageous position was fully and cleverly utilized particularly by India in addition to the legacy of her father as the champion of Pakistan breaker, the number one enemy of Pakistan since the days of late 1940s. On the other hand Khaleda’ had some friends outside in the Muslim world but they were not that assertive as India had been for Hasina.

As soon as Hasina got the Bangladesh State executive power for the second term in January 2009 she aggressively pursued her politics of reprisal. Her first target was the otherwise organized and confident Bangladesh army and its command developed confidently after mid August 1975. In her first term (1996-2001) she did initiate reprisal of Mujib Murder case that she could not have finished right then in five years. That was her first target but would take some time more to meet formalities to hang to death in the due process. That is why her back up planners went for the BDR massacre orchestrated on the 25-26 February 2009 to dampen the morale of the army who had sympathy for the 15th August heroes for their successful mutiny on the 15th August 1975 which placed and raised the army in due and respectable position.

By now in over 14 months some small fries alleged to have been involved in the BDR massacre had been tried and punished but there is no progress in regard to the trial of the real planners and killers directly or clandestinely involved in the brutal killings of 57 army officers in a single go in full knowledge and information of the PM Hasina. Are the facts that had opened so far, despite hush ups, at all anything but fishy?

In mid January she visited Delhi her real master in inheritance, signed treaties not yet placed in the parliament as the Constitution requires her to do, no matter though the HUQQA HUAS (two words used by BBC’s former Serajur Rahman) are mainly there, not to speak of making known to the people. The secrecy itself clearly implies that they had been bonded ones just as her father bonded Bangladesh for instance by the 25 year treaty euphemistically termed though as ‘FRIENDSHIP’ between unequal!

Soon after she returned to Dhaka from Delhi she orchestrated to appoint a junior judge as the Chief Justice through clandestine understanding that the 15th August mutineers would be confirmed hanging to death in a hara-kiri trial that he did in three days on the 27th January before he went on to retirement on the 6th February or just about one week after the verdict passed and executed in lightening speed. She cared nothing for world wide appeals and protests against the execution of the five decorated commissioned army officers for the trial was rightly labeled as the POLITICAL TRIAL (The Economist, 27 November 2009) and not fair judicial trial on any account from the start in late 1996 to the finish.

The morale of the army is now shattered that was rebuilt on the ashes of the 1971 war and the neglect they received during 1972-mid August 1975 and by Hasina’s father’s rule.
All these should have been foreseen just at the conclusion of the 2008 December election by all patriotic and sensible politicians rising above self, and then and then gone on to pro-active street political programs by all nationalist and Islamic/ Muslim parties of Bangladesh. Now that they have missed the bus at the right time, BNP’s action program announced on the 19th May by Khaleda Zia in the Dhaka Paltan Maidan is at best too little too late for the country to get out from the octopus of the Indian hegemony at this stage of Hasina’s total subservience for her ulterior motive clearly seen ahead not only for absolute one party rule but for her dynastic continuity.

It is not at all sustainable in simple logic that by making the 15th August 1975 a matter of simple ‘murder’ of the President and nothing beyond, much less successful mutiny, that the BNP callously yielded to in their quiet acceptance of the trial from the start in not resisting the indemnity repeal in the Parliament in late 1996 to the finish and in execution to death of the five (by now and six still at large as fugitive in freer countries) already befell them to non-existence facing now first defacing Zia by the AL that might lead the BNP’s existence even as a legal political party that lawfully owed everything on to the victorious 15th August coup and its lawful continuity via the 5th Amendment of the Constitution. In the back drop they have first to make penance for the five hanged to death by Political Trial by Hasina, protest them even now as the vicious judicial murder, seek redress and then and then only BNP can have its legitimacy. Unless the legitimization done first in the process pointed out here, calls for actions in the streets as Khaleda has gone on to announce as too little too late after missing the bus in due time.

Let’s try to recall to be honest and truthful the whole truth of history that minus the 15th August decisive victory led and involved by Farooq, Dalim, Shahreer, Rashid, etc. Zia, much less Khaleda, would have any place in the history of this country.

Even so, one might argue, better late than never.

Author: HB Khair

Hasina’s Subservience went up to sky limit

Hasina, a confirmed stooge and poodle of Delhi, of late has offered Bangladesh’s airport system to Delhi’s control. Their specially trained armed forces shall onward make surveillance and hold control of Bangladesh’s, particularly, the capital’s only international airport. That was what the news published in widely circulated national dailies on the 18th May. The reason advanced was that Delhi wants to be certain that there would be no attack on their transport planes in the airport! Whether the surveillance will consist of only Indian army personnel or more than that of even special supra power air cover electronic gadget fitted in the upper space of Dhaka sky as the name hinted at or by any powerful electronic equipment fitted in top secrecy by the Indian Air Force is not clear.

It’s curious to learn about the arrangement agreed by Hasina in the topmost secrecy. First, that she has thus conceded that our own security provisions are not capable enough to guard the Indian planes. How could then we have no peacetime record of any failure in the last four decades? Could such argument be at all tenable when all others are fully satisfied with our arrangements? Not at all unless there must have some hidden ulterior motive and reason for them, not for self dignity of Bangladesh.

Before the main issue concerning our sovereignty is reasoned through, we may first seriously consider some other relevant on going matters. The Indian Air Force system has already been pressurized to make surveillance and air attacks against the Maoists insurgents (having support base among the poor low caste millions) inside Indian territory for the Para military force has miserably failed to contain and keep at check the Maoists inside India so much so that the PM Monmohon Singh (scared though for support for the Maoists by intellectuals like Arundhati Roy, etc) termed them lately as ‘the single biggest threat to Indian security’. The Union Home Minister Chidambaram has been pursuing the argument inside the ministry in Delhi for use of Air Force to crush down the Maoists of all 7 provinces (11 according to other source) spread all over areas mainly adjacent to the western border of Bangladesh. There has not been any consensus decision despite Chidambaram’s insistence for over months. There was a distinct division arguing against Chidambaram that the Indian Army and Air Force were not organized and trained for quelling any internal trouble but only for attacks on external enemies, particularly, Pakistan. The other argument was that the air force bombers might be fired upon by the Maoists equipped with even modern weapons like mortars, rocket launchers, etc. during any operation that would cause many other civilian casualties outside the Maoists Guerillas.

The points of concern particularly for Bangladesh, if the air attacks go on, could be that some Maoist might spill over inside Bangladesh itself aggravating and multiplying Bangladesh’s security risks not only from such refugee Maoists but also for probable Indian Air Force planes chasing them for strikes inside Bangladesh territory like the US Drones in western Pakistan border making other civilian casualties here. In other words, the so called SKY MARTIAL operation by India would further worsen Bangladesh’s internal law and order situation and for furtherance of other hidden objectives of India. Even other outside powers may combine together as they had been doing against Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

Bangladesh is a sovereign country that the overwhelming majorities aspire for and not like Hasina making to keep it subservient as the poodle of Monmohon-Sonia nexus and Delhi. That was what just her father as well did pursue through unequal treaties for subservience (the 25 Year India-Bangladesh Treaty of March 1972: Arts. 8, 9 and 10 but became ineffective after mid August 1975 change, though Hasina tried to renew in 1997 but failed for stiff opposition of the people), obviously callously for his poor merit and intellect and love for continued power in dynastic chain. She must not forget, despite her only transitory apparent triumph on the 27-28 January (10) night judicial murder episode orchestrated through the Kangaroo Court and Political Trial, her father was condemned almost universally on the 15th August 1975, and so also Hasina worldwide for the judicial murder of the five heroes and martyrs. The deeply patriots inspired by the anti-BKSAL ideals of the 15th August coup live on to see that its ghost in any form must not forcibly grab and swallow open democracy, pluralism, independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. I am sure that those contended soul must continue to inspire from the Jannatul Firdous the patriots against the Fifth Columnists and aggressive design through the so called format of the SKY MARTIAL.

Author:B K Din

Hasina’s machination continues in the mass killings of the Army officers at the BDR Campus

13th Extension
On the 18th May the relevant court in the capital city Dhaka on its own extended the date for submission to the court the Government CID Report on the BDR massacre of the 25-26 February 2009 to the 30th June, 2010, the next date for 13th time as a report was published in an English daily on the 19th. Earlier on the 18th the Chief CID officer, Abdul Kahhhar Akhand, a special pick up of Hasina from retirement and then promoted (!) and proved fully trusted to her ulterior design and want in another notorious case of the 15th August 1975 Mujib Murder, in a brief interview with the BBC Bengali Service Radio about the repeated new submission dates taken, somewhat casually responded that things were not finished ‘checking and cross checking’. Earlier he said the same thing and confirmed nothing definite for the next date to keep from his side. The CID report is presumed to be the one on which the whole case would have base in the due process of law. The two other reports, one prepared by the committee of the Home Ministry and the other of the Army, had already been submitted to and put under lock and key by Hasina herself and never to come to light at least in the exact form in her tenure of office of the PM of Bangladesh.

Why hush ups
There were already facts and evidences that hush ups were there. The hush ups were first seen clearly in the orchestration of her talking direct to the suspected killers for hours on the 25th February while some killings already finished and other going on inside the BDR campus. Not only that she talked to them in their masked faces identity kept secret on what God only knows but announced their wholesale pardon right there for the brutal killings they perpetrated. Her Home Minster, Ms. Sahara Khatun, in control of the non military law enforcement agencies including the police, BDR and RAB or Rapid Action Batallions (Specially organized police) along with another state Minister Nanak went inside the massacre site on the 25th midnight having had electric lights snapped and turned off by the killers in group, obviously then killings and defiling of dead bodies including of the dead family members had been going on uninterrupted as gun shots had been heard from outside. The two ministers had been inside for some time and after they came out of the campus the perpetration continued the next 26th February until evening. There happened what on the 26th is not all clearly known from first hand witness. But after their stoppage of the massacre things revealed that they did killings, defiling and disposing of dead bodies into the underground sewerage drains, mass graves, etc.

Joy at Dubai and the envelope
The story did not end there. Many suspected killers and their outside backers came in and finishing the mass killings, and then escaped very safely through a particular gate kept opened after the areas outside the gate cleared of inhabitants to their own place of safe destination. Interestingly on the 27th February Hasina’s son JOY was present at the Dubai Airport to receive some suspected killers and handed in to them each an envelope containing large sums in cash dollars just as Ms. Sunita Paul, an Indian free lancer journalist reported a few days afterwards. She had other 29 points for query in her statement that remained in obscurity in Dhaka except to few ones, I believe.

Mysterious Lorry etc
The coming and entry into the campus of a mysterious lorry with arms and ammunitions and their safe exit afterwards finishing the operation went away to the other side of the nearest eastern border remained another mystery! Now even before the CID Report is out some minister has had already contradicted his earlier comment that there was no outside power involved in the massacre. Indian press reports, however, highlighted right then that the ISI of Pakistan was involved!

AL Big wigs
Two main Opposition politicians have been kept under detention for suspected involvement along with another low profile Awami Leaguer Torab Ali. Curiously Torab Ali happened to be simple minded average person not capable to do any serious work all on his own. He could not have worked alone in the notorious game. There must have been some well placed backers of the Awami League. Many suspect that they were State Minister and M.P. Nanak, MP Taposh, State Minister and M.P. Azam etc., in league with JOY from the USA. They are all linked not only closely with the PM Hasina but also in blood relations.

Why who and to what end
The most crucial matter one must take into account and call into serious question for getting into the real depth of why and whose inherent motive for the mass killings of the brilliant and commissioned army officers had been perpetrated there. It was a vicious killing mission for deep psychological reprisal and for weakening the army as a whole, who gathered there in scores together at the BDR campus. The corruption in relation to the DAAL BHAT program operated by the BDR Chief Major General Shakil Ahmad was nothing but a drop of water in the ocean of bloodletting or at best a side issue or lame excuse in the matter in targeting the army officers. The fact that repeated desperate mobile phone calls from that Shakil to the PM Hasina in the morning hours on the 25th February to save his life went unheeded by her must give important clue in the massacre.

Hatred for army
The army in general was a matter of despise to Hasina’s father Mujib for he ‘suffered at their hands’, not the whole but at best half truth. Half truths had been Mujib’s main political capital for his rise among the less informed and poverty stricken masses of East Bengal/East Pakistan. Hasina inherits the same capital plus the same hatred naturally passed onto Hasina’s whole psychological make up at a still bigger dimension. The liquidation of her father and some family members had propped up additional hatred so much so that she took to politics for avenging her father’s blood (BBC’s former S. RAHMAN, daily Naya Diganta, 24 March 2009, etc), the first beginning possibly was the killing of Bangladesh President General Ziaur Rahman in two weeks time on the 30th May 1981 by the well known R&AW operatives under Indian PM Indira after Hasina had been welcomed by that very Ziaur Rahman himself in Dhaka from her self exile in Delhi for six years, not without pressure from Delhi. She has in addition ‘hate Pakistan psyche’ not equal but much more than her father. Her father had been the direct worker of the Pakistan Movement in 1940s first as a charity boy of Suhrawardy and then worker that she even knew not in depth. Suhrawardy had all throughout his life until mysterious death in a Beirut Hotel in December 1963 a highly serious and fully committed Pakistani patriot despite his annihilations, at times by President General Ayub Khan, Mujib knew well some though not with full appreciation due to his mental incapability and poorer intellect. Hasina is totally minus those historical experiences.

JOY’s Jewish connection
Hasina’s son Joy educated in the USA, turned not only westernized so far as hate campaign for Islam and Muslim solidarity is concerned, not for western technological education and learning alone that in some way make half educated technocrat but for his closeness with his teachers connected to the Jewish lobby and the ruthless intelligence Mossad. Possibly his linkage through his girl friend and now ‘married wife’, a Jew of normally committed intent, has added to the anti-Islam, ant-Muslim and so anti Pakistan psyche of Joy. That the army of Bangladesh whatever its growth and integration had been possible was nothing done during Mujib’s rule during 1972 –August 1975 but in the post August 1975 period from wretched condition in post Bangladesh period to a sizeable confident one the country had from many contributions from Muslim world money including Saudi Arab through Pakistan connection. That’s why the post 1975 Bangladesh army has been labeled by many informed corners as the smaller proto of the Pakistan army minus the nuclear arsenal. That was what made India worried and wished to size it up at any opportune moment just as it ‘cut to size’ Pakistan in 1971 that to the then PM of India Indira and to many Indians had been a historically monumental prize of past ‘one thousand years defeat’ against its Muslim adversaries in the region.

Connivance
Once one would appreciate these realities one can not miss the targeted issue of the massacre of the 57 army officers at the BDR campus on the 25-26 February 2009, and the parties interestedly involved in the episode, no matter directly or in clandestine connivance between the parties, groups and individuals concerned including the Indian intelligence, the vicious R&AW and the Jewish ruthless secret service, the MOSSAD.

Army’s morale doomed
The BDR massacre has doomed the morale of total Bangladesh army as I, as an outsider, can perceive from outside. The hanging to death in judicial murders of five decorated army officers were not less weighty than the BDR massacre of the otherwise profusely welcomed anti-BKSAL heroes of the 15th August change whose coup efforts put to death and final burial of the BKSAL along with the one time illustrious but then condemned Hasina’s father Mujib further dampened the morale of the army not only against India but also of Bangladesh’s vulnerable sovereignty, integrity and Muslim nationalist traditions grown and took firm root in common aspirations in about one thousand years of the past history.

Another ploy for political trial
Any averagely intelligent person with the minimum of patriotism can hardly overlook these points in the BDR massacre of February 2009. The very CID person Kahhar put to the investigation chief position just as he had been the chief of the 15th August notorious murder case should not be lost sight of in having Hasina’s direct executive collusion in the 15th August Political Trial (The Economist, 27 November 2009) in this matter as well.

CID fixing up targets for scapegoats
It should as such be very easy to take for granted that some scapegoats at best like the five other scapegoats would be taken to task from among the open opponents of Hasina, the Awami League and India. That is what the Kahhar group has been engaged in the getting of late for final submission extended for the 13th times one after another in 15 months in place of the initially promised time frame a week or so.

Let God save Bangladesh.

Author: HB Khair

Widespread fears for re-emergence of the notorious BKSAL among the seniors around

Many senior and proven nationalist intellectual citizens of high integrity of all shades have been very much worried about Hasina’s evil machinations against the freedom loving people of Bangladesh that she has each day driving and forcing the people to swallow the bitter pill of the BKSAL her father innovated. In the wider groups there are many well known ones who had at one time been deeply devoted to Mujib, Hasina’s father, the pioneer of BKSAL in independent Bangladesh in earlier1970s.

Is this anything unusual to follow father’s ideal? Being a devotee of the great father her approach in the matter should be nothing unusual or unworthy, particularly, in the political culture of Bangladesh. What looks bad is that by doing so she has been trying to chart a wrong path for the people she is on to the driving seat of the country. The people are for open society and plural democracy that BKSAL had put to death formally in 1974 by her father that hastened his fall as well. She wishes to resurrect the skeleton from the grave and give a new lease of life, dignity and honor. What must Hasina make choice for, her father’s ideal or the people’s common aspirations? Why should she detest her father whatever others think or stand against differently?

Like Hasina many loved Mujib for many of his rhetoric and political programs. I had a friend, a former Student League activist and leader in early 1950s who was a devotee of Mujib as many other not less than Hasina, apart from the blood relation. In the 1954 general election he worked hard canvassing for Khaleq Nawaz against seating Chief Minister Nurul Amin of the Muslim League in the constituency in Mymensigh away from his home village Ahmadpur in Brahmanbaria that he fell seriously ill. That meant that he was a serious supporter of the Awami League and also of Mujib. Further he was the founder Vice Principal of the Mirpur (Dhaka) Bangla College, Mr. Abul Kasem being the founder Principal in late 1950s and early 1960s. Later on Matiur Rahman did his Ph.D. in the SOAS in London in History. Unfortunately he rejected Mujib’s secessionist move and sided in 1971 with the integrity of Pakistan, our forefathers created through popular votes in the 1946 general election. Further on he stayed in London after 1971 and died there in 1982 never returned to his birth place. During death he left a last wish that his body be buried in Islamabad National Graveyard and was so done. He had 6 valuable books about politics, history and future of Bangladesh, apart from his many occasional publications, two in Bengali and all other in English. He could not see one in printed shape during his life time but later on published by his equally capable wife, a life long teacher in London, Dr. Razia Rahman.

Mahmud Ali’s case is historically well known. Although a native of Sunamganj, Sylhet, and Revenue Minister in 1950s of the East Pakistan Cabinet, very much a progressive left leaning politician, stayed back in Pakistan and died there in 2006 November. He was also buried in the same graveyard with national honor of the State of Pakistan.

Another interesting case was about the pre 1971 Pakistan Observer (Dhaka) senior journalist and Chittagong Burea Chief Fazlur Rahman of Sujanagar, Pabna. He stayed in Bangladesh all through until early 1973. On being to London to attend a cooperative seminar, he held himself back there. He was by that time until 1970 well known as a supporter of Mujib’s six points so far as the economic ‘disparity’ between the two wings was concerned. He was a serious column writer in the pages of the English daily verbatim and translations into Bengali done by Taheruddin Thakur (as he told me later) in the pages of daily Ittefaq mainly on economic disparity issues. A life-long bachelor, he stayed in London from 1973 to 2003 connected with Labor Party politics as councilor of Waltham Forest Borough and then lastly Mayor in 2003. When on a visit to Azad Kashmir leading a delegation from London in March 2003 he expired there and buried with national Pakistan honor. Fortunately, I had occasions to pray on the grave sites of all these three great men. He became known to me in late 1982 in London, Matiur Rahman in 1974 again in London and Mahmud Ali also in London in 1986 ( if my memory does not fail me). None of them had less fondness for Mujib before 1971 but had their way parted that way. They were no fewer patriots than Mujib either. The renowned Awami League Minister of the Pakistan Central Government in mid fifties and one of the founders of the same League, Abul Mansur Ahmad termed such difference on 1971 issue for independence and/or remaining together was just matter of simple difference of belief and opinion. His verbatim was: ‘The fact that a man worked for the integrity of Pakistan does not make him a criminal. Opposition to independence until it was achieved was a matter of political difference. It can not be construed as anti-state.’(M.Rahman & N. Hasan, Iron Bars of Freedom, News and Media Ltd., London, 1980, P.20.) Had there been no Indian armed intervention, things would have remained different. Mujib then would have been freed not hanged as his hanging verdict remained unconfirmed for about four months (See, Kamal Matinuddin, Tragedy of Errors, P. 235, n.d.; and S.M. Choudhury, The Ultimate Crime, Lahore, 1997, P. 98) by the Pakistan President General Yahya and secret relation between the two stalwarts and so were most likely to be given to administer the whole country of Pakistan (See, Stanley Wolpert, Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, OUP, Delhi, p.175, 1993). In such a most probable case, the activities of the exile government of Tajuddin and his Bangladesh independence movement would have a different fate.

To make the long story short, there was nothing wrong for Hasina to do as many things as she liked for the memory of her beloved father so long as those items would not go beyond normal social decency, morally untenable and cause no aspersion on other equally important personalities of Bangladesh history and politics. But the equally weighty question must she ask herself, what did Mujib really want. Did he cherish seriously for independent Bangladesh subservient to India or Prime Minister or President of the much larger and bigger country Pakistan for facing the Indian hegemony and chauvinism in the sub-continent? Some clues on this question might be obtained in the serious rift he developed with Tajuddin, his sacking and end in prison during Mujibs life time by Mujib himself seated at top of the power of the country.
The other crucial issue was that being almost a life long pluralist and democrat why had he been initiator and innovator of the lone party state and country? Was that only for dictatorial power to ensure rapid development and ensure well being of the people? Or, did he wish to found his dynastic rule in perpetuity?

In any case the lone party dictatorial system of government is almost a bygone mode, never to return in civilized and humanitarian societies. The dynastic rule by evil design or ill machination is also an obsolete matter having very few people in Bangladesh sensibly to stand for. Even so, more sensible people are really scared that Hasina has already created an air of fear syndrome and intimidation perpetrated by the goons of the party that signals clearly for fascism and one party rule on the one hand and for burying down democratic norms, ideals and values, on the other.

If Hasina has any good sense of sobriety in her personality that many doubt very seriously, she must not go for fascistic one party rule in whatever format or for dynastic continuity that she might venture for. She must try to reflect the fall of her father from the highest of popularity not only to the unimaginable depth of hell amidst popular jubilation for deliverance by the welcome heroes of the army coup led by Col Farook - Col Dalim - Col Shahriar from the tyranny of the notorious Awami League and of the BKSAL’s top boss having among the people not the slightest visible resistance by any group or individual in the mid August 1975, exactly the day of the 15th August that year duly celebrated by overwhelming majority people at home and abroad, not in Calcutta and Delhi, then and afterwards rightly as the Great Day of Deliverance just as also had been the 22 December 1939 at the fall of the provincial Congress governments in the last leg of the British India. Whether Delhi would sustain her for the dynastic continuity ‘at any cost’ is to be seen when time comes.

Author: HB Khair

Farakka’s vicious aggression on for 35 years now in 2010 in Bangladesh

1. Farakka Barrage project looked innocent
Farakka is a hangover project not seriously taken up earlier until by independent India since 1949, that is immediately after Indian partition and Pakistan founded in two parts, the West in northern British India and East in East Bengal. Though the founding of the new innovative state of Pakistan was founded through popular votes of the people and in consensus agreement of the three main parties then involved active in Indian politics- the British, the Congress and the Muslim League- the powerful actors the British colonialist and the caste ridden elitist Brahmanist Congress had set their targets very much at the beginning to dismember Pakistan and eat that up at some opportune moment. The first target being East Bengal for many vulnerable reasons against East Bengal, such as, its geographical location almost encircled by big India and economic over dependence on West Bengal and bigger Indian merchants and businessmen. The set hidden target being so, India’s Farakka Barrage Project just 11 miles up from the agreed international land border across the mighty river Ganges/Padma must have had the additional hidden agenda for hegemony and throttle East Bengal in the down stream flowing through East Bengal (East Bengal/East Pakistan) to the Bay of Bengal. Apparently the project for control and diversion into the river Bhagirathi to flash out and keep fit for deeper draught vessel into the Haldia river port near Calcutta looked innocent and of big utility to India.

2. Pakistan kept on objecting then off
Although Pakistan since almost the beginning in mid August 1947 had leadership crisis, India had both experienced and more efficient leadership and continuity of old colonial administration obtained almost intact, Pakistan had kept on objecting to erecting the Barrage across river Ganges in upstream for that was taken to affect adversely the water flow along the Padma in the down stream through East Bengal to the Bay of Bengal. That is why almost no substantial progress of the work was made in nearly two decades. But as soon as East Pakistan was in political turmoil in late 1960s the project got a quick accomplishment. Whether there was any close connection between the Jalao Porao or put on arson and burn- of East Pakistan mainly engineered by Sheikh Mujib’s six point ‘autonomy’ formula launched in mid 1966 need be looked into depth. Soon in midst of the anarchy and chaos, civil war in 1971, secession and independence of East Pakistan naturally left Bangladesh on its own in all matters and so the Farakka matter, as well.

3. Advantage taken by India and Delhi
The friendly governments of Delhi and Calcutta took the best advantage of the period of turmoil of Bangladesh and completed the Farakka Barrage construction left only to just begin its operation. Even so, they could not do so unilaterally because the Ganges/Padma happened to be not only India’s river but also of sovereign Bangladesh’s that made it a serious matter for water sharing subject to rules, regulations and norms of international river waters under several statutes. However, India took another advantage of close friendship with Dhaka to get the barrage operation for diverting and withdrawal of water at the upstream. They had little difficulty in making Dhaka agree to their programs that they did in May 1975. Even so, the operation was meant for ‘40 experimental days’ and to get things viewed for adverse effects in the down stream. Unfortunately the top leader’s fall from power in mid August 1975 that kept things ahead not only in uncertainly but also hardening of Delhi’s attitude to Dhaka on all matters.

4. Prelude to 1977 water treaty
Bangladesh was no match in anything with bigger India. The changes of government in Dhaka through army coup and counter coup one after another, the national army being in the driving position and General Zia to the top, was unpalatable to India that made things very difficult for Dhaka to move ahead. But the people were united and so were the people for the due share of water down the Farakka Barrage. On 16 May 1976 the oldest and the most experienced politician and mass leader Maolana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani organized and led a road march of hundreds of thousands of people towards the Indian border nearest to the Farakka point. Obviously the procession was stopped at the border by Indian security forces. He addressed the rally there and asked India to give our share of water or face serious other consequences. The threat on behalf of the huge mass of people gathered there produced some result that made the 1977 water sharing agreement for five years possible with minimum guarantee clause of 34,500 cusecs of water to be released at the Farakka point for Bangladesh’s needs.

5. President Zia killed in May 1981
Once President General Zia was killed, many alleged the killing by Indian Intelligence R&AW operatives and under Indian PM Indira Gandhi’s direct planning and order, the water sharing for three years set had passed. The renewal of the agreement was not made. Bangladesh suffered for loss of everything of life and economy due to lower quantum of flow. There was nothing except a MOU made in 1982, India arrogantly refused to make any agreement to enjoy scope to withdraw water unilaterally at will until the 1996 treaty that in fact unfortunately flouted rules and norms of international water sharing bodies like Helsinki Rules or treaty conditions that existed for other river waters elsewhere like the Nile, Danube, Indus Water between India and Pakistan, etc.

6. Hasina made an agreement in December 1996 for 30 years with no guarantee clause
Shaikh Hasina on assuming the position of PM in 1996 for the first time through indecent and immoral league with the Jamaat and the Jatiya Party leader imprisoned Ershad for high degree corruption, made a high sounding agreement for 30 years. The additional suicidal clue was ‘dependent on availability of water’ at the Farakka point, being other mass withdrawn at points still up in the stream caring nothing much less taking consent of Bangladesh. It sounded high but having no clause for minimum guarantee for the down stream flow during the leanest season (April-May) it remained suicidal for Bangladesh for all encompassing adverse effects due to non availability of water for basic sustenance of lives, economy and environment. For thirteen years India has been even more aggressive not only in matters of Farakka but also in matters of Teesta, its seven tributaries, and now newly started Tipaimukh Barrage in the upstream of Surma and Kusiara that flow down to the Meghna another big river of Bangladesh. This is certain to have ill fate of Farrakka’s adverse effects on one fourth of the country in the south west region just as one third of Bangladesh in the south east of Bangladesh due to the Tipaimukh Multi-purpose Barrage. Hasina says as also her own men in top administration that the Tipaimukh would be so done and operated that it would do no ‘harm’ to Bangladesh That was what the assurance she has got from Indian PM Monmohon Singh, but unfortunately nothing in written much less in document of treaty. Pity for Hasina for the harsh reality is that they cared little for written documents possibly for their bigness and bigger muscle power, how could Delhi be trusted for verbal sweet words!

7. Questions to ponder and to rise
On the Farakka March’s 34th anniversary this year on the 16th May some pertinent questions have been raised by some quarters. The points are- (1) whether Bangladesh must raise the issue at the United Nations for arbitration for the quantum of water; (2) whether Bangladesh must seek for compensation to India for the huge loss incurred during the lat 35 years of the barrage operation at the upstream against lives, economy and environment; (3) whether Bangladesh must make enumeration of losses incurred in terms of money ( I made a calculation of loss in 2008 March that came to a figure of 49 lakhs crores, in May 2010 it might rise further 3 lakhs crores making the total as of now at 52 lakhs crore Taka that comes to US$ 7,400 billion at the current exchange rate) and seek the amount for the compensation from India; (4) whether comprehensive plans for joint development of river water sources in the Himalayan region for augmenting water flows through construction of dams in the upper region and for water management sharing with other neighboring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India be pursued for the total river basin as a unit in a cooperative approach, (5) whether, in case all the above four options unrealized satisfactorily, Bangladesh must opt for military option, the brief and the most likely would be bombing by our Air Force at the Farakka installations proper and so ensure natural flow of water in the downstream to Bangladesh.

8. Strength of the spine
Bangladesh has no strong spine to take up the 5th option against mighty India. But a sniper action should not be ruled out. The Padua/Roumary battle in 2001 had been a good lesson for India. One would point out though that since the 25-26 February massacre of the 57 commissioned army officers in matter of hours in the capital city Dhaka in the well secured BDR HQ must have taught the army that how much deeply helpless they could be in face of India sponsored massacres meekly eaten up here for weaker spine and personal lust for power hungriness and as such any probable air attack on the Farakka Barrage installations could be countered with mightier attacks. The further issue that caused worry is that they have gained additional moral strength by dismissing at some one’s will many other senior army officers in addition to those faced the judicial murder of five in late January 2010 due only to vengeance and hardly for upholding rule of law that have had additionally chilled the spines of Bangladesh army. Otherwise India would have had chilled her spines, I can confidently guess.

9. Pakistan’s instance
India played havoc with Pakistan in the initial years and soon after the Kashmir war in October 1947 in that India had stopped all canals in the upstream in order for Pakistan to get lost in the lifeline for agriculture through irrigation in the Pakistan part of the Punjab that developed long before the British period, loss of drinking water supply and huge damage to environment. But Pakistan’s spine though relatively weaker then even so India got to the table and made 10 years treaty permitting Pakistan exclusive rights of full three rivers’ waters- Sind, Jehlum and Chenab, and India secured similar rights of another three – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej for her. On expiry of the ten year period the treaty was renewed forever that runs till today. The World Bank though made the mediation Pakistan’s spine was an important factor to force India to sit down across the negotiating table and their leaders Ayub and Nehru in September 1960 did the formal signing. Again Pakistan had the Army General with stronger spine in leadership and Nehru the founding leader of independent India and top boss of the Congress party. We experienced President General Zia had a stronger spine that made the 1977 treaty with guarantee clause for minimum flow during lean season for five months (January to May) at 34,500 cusecs.

10. 1996 treaty clauses flouted consistently by India
The treaty made by Dhaka in 1996 with weaker spine facing Delhi’s stronger one and cunning sweet words obviously fell flat and Bangladesh has not in the last 13 years got the due share agreed then unfairly though agreed for Bangladesh in the agreement. It is very much clear that unless the spine is made stronger there is in store all sufferings, misfortune and misery continuing for 35 years of water aggression now against Bangladesh not only for the Indian Farakka Barrage but also for the Teesta’s Gazaldoba, Tipaimukh Dam etc, that is, in all 53 common rivers unfortunately Bangladesh geographically positioned in the down stream of the Indian location being in the upstream that must bring along in future many other for the country due mainly to spineless rulers running the country.

May I say at the end that unless one is deeply aware of the aggressive and hegemonic attitude of the Indian rulers against the smaller countries in the region one must fail to understand the common river waters downstream flows and sharing in its proper perspective.

Author: Mohammad T. Hussain

Broken promises of the Awami League and betrayals

Promises made and broken
Promises given and then forgotten/broken are hardly new in politics in this country. But the Awami League remains the champion not only of broken promises but betrayal of the masses.

Promises for the ‘fools’
May I begin from instance of late 1960s? Once Mujib spoke to the Paltan audience in Dhaka that he would ensure selling rice in the open market at Taka Twenty a Maund of forty Seers or 0.50 per Seer (little less than one KG) if he would be voted to power in the next election (1970). Immediately after he ended his speech along with similar other promises made for the people for ensuring much cheaper prices of everyday poor men’s essentials, the then Awami League party Treasurer Yar Mohammad (if I have spelled the name with accuracy and subject to correction) right after the speech and listened to him being present in the rostrum if he (Mujib Bhai) could at all keep the promises made there that day in the speech. Mujib retorted instantaneously, the promises made in the speech were not meant for him but for all poor and simple minded audiences. The hypocrisy owed unaccounted deaths in thousands and subservience to India.

Not to dance with Hasina
In early 1980s when Hasina stepped into Mujibs shoes I used see to a wall graffiti in Gulistan Bus stand and elsewhere that read: “HASINARE HASINA TORE KOTHAE NACHINA, TORE BAPER KOTHAE NAICHYA DESH DISCHI BAICHYA’- in English the wall graffiti can be translated some what like this- OH HASINA AND HASINA WE DON”T DANCE IN TUNE AT YOUR WORDS AND PROMISES BECAUSE, WE DANCED IN TUNE WITH YOUR FATHER MUJIB’S PROMISES AND SO WE HAVE HAD SOLD THE COUNTRY.

Promises broken on and on
In independent Bangladesh after he had taken over the running of the country as an opportunist in the sense that he had enjoyed British made elite Erinmore tobacco even at the Mianwali ‘jail’ and amazingly his death punishment verdict remained unsigned for nearly five months from August to December 1971 even GeneralYahya had been in power as the President of Pakistan! The sermon was “TIN BACHAR KISUI DEBAR PARUM NA”- I can not give you anything for three years! That was a glaring instance of broken promise to flood rice in open market with Taka 0.50 per Seer for millions of poor people notwithstanding the fact that he made almost all the party genres exceptions to the sermonic decree, not in terms of price rise but enough illegal earnings to make up for the price rise.

Exceptions
The exceptions had almost everything at their disposal not necessarily through legal or fair means but mainly by illegal ways with impunity being fortunate party cadres. They kept on making fortune that they had not had for 17 years from 1954 to 1971 (see, M. T. Hussain, Bangladesh Victim of Black Propaganda, 1996) so much so through all foul means from the scarce resources that they were fortunate to grow enormous fats while the millions other kept hungry leading to the ‘man made famine’ (See, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen) in 1974. The deaths according to government official figures was admitted by the leader at 27,000; unofficial figure stood in million.

Bottomless Basket had welcome end
That was how it was ‘Sonar Bangla’ or Golden Bengal for the few on the one hand and majority million victims of broken promises on the other until the vicious ‘bottomless basket’ got reprieve through the heroic action of the 15th August (1975) early morning that happily snapped off the notorious lone party BKSAL and malevolent dictatorial Mujib’s rule buried not yet retuned for liberty, pluralism and open multiparty democracy.

Broken promises 1996 -2001 and 2009 onwards by Hasina
Hasina’s noteworthy promise in 1996 was that she sought forgiveness from the people for all sins of the Awami League grievously committed in the past and give her party and herself to run the country only for ‘once’. The promise had been clearly seen with her body language clad in white BORKA in front of the Holy Kaba, Muslims spiritual centre and psychological elevation, praying with two palms raised in deep prayer mood, as if she had nothing of worldly want but only for spiritual salvation. But as soon as she won in June 1996 election befooling the spiritually minded millions of Muslim voters, not in absolute majority though, but in a state of hung parliament, she not only secured support of the Jamaat’s elected members and further did serious immoral dealings with the debauch and corrupt imprisoned army President Ershad at bargain for his early release.

Animal passions at the worst
As soon as she formed through horse trading and touting the government on 23 June 1996, she took to all repression against other opponents. She started with heinous politics of reprisal against the main personalities, Col Farook, etc, the otherwise welcome heroes of the 15th August 1975. She let loose her special police not only to put them on arrest under the notorious Cr.P.C. 54 but on remand and rigorous mental and physical repressions of all those arrested. One or the second in command of the 15th August heroes Col Rashid could not be arrested as he was out of the country. She as such asked her police of special pick up to arrest and put to rigorous remand of the wife of Rashid, Zubaeda, in violation of human rights and minimum sense of morality, much less cultural decency. She was driven by the worst animal passions for reprisal of her father’s blood, no mater in fairness that would be permitted in law the 15th August change being a successful mutiny of the army and accepted by all and offered due allegiance to the coup. On international humanitarian pressure, however, Zubaeda was soon released and she left Bangladesh and did not return yet. Recently indicted in another alleged crime, Rashid’s daughter had been arrested and was imprisoned denying regularly obtainable bail but refused in Kangaroo Court who then on refusal of bail carried with her four months old baby into the prison of third class criminals! The Kangaroo Court episode continued in the 15th August case from start to the end on the 27th January 2010 just only to quench the insatiable deep thirst for blood of her father, a betrayer Mir Zafar and she herself now in line the next betrayer Mir Zafar in recorded fresh history of the region.

Rule of law a far cry
Despite given high sounding promises for rule of law and independence of judiciary these matters remain far fetched in Hasina’s Bangladesh. The worst of the mockery of rule had an ingenuous start with the onslaught of the 2007 January 11, that Hasina herself owed its credit of movement of Logi Boitha in late 2006 by brutally killing political opponents in the streets of the capital city Dhaka that accrued renewed active vigor of the lately vicious Frankenstein.

Parliamentary Democracy of the Huqqa Huas
The overwhelming majority parliament of the post December 28, 2008 election could be nothing different than the style of the post 1970 election and of the 1973 fraudulent election of March 1973, if anything of significant achievement in that they invited the horrible of civil war followed by Indian interference and aggression in 1971 and the fiasco of burying the bits and pieces of democracy into the coffin of the lone party dictatorial BKSAL in January 1975. They are all live examples of broken promises and betrayal of the people in matters of open promises they gave for liberty, pluralism and parliamentary multiparty democracy.

Price spiral makes poor poorer
As against sky high unrealistic promises made for the poor credulous millions, the prices of daily essentials for common people go on increasing day in and day out. The poverty stricken people living below poverty lines of about 50% or 75 million jumped up by another 6.2 million in the immediate past one year period enumerated by a research organization (See, Bengali daily Amardesh, 15 May 2010). The gaps between the richest few millions and the poorest multi millions has further widened. The widening of differences of properties of the richest could not be of any other person than the newly emerging Awami genres being engaged in illegal and immoral earnings from fleecing the country’s extremely limited resources and properties.

Not all
Not all of the broken promises by the Awami League now inherited and run by Hasina are listed here but some important ones as I recalled right now. Others may add many to the list.

Author: B K Din