Untold Facts

Sheikh Hasina’s Image Refurbishing in the Middle East!

It is known from press reports that the Bangladesh Government of Sheikh Hasina has gone on to use the services of former President Ershad to refurbish its image in the Middle East or in the Muslim countries of international importance.

There is nothing unexpected in the move for two main reasons. One that Ershad has got, rightly or wrongly, some acceptable image in the Muslim countries, and two, the Awami League as a political party and also as the Government of Bangladesh enjoy very poor image there for historical reasons.
Let us believe the news as Ershad, otherwise, a contestant for the Presidency, but of late frustrated in the scheme as the party Octogenarian Zillur Rahman now all set to take up the Presidency as of today, Ershad would only eagerly be pleased to have the position of Special Envoy to the Middle East for the Awami League now saddled in the power of the government in Dhaka. May be, he could serve some purpose in the mission as the ‘older brother of Sheikh Hasina’ just as he assumed himself as we heard from his mouth in verbatim immediately before the 2008 December election just as the ‘marriage of convenience’.

To me, however, the poor image issue of the Awami League and also of its now powerful leader Sheikh Hasina in the Middle Eastern Muslim countries lies in issues of complicated nature. The problem has been brewing since the beginning in 1970s. That is why when the founding leader of Bangladesh had been alive and in the most powerful saddle of power in Dhaka, he had received very cool shoulder. In 1974 I came across a news item with photographs published in a London ( I used to live in London) news paper wherein, Dr Kamal Hossain, the Law Minister of Bangladesh, being sent to Riadh as the Special Envoy seeking to have formal recognition of the country was not accepted kindly by the King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Soon after another close friend of the Bangladesh leader but of opposite political camp having had close private acquaintance with the Saudi King, when met the King all on his own initiative in December 1974, as he later on told me in London, that he King unfortunately showed him the same cold shoulder.

However, Saudi Arabia and so also of some other countries even including the communist country China abandoned their earlier stance for Bangladesh in the post mid August 1975 changed political scenario, recognized Bangladesh as an independent country, established diplomatic relation, offered huge money for infra- structure building, etc. The post 1975 governments led by Zia, Ershad and Khaleda continued to receive the favor. During 1996-2001, there had been once again a sort of cold shouldering, particularly when Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minster of the country clearly appeared completely bent on hanging to death as ordinary ‘murderers’ the otherwise welcome heroes of the victorious 15th August 1975 coup, albeit, through a facade of trial, but in that the due process had been engineered and so the death sentence given to twelve of the ‘accused’ turned to be a clear miscarriage of justice.

At about the end of her five years of term in office of Prime Minister when Hasina was about to set to hang the 12 ‘accused’ for ‘murder’ of her father, a special envoy suddenly dashed to Dhaka that was taken by many here in Dhaka as from the Saudi end to impress on Dhaka that the 15th August 1975 ‘accused’ be given some favor and not hanged to death. As the case went for appeal hearing at the Supreme Court, and Hasina’s party faced a crushing defeat in the 2001 October election, the conviction remained pending subject to appeal hearing since then.

Now it is known from press reports that the government of Hasina becoming P.M. for the second term has taken prompt attempt to finally dispose off the case pending at the Supreme Court. It is only reasonable to assume that had she been bent upon her previous frame of mind in vengeance, she might be eager to hang to death the 12 ‘accused’ of the 15th August coup. And if she does so, it is not only the Saudis, I am sure, some other Muslim countries, as well, would not relish the matter at ease.

The razzmatazz for trial of the 1971 ‘war criminals’ now on since the government took in and the 9th parliament took unanimous decision on the issue, there is all likely that many Muslim countries and members of the OIC would take exceptions in the matter, and further affect adversely Sheikh Hasina’s image and her Awami League Government of Bangladesh.

The likely appointment of Ershad at this time to the Middle East as special envoy could be a signal for Hasina’s worry in the matter not only about the fate and the fall out of the 15th August 1975 issue but also in matters of annulment of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution so far as it would matter revival of the ‘secularism’ of the 1972 Constitution that had as well been unacceptable to the Saudis, in particular, in early 1970s for withholding their formal recognition. Whether Ershad could be of any use to refurbish the image of Sheikh Hasina in complicacies of the issues mentioned above unless and until her actions in these matters, for instance, would not fit in their own frame work of belief and be acceptable to them.

Ershad may be quite happy to have the job at his age in early eighty but success in the mission would depend not on Ershad’s past image in the Muslim countries but on Hasina’s own, God willing, change of frame of mind from vengeance to magnanimity and broader outlook in all these matters.

Sheikh Hasina can well improve her image, I tend to believe, through taking expedient positive actions and attitudes of broadness in the greater interest of the nation in issues like the few mentioned above and not by any third person as Ershad would be whatever his past image could have been in the Muslim countries and in the Middle East.

– Dr. M.T. Hussain