Is BNP having a change of heart?
If the BNP leader can free herself from the personal vendetta against Sheikh Hasina and Awami League, it will reduce the great divide between the two major political parties and remove the obstacles to national unity
Abdul Gaffar Choudhury
A dramatic change has taken place in the political arena in Bangladesh. Begum Khaleda Zia, the leader of BNP did not observe her controversial birthday on 15th August. It is not her real birthday. A few years ago she suddenly declared 15th August as her birthday and started celebrating the day very pompously. 15th August is the National Mourning day of Bangladesh. 41 year ago, on this day the Father of the nation, was brutally killed along with most of his family members. Begum Zia suddenly chose this day as her birthday and began observing it every year ignoring the protest of the many sensible people of the country. They understood that the BNP leader was trying to malign the memory of the Father of the nation. If she was dictated by good political moral and this day was really her actual birthday she should have shifted the observation around any other day. But she did not. This created a great divide between the two big national parties-Awami League and BNP. Begum Zia could remove this divide by observing the National Mourning Day with Awami League and other political parties.
In reality BNPs actual opponents are Sheikh Hasina and Awami League, not Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. When Bangabandhu was the Prime Minister and subsequently became the President of the country, BNP was not even born as a political party. Even the founder of BNP, Ziaur Rahman was serving as a Major General in the army under Mujib Government. Then it is a big question that why Begum Zia took an unreasonable stand to tarnish the memory of the great leader, which has created a great rift in the national unity. In the recent past some prominent well-wishers of BNP like Dr. Zafarullah and Dr. Emajuddin have broken their silence and advised Begum Zia to abandon her birthday celebration on this very date. Dr. Emajuddin also advised the BNP leader to disassociate with Jamaat who are the enemy of the country in the public eye.
So long, Begum Zia did not care for public opinion or the advice of her prominent well-wishers. But this year she suddenly changed her mind and abandoned her birthday celebration with the excuse that the country is facing a devastating flood and she is with the people, because of that she is not observing her birthday. But everyone knows this is a lame excuse. Under the changed circumstances of the political situation in the country where BNP is losing its ground everyday Begum Zia had to succumb to the demand of the people to show respect to the Father of the nation.
It is a good omen. If the BNP leader could free herself from the personal vendetta against Sheikh Hasina and Awami League, that will reduce the great divide between the two major political parties and remove the obstacles to national unity. Now a greater pressure is created inside BNP to reorganize the party and abandon the old policies which is a great hindrance for the national unity. Perhaps BNP is grasping this general truth. This was reflected in the recent utterances of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the Secretary General of BNP. Just 6 days after cancelling her birthday celebration by the Party Chairman on 15th August, the Secretary General came out with open condemnation of the massacre of 21st August (2004).
Sheikh Hasina was then the opposition leader. There was a vicious grenade attack on her public meeting. She miraculously escaped death but lost 24 leaders and workers of her party including Begum Ivy Rahman, the wife of late President Zillur Rahman. More than three hundred were seriously wounded and the whole area turned into a killing field. BNP and Jamaat coalition were in power then. They did not arrange a proper investigation at that time but tried to protect the real criminals. Eventually a case was started during the military-led caretaker government and Tareq Rahman was also accused as a conspirator along with 30 BNP leaders and workers.
Since then more than a decade has passed. BNP never condemned this heinous crime and remained silent about some of their leaders alleged association of this tragedy. This is for the first time BNP has openly acknowledged the massacre of this day as a day of great shame. In a Dhaka meeting Mirza Fakhrul said, I pray for the salvation of the departed souls of the victims of this days (21st August) tragedy. I am paying great respect to those who sacrificed their lives on this day. If this is the indication of a great change of heart of BNP then I congratulate Mirza Fakhrul. But question remains that he perhaps knows the identity of the real plotters and killers of this incident. Why did he not demand their quick trial and punishment? Only by bringing all sorts of political killers to justice the country can make certain its advancement towards real democracy. If BNP wants a democratic Bangladesh they must disassociate themselves from Jamaat, the party of collaborators of the genocide of 71 and take a firm stand against the present day killers who still remain unpunished for their crimes.
With the condemnation of the killings of 21st August if Mirza Fakhrul could raise his voice for the trial and punishment of the killers that could pave the way for greater understanding with the other major party to create the atmosphere of national unity. Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the two cities of Japan were devastated by America with the first atomic bomb. Thousands of innocent people including women and children were killed. The peace loving world condemned this unnecessary barbarity. American leaders never apologized to the Japanese people for this crime. Still they are adamant not to apologize. Recently President Obama visited these devastated cities and cried openly, but did not apologize to the people. Some people criticized Obama and said that it was a great performance without sincerity and sense of humanity. In Bangladesh after 12 years Mirza Fakhrul Islam acknowledged that the tragedy of 21st August is a great shame for the country but remained silent about the criminals who were responsible for this.
The Secretary General of BNP also commented on the present trend of politics in Bangladesh. He said that there is a conspiracy against the independence of Bangladesh and there is an attempt to make the country a terrorist state and a failed country.
It is a very delayed realization in the mind of a top BNP leader. Still I welcome this change of heart. If it is a real change then BNP can come back to the fold of democratic politics and make great contribution to unite the country against all sorts of conspiracy and terrorism. For that BNP should show courage and wisdom to disassociate with Jamaat, a killers party whose aim is to destroy the very foundation of a democratic Bangladesh. Still there is time. If Begum Zias decision about the non-observance of her controversial birthday and Mirza Fakhruls condemnation of the killings of 21st August are signs of the partys change of heart then we can hope that it may usher a new era in the political life of Bangladesh.
London, Friday 26 Aug 2016
