BNP and its future
Though BNP is not in power, but still it is the second largest party and the real challenger for Awami League and its government
Abdul Gaffar choudhury
On1st September Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has observed their founding anniversary. This party did not have a natural birth. It was not born out of a movement. After capturing state-power, a military leader formed this party to keep himself in power and assembled some leaders from different parties, most of whom did not participate in the war of liberation. Even those who had directly opposed the Liberation war, were accommodated in his party and government by this military ruler. In spite of this political background, after the death of General Ziaur Rahman, its founder, BNP gradually became the second largest political party of Bangladesh. Under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia this party turned to be a democratic one and was voted to power three times.
Perhaps for this and for other known and unknown reasons, John Kerry, the American Foreign Secretary briefly met Begum Zia during his recent Dhaka visit. According to Dhaka media, BNP lodged strong complain to John Kerry against Hasina government, stating that the present government was an autocratic one and that they are pursuing a policy of repression against BNP and violating all sorts of human rights. After this meeting the BNP leaders were in a joyous mood and saying that they will establish democracy in Bangladesh with the help of America. Almost all the newspapers in Dhaka have made the headline of this news that BNP will establish democracy in Bangladesh with American help.
We know democracy can only be achieved by peoples movement of the country concerned. At the present time a number of countries are fighting for democracy against the aggression and intervention of American imperialism. In this situation what type of democracy can BNP achieve with American help? We have seen the real face of democracy established with the help of America in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. There are American military bases in these countries to safeguard the so-called democracy and regular drone attacks on their soils killing innocent people regularly. Does BNP want to establish a similar democracy in Bangladesh too?
America is now the sole super power in the world. It has achieved supremacy in both military and economic spheres. As a developing country of course Bangladesh needs American help and cooperation, but not at the cost of our sovereignty. Present Hasina government has established strong relationship with America but did not submit to their every whim. That is why the American ambassador in Dhaka recently said, America does not want to occupy Bangladesh. John Kerry, the American Foreign Secretary, has also visited Dhaka recently with the same message that America wants to have a strong tie with Hasina government. He also praised Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib as a great leader and said that Bangladesh will be guided by his vision. His meeting with Begum Zia was a courtesy visit and there is not much significance to it. But BNP High Command is beating their drums giving too much importance to this meeting that they will establish democracy in Bangladesh with the help of America. The party which has no faith in their own strength to achieve any political goal, how can they inspire people by promising they will do something with foreign help?
When Begum Zia became the leader of BNP, her adherence to democracy and her participation in the anti-Ershad movement raised hope in peoples mind that BNP will leave behind its legacy of Cantonment-based politics and become a democracy-based party in the country. That hope did not last long. With the rise of the leadership of Tareq Rahman, Begum Zias elder son, BNP made their alliance with Jamaat stronger and started indulging in all sorts of conspiratorial politics. The partys long association with Pakistans military intelligence service, ISI was an open secret. Most of the time BNP did not go for constitutional movement but tried to overthrow the Awami League government to destroy Awami League and its government by collaboration with powers which opposed the independence of Bangladesh. They sometimes tried to overthrow thegovernment by joining hands with Jamaat in their terrorist activities. When Pakistan lost its power and importance in the subcontinent with the rise of extremism in their country BNP changed their policy and wanted to make friendship with India, their erstwhile enemy. They wanted to use India against Hasina government when BJP came to power. But in the changed world situation BJP did not respond but made friendship with Hasina government. This rejection has made BNP more vulnerable in Bangladesh politics and they are now seeking a new patron to save them from their present calamity. But there is no hope that the present American administration or the future one would like to oblige BNP ignoring the increasing influence of the present Hasina government in the South-east Asian politics. The only way BNP can survive and come back to their old position is if they leave their dependency on foreign powers and organize themselves as a strong democratic party. Their founding anniversary passed this year also without any indication that BNP will shun their old failed policy and try to mobilize its own strength to achieve its political goal.
No patriot can endorse BNPs policy of inviting foreign intervention in the country and few will believe their accusation that democracy is absent in Bangladesh under Hasina government.
If the present system of democracy is not likable to BNP and its allies, they can go for peaceful constitutional movement and sustain it if they face political suppression. In the past Awami League did the same. Why can BNP not do it and expect that some foreign power will come to their rescue? In reality, a number of old guards and well-wishers of BNP are now saying openly that democracy is absent in this party. Doctor Zafarullah, a veteran BNP supporter recently wrote an open letter to Begum Khaleda Zia to bring back democracy in the party. Another well-wisher Professor Dr. Emajuddin also urged Begum Khaleda to disassociate with Jamaat- a killers party. On both counts the BNP leader did not respond, but took steps in the opposite direction.
The newly formed central committee of BNP was formed and almost all the new faces are the children or relatives of the old party leaders who were associated with the war crimes of 71. On one hand, BNP is showing that they are keeping distance from Jamaat, but in reality the alliance between the two parties remains strong secretly. Recently, a leading war criminal of 71 Mir Kasems death sentence was upheld by the court of Appeal. To protest against this court verdict a gathering was arranged in Alatab Ali Park in East London by the supporters of Jamaat. But the leading figures of this protest were the leaders of the UK branch of BNP.
This hide and seek game in politics and seeking foreign assistance to achieve their party goal will not help BNP. On the contrary, this policy will destroy the party. Bangladesh needs a strong opposition in the politics of the country for the interest of the whole nation. If BNP fails to rebuild itself as a strong, democratic political party, that will be a great tragedy for the nation and national politics. Our greatest disappointment is that BNP has still remained a party for vested interests of the old ruling class and could not become a party of the mass people.
London, Friday 02 September 2016
