On October 10, a Bangladesh Supreme Court judge rebuked the country’s attorney general, saying, “You have made the country hell”. Hell, indeed, is where Bangladesh finds itself in today.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began a ‘reign of terror’ when she took power through a questionable election in 2008. At first, she began looting the property of the state for herself and her family. The amount of wealth looted is unimaginable. Then to safeguard her illegal wealth and power she recruited numerous corrupt sycophants from various sectors of the society, and subsequently gave them power to carry out corruption with impunity.
Furthermore, she organised the police to protect herself and her illegal activities. Due to her reprehensible actions country, she became unpopular and her party, the Awami League, failed to perform well in the Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Comilla, Gazipur and Rajshahi corporation elections. These elections proved that the people of the country were not in favour of Hasina’s rule. As such, Hasina was convinced that if there was a fair general election in 2014, her party would not win. To retain her position as prime minister, she decided not to hold any fair election in Bangladesh.
However, this went against a provision in the constitution, which states that a neutral and interim caretaker government will be in charge during the time of elections. This provision of caretaker government was established in 1996 through a movement in which many people laid down their lives. She decided to strike out this provision with the assistance of the High Court and Supreme Court. At that time, the Chief Justice of Bangladesh Khairul Haque, who was her supporter, passed an arranged judgement foregoing the caretaker government provision from the constitution. Since then, there has been no fair election in Bangladesh.
Since then, the people of Bangladesh have been vehemently protesting against the government. In response, Hasina has systematically facilitated oppression over the people, the kind which is comparable to that of a fascist government. Nobody can freely protest against her government without facing consequences. False cases are foisted against the people who can be taken into custody without warrant. In fact, thousands of protestors have disappeared and nobody knows whether they are dead or alive. More than, 40,000 cases have been filed against BNP leaders and supporters.
For the past few years, the people of Bangladesh have been fighting against this illegal regime, and its consequences have been horrific – ever widening state repression and violence. Today, as Bangladesh is at a crossroad, this could be a make-or-break moment that could impact the country’s fledgling democracy which can be safeguarded by holding a free, fair and truly participatory election under a ‘caretaker’ government.
I was a freedom fighter and took an active part in Bangladesh’s liberation. I have always dreamt of a democratic, peaceful and secular Bangladesh which, sadly, has been turned into hell. Only the people of Bangladesh and the democratic countries of the world can, hopefully, deliver the country from an illegal and fascist government.
(A barrister, the writer is a former minister and a veteran BNP leader)
