By Kartik Lokhande
Saturday, January 31, 2015,
marked further worsening of the political situation in neighbouring nation of
Bangladesh. After Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister and now Opposition
leader, called a 72-hour nation-wide strike beginning Sunday, the authorities
of Awami League ruled Bangladesh severed power supply to her home. The casualty
in the turn of events was not political but educational -- Secondary School Certificate
examinations were postponed affecting 1.5 million children.
This has been the case in
Bangladesh ever since the Awami League (AL) led by Sheikh Hasina, daughter of
Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, came to power for third time in January
2014. The Opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) led by Khaleda Zia, widow
of former President General Ziaur Rahman, had boycotted the elections and
launched political agitation against the ruling dispensation. However, this has
not happened for the first time. Bangladesh has been a witness to the long
battle between the two women leaders. And, their battle for power is rooted
deep into the history of the country.
The battle of these two ‘Begums’
is rooted into the legal battle over who proclaimed the Bangladesh’s
independence from Pakistan in 1971. There was a decades-old dispute between BNP
and AL over whether Sheikh Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujib Rahman or Khaleda Zia’s
husband General Ziaur Rahman proclaimed independence from Pakistan. In 2009,
Bangladesh High Court decided the matter in favour of Sheikh Hasina.
Another dimension of the battle
between the two main political parties in Bangladesh has its roots in the
question – What comes first, spirit of Bengali nationalism or Islamic identity?
In 1977, after General Ziaur Rahman assumed Presidency, Islam was adopted in
the Constitution of Bangladesh. In 1988, Islam became State religion, during
the Presidency of General H M Ershad, who had assumed power in an Army coup in
1982. All this was a result of pressure mounted by Islamic hardliners, believed
to have links with hardliners in Pakistan.
In Bangladesh’s context, Jamaate
Islami is the Islamic hardliner force. In 1971, all political parties professing
Islam were banned. In 1977, through a Constitutional amendment, the legal bar
for formation of Islamic political party was removed. Soon after, in 1979, Jamaate
Islami emerged as Islamic political party. Since then, it has been involved in
many violent acts throughout Bangladesh. More recently, its leaders have been
convicted of ‘crimes against humanity’ during the 1971 war of liberation of
Bangladesh from Pakistan. Jamaate Islami has been promoting the cause of Islamic
identity first and has stated objective ‘to turn Bangladesh into an Islamic
welfare state’. Conviction of its leaders in war crimes cases by Awami League
government has further deepened the ‘secular-religious’ divide and is leading
to polarisation.
Apart from these factors, authoritarian
tendency of two main political parties is at play time and again. When in opposition,
Awami League resorted to blockades, general strikes, Parliamentary boycott. BNP
did the same, when it was in opposition. An era of political violence followed
with clashes between workers of both main political parties. And, this has
continued till date. Today, the ruling Awami League as well as the BNP-Jamaat
opposition both are at war from streets to social media. The official website
of Awami League displays on homepage the statement: “Is it a mass movement? Is
it called politics for people? BNP-Jamaat Let Loose Terror January 5 to 31.” Similarly,
BNP website displays its statement: “Awami Misrule and Misdeeds.”
In all this violent political
drama, the democratic social structure of Bangladesh is taking a beating. Besides,
this is hurting its economy and trade badly. As per Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, blockades and strikes are affecting trade to the tune of US$ 770
million every day. Also, it is hurting its trade ties with neighbouring
countries including India. Apart from Dhaka-Agartala bus service coming to a
halt, the border trade also has been hit hard.
And, here lies the cause of
concern for India. The continuation of the violent, authoritarian political
drama will contribute to deepening of religious divide and civil unrest in
Bangladesh. It will result in lack of employment in Bangladesh’s areas
bordering India, and there is a risk of illegal migration to India in search of
employment. Already, India has increased border vigil sensing this aspect. Still,
there are other aspects including intervention of countries like China, which
has been batting for BNP. Sooner or later, these factors will affect the
regional stability in the Indian Sub-Continent.
Considering all these
possibilities, India must continue to keep a close watch on the internal developments arising out of political crisis
in Bangladesh. For being watchful will yield better results for India in the
longer run, while the Begums of Bangladesh battle it out for supremacy.
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