Bangladesh’s Crisis and Way of Recovery

One.
The people of Bangladesh have been fighting for their minimum basic rights for ages. Along with that, they have been struggling for a long time to overcome numerous crises, including hunger, poverty, unemployment, fair wages, education, health, housing, justice, national security, impartial voting rights, environment, climate, social inequality and malnutrition. The various mechanisms of the so-called friendly countries are working as catalysts behind the creation of geographical and political crises, moral values and state instability in Bangladesh just like playing Snakes and Ladders: Ludo game.

If you are a little careless, life can be lost in one move. On the one hand, there is a desperate attempt to take the country forward, and on the other hand, there is a rope being pulled from behind. Since the birth of Bangladesh, it has been held back from all sides like an octopus. This so-called friendly enmity has emerged as a very big crisis for the country. The decline of moral values and social chaos has emerged as the main obstacles in the path of economic growth of Bangladesh. The allies of the hegemonic forces have put a trap of crisis in every step. Their cohorts have become the main obstacle in the path of establishing the rights of the people of Bangladesh. Having the looting class as allies, the external forces are constantly carrying out subversive activities.

Two.

With the help of external forces, their associates are engaged in the practice of bad culture and various misdeeds. They create a crisis of moral values and political chaos through their misdeeds. Capitalising on the chaos, they staged a military coup called ‘1/11’ in 2007 and changed power. The main target of the domestic and foreign groups is to destroy national and state solidarity and spread violence and hatred throughout the society. They have plundered and siphoned off the country’s assets abroad. In the two years following 1/11, they planned and created a terrible division among the political parties by promising to create a level playing field.

They brought the Awami League to power in the rigged elections in 2008. As planned, the BDR massacre in 2009, the mass killing in Hefajat-e-Islam in 2013, the election without voting in 2014 due to the direct intervention of Sujata Singh, the election engineering at day light in 2018, nationwide enforced disappearances, kidnappings, bank robberies, fictitious cases, politicisation in the administration and courts, the terrible decline of moral values, and the destruction of the chain of command of the state established a horrific fascism throughout the country. It ignored humanity, justice, the rule of law, and the right to vote in the country. Along with the leaders and activists of the opposition political parties of Bangladesh, even the common people began to be crushed by the clutches of fascism.

In the final phase of the continuous movement of the political parties against fascism, the ordinary soldiers and junior military officers refused to open fire on the people in the final phase of the July 2024 uprising. As a result, with the enthusiastic participation of activists of the political parties, workers and ordinary people, the student movement turned into a mass uprising and succeeded. Fascist Sheikh Hasina, in order to save her own life, left countless leaders and activists of the Awami League unprotected and fled to Delhi like a coward, bearing the stigma of defeat.

Instead of taking any lesson from the defeat, Sheikh Hasina is constantly giving provocative speeches staying in Delhi to create chaos in Bangladesh. At the instigation of Sheikh Hasina, her cronies have been involved in nationwide robberies, Ansar rebellions, armed clashes in the hills, killing workers in garment and pharmaceutical factories and disrupting production, protests over Trump's picture, carrying out assassinations, and setting fires in various places to cause irreparable damage to the country. Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are committing one crime after another without learning any lessons from the popular uprising. The deposed Sheikh Hasina has always been involved in destroying peace, order and harmony in society and creating hatred, violence and animosity.

Three.

The revolutions and struggles of many countries have had a far-reaching impact on world politics. Notable among these are the American struggle for independence in 1776, the resurgence of freedom, equality and friendship in European countries after the French Revolution in 1789, the rise of socialism after the Soviet Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the revolutionary victory of the Chinese people in 1949 in the continuation of the Long March, the victory of the Vietnamese people after a long struggle, the independence struggle and the Cuban Revolution in Latin America, the independence of Korea and the Islamic Revolution in Iran. These have not only changed the fate of the people of their respective countries but have also had a great impact on the progress of civilisation. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that the people of every country in the subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, have repeatedly lost their gains in the long and bloody struggle for their rights.

Now in Bangladesh perspective, the challenge has come to light as to how far the benefits will reach the doorsteps of the people through the heroic struggle of the student, working class people and common people of the country in the July-August popular uprising against the misrule of the fascist Hasina.
The world’s influential Time magazine published a report on Bangladesh in 2006 branding the country as an emerging tiger. In 2006, Bangladesh’s economic growth was 6.9 per cent. A noteworthy comment in the report said that if the growth rate continued, Bangladesh’s growth was expected to double in the next decade. A puppet government came to power in 2007 through the 1/11 coup due to the direct intervention of external forces jealous of Bangladesh’s potential success. Then, it stole the benefits of Bangladesh’s GDP and economic growth and stabbed Bangladesh’s growth and progress in the back. Bangladesh’s politics after the July uprising is now showing a new dream. In this context, it is the responsibility of Bangladesh’s patriotic politicians to ensure that no mistake pushes the country back.

Four.

It is being noticed that various motivated incidents are now happening in Bangladesh after the July mass uprising. In the context of all these events, the reference to the Battle of Uhud, which has awakened the whole history of Islam, comes up. In the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet ordered that the soldiers assigned to guard the pass should not leave the pass under any circumstances, regardless of the outcome of the battle. But in the Battle of Uhud, the soldiers assigned to guard the pass disobeyed the order and left the pass and started looting the booty.

Taking the opportunity to leave the mountain pass, the enemy soldiers came through the pass and counterattacked. The sure victory of Uhud was not only missed but also brought a tragic defeat. The tragic outcome of the Battle of Uhud has become an instructive example not only in the history of Islam but also in the history of mankind. No one has been able to leave behind those nations that have learned from history. We too must learn from history and move forward by firmly suppressing the intrigues and chaos at home and abroad. The benefits of the victory achieved at the cost of many sacrifices must be brought to the doorsteps of the people.

As an example, in most developed countries, the victorious powers establish the basic rights of the people, the dignity of labour, as well as the dignity of the people. In developed countries, they have set an example by achieving the growth of the state by establishing the basic rights, labour and human dignity of all the citizens of their country. The main reason for the backwardness of the subcontinent including Bangladesh is the lack of basic rights, labor and human dignity of the citizens of this region. The basic rights of the people, labor and human dignity have not been established in Bangladesh. The above-mentioned headstrong administration has deprived the people and increased the privileges and salaries of the state officials. The state is following the wrong path and is unable to achieve stability by stopping the chaos, discrimination and corruption of the state. Due to the above-mentioned wrong policies, corruption has spread like a frog's umbrella everywhere. Even the disease of corruption has now infected politics. People want those who do politics to avoid corruption and do something good for the country and the people. Those who do politics should not be intoxicated with luxury. Those who want to do something for themselves should not do politics but business or something else.

Five.

The majority of the leaders, activists and supporters of most political parties want an end to injustice, corruption and exploitation in society. The rights of the downtrodden should be established. Countless teenagers, young people and youth are playing politics in Bangladesh on a dangerous path with the conviction of freedom from discrimination and social welfare. After overcoming the emotions of adolescence, countless political leaders are still following the path of establishing fairness, equality and social justice amidst extreme adversity. They have to suffer torture and imprisonment repeatedly while following this path. Even then, most political leaders and activists are moving forward on the path of truth and justice, eschewing personal interests.

They have to be repeatedly humiliated and accused of various failures. Despite hundreds of adversities, they have not given up. They are still committed to overcoming all adversities and reaching their ultimate goal. Lakhs of students, workers and downtrodden people have repeatedly snatched victory in exchange for their labor, sweat and lives. The common people who dreamed of changing the fate of the common people and for whom they risked their lives to repeatedly snatch victory are still the most deprived. Hegemony and its allies are collectively carrying out evil activities to trample on the rights of the freedom-seeking people of Bangladesh. The allies of defeated fascism have caused corruption, degradation of moral values, and created chaos and distrust at all levels of society.

As a result, the common people are not able to trust anyone easily. Despite this, students, workers, and the masses have written a new history of mass uprising against the extreme looting and oppression of hegemony and their allies with the determination to establish a state free from exploitation, deprivation, and discrimination. The expectation of the common people is that the politics of Bangladesh after the July mass uprising should become the determination of the liberation of the common people. Justice, equality, honesty, democracy, human rights, and voting rights should be established in society. Our main political mantra is to establish a society based on the rule of law, humanity, democracy, and non-discrimination.
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The writer is Special Assistant to BNP Chairperson Begum
Khaleda Zia