[This was published in Dhaka Courier on 22
March 2013]
HM Ersahd, founder plus sitting chairman of
Jatio party and former president of Bangladesh under the then so-called
presidential system of government, is under serious pressure from the ranks and
files of Jatio party on question of quitting Hasina-led grand alliance
government without a delay. Not a single member of Jatio party is now convinced
that Hasina administration has over the last four and a half year been able to
present a fit to be seen success in line with its electoral pledges. Rather the
volumes and extent of failures have become so high and wide for which it shall,
if truth be told, be the most challenging and onerous task for the Grand
Alliance to confidently face the people and next elections to 10th
parliament. It is held that Jatio party cannot be a party to any of these
failures as it was never consulted on any issue and initiative, strategic or
not, of Hasina administration. Even Ershad himself became a definite target of
deprivations hatched unnecessarily by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Therefore,
policy of deprivations and getting lost fogged up the highly anticipated good
days for Jatio party and Ershad.
Unfolding theme of the Presidium meeting of
Jatio party headed by Ershad in the last week brought to light that all the
members of the presidium asked Ershad to read and understand strictly the
writings against the walls about rapidly growing and escalating
dissatisfactions of the people about the misrule of Hasina administration and
thus make no further delay to leave the Grand alliance government. Ershad
knowing very well of the pulse of all readily requested them to empower him
officially to take the right decision at the most opportune moment in near
future. No doubt that the presidium could not but listen to him. It is on
record that Ershad uttered many times that he would say goodbye to the grand
alliance government and thus pave way for taking required steps politically and
organizationally to contest the next elections without being a party to any
alliance. In an exclusive talk with the satellite channel ETV on 17 March 2013
Ershad, now a stern critic of the mode and manner of Hasina administration,
reaffirmed that he would wallop grand alliance government very soon for the
greater interests of the people as well as the jatio party.
Does HM Ersahd in reality want to survive and
swell in the politics of Bangladesh cashing dividends in such a manner and mass
that shall meaningfully help Jatio party to emerge as the certain deciding
factor in the electoral politics, which has in effect rolled into politics of alliance,
in particular before and after the elections to 10th parliament? Has
Ershad, practically speaking, at present got rid of all sorts of over
emotionalism, self-contradictions, fantasies and hallucinations setting and
proving him, of course, both in the eyes of the people and the activists of
Jatio party, as a man of decision, vision and mission even in the face of
challenges, Himalayan or oceanic? Replies
are very simple and straightforward, which entail inter alia:
Yes, HM Ersahd is apparently determined to
survive and swell meaningfully in the politics of Bangladesh both electorally
and non-electorally since he has a political party colored with catchy program,
manifesto and constitution having demonstrable representations in all the
parliaments since 1986 including the present one. Jatio party led by HM Ershad was
in power from 1986 to 1990 and HM Ershad during the period of continuance of
martial law held also the office of CMLA (Chief Martial Law Administrator) from
1982 to 1986. Taking both the offices together HM Ershad had been in power for
about nine years onward, first of its kind in Bangladesh.
Ershad must be considered in the political history
and development of Bangladesh as the most effective statesman so far in the
sense that he had successfully drawn almost all the key figures from various
political parties within the fold of JP. Nobody can undermine his magnetic
power to draw and put such stalwarts under his leadership because in politics
money and/or power cannot be deciding factor all the time. Something more is
needed, which Ershad was possessed of and perhaps even today he is by and large
not stripped of such specialties.
He shall be remembers for his audacious
decision to transfer power in a peaceful manner to a non-party, neutral
care-taker government headed by the then chief justice Shahabuddin Ahmed
following the seven points formula of the combined opposition political parties
of the time, although one may differ on the point of his free and fair
intention as the historic episode took place In the face of movement leading to
popular upsurge.
Therefore, two conclusions may be drawn from
his transfer of power before the scheduled period of time. One is that Ershad
resigned and handed over power showing respect to the urge and demand of the
people and the other is that Ershad was forced to resign to pave the way for
making a free and fair atmosphere for holding elections to parliament and local
bodies to be conducted independently by Election Commission. Former relates to
his respect to the wishes of the people while latter speaks of his compulsion
to do so without having any alternative course of action.
Which one is more comfortable that is not the
issue at all. What is important is that Ershad left the leadership of
government in expectation of better playing field for politics and elections
and he definitely did it serenely. One should always be kind and fair enough to
judge and analyze this matter in the context of time, space and dimension since
politics and political science, as a rule accordingly, sticks to the principles
of recognition to good job, good conscience and good behavior.
In today’s politics Ershad, a jail/trap-phobic
leader, has become a kind of ‘tennis ball’ for Sheikh Hasia and Begum Khaleda
Zia and there is no dearth of doubt that Ershad himself is largely responsible
for such excruciating situation.
He recognizes his loopholes and mistakes
committed in the past and, interestingly enough, candidly he confesses that being
a general, unlike General Ziaur Rahman he either did not or could not
understand the importance of building a solid, viable, grass-root political
party while in power. More appalling is that he still feels a very strong urge
to practice the old mistakes making the activists, ranks and files in the party
bewildered, helpless and speechless.
Conceivably enough, Ershad is not free to
take any political decision at his own since it is very much in the air that he
has to move under the silhouette of India. Hence, he cannot put the wishes of the
people and Jatio party into practice without a necessary green signal from
India. Therefore, it is up to him to disprove such saying not in words but in
action as early as possible.
Time is moving fast and Ershad has to take all
into note pragmatically and mathematically what is right and what is wrong
being fully aware of the sycophants, inside conspirers and sabotage-doers. He must
not forget the truth that this is the era of politics of alliance, electoral or
not. No political party whether it is AL or BNP is in a position to take risk
to singularly contest all the three hundred seats of parliament in any election
and that’s why his dream to do so is nothing but a mirage indeed. Ershad has a
kind of political belief that elections to the next 10th parliament
shall be held under Hasina led party run government. Therefore, in absence of
BNP, Jatio party’s becoming the opposition is certain virtually. So, it is
wiser and better to wait and see what comes finally before the elections. If such mathematics does not see the light
then he under the pressure of the activists and policy-makers of jatio party may
choose to tag Jatio party with any major alliance in such mode and manner so
that jatio party may have at least sixty seats. It is assumed that Ershad this
time will side with BNP and if he is sure of getting such very quota then he
has the brightest possibility to emerge and stand as the deciding factor in
making the immediate next alliance government after elections to the 10th
parliament.
Now the asking is that will jail or
trap-phobic HM Ershad finally leave Hasina? Or is he in actual fact free to
draw a conclusion at his own? Let us see and enjoy in the face of such
challenges what in the end comes from this very ambitious personality in the
politics of Bangladesh.
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