[This was published on 11 October 2013 in
Dhaka Courier]
Former President and founder Chairman of
Jatio Party HM Ershad while delivering warm-up speeches at the joint meeting of
Jatio Party, Chittagong north and south on 7 October at his Banani office made
it clear in the most affirmative mood and mode that ‘he is not quitting the
Hasina led grand alliance government before 25 October 2013’, although he has
been beating for two years the drums of doing so at any moment. Now the nation
came to learn that the moment is ‘after 25 October’. It is known to all that
the after that dateline Hasina administration, following the ongoing provisions
of the constitution after the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act of 2011,
is going to take the contour of an interim government with a view to meeting
with the 10th election to Parliament. During this period such
government, like other poll-time governments under Parliamentary system of
government, shall perform ‘routine functions’ just to run day to day
administration of the government. Therefore, the questions are--- (a) why is
Ershad playing this type of ‘hide and seek game’ with the people and his
party’s rank and file? (b) Will Ershad in the end quit Hasina? Or is he going
to take part in the Hasina led poll-government to emerge as so-called
opposition in the 10th Parliament? (d) If so happens in reality, how
then will he be treated by the people?
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 during his
rule played nastily in most of the time in the form of ‘hide and seek game’.
But his delicacy and magnanimity in handling the smoldering issue of time are
also noteworthy.
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 for the
reason that 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 remembered 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 then combined opposition political
parties while one may differ on the point of his free and fair intention( there
are widespread whispers that he was rather force to resign) 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 free and fair exercises of democracy ensuring also
better and accommodative 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 mistake and blunders 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 given that 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. He is also too late in this regard.
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 reality 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 contest there hundred seats singularly
under the cape of Jatio Party is nothing but a ‘political optical illusion’
without a shade of doubt. Ershad has a kind of political belief that elections
to the next 10th parliament shall be held under Hasina led party run
government and BNP led alliance shall boycott it without fail. Because it is
believed that Khaleda Zia shall never accept an election-time government under
Hasina. She is uncompromising in her demand for a non-party, neutral CTG. Not only this, Khaleda Zia recently declared that
‘18-party alliance shall resist and foil the holding of so-called elections to
the 10th parliament if it is held under Hasina led poll-time
administration. Therefore, in absence of BNP, Jatio party’s coming up as the
opposition is certain virtually. There is every possibility of Ershad’s taking
decision to walk along this line and his firmness to contest all the three
hundred seats in Parliament standing alone on the footing of Jatio Party is a type
of such conspicuous indication.
I believe that Ershad will not miss the train
this time. He knows very well that in politics time, space and dimension are
the most leading factors and, hence, Jatio Party cannot lag behind. He will go
for elections in the name of maintaining the continuity of constitution and
democracy and he will play accordingly with due opportunistic and strategic
acumen and mathematics when the crises after the elections get fomented. In all
respects and on all counts our HM Ershad is the darling child of the ongoing
politics in Bangladesh. And Ershad, as there is a belief in the mind of the
people, has been moving being within the zone of India. Geo-politics of the day
tells us that Hasina is more preferable to India for the reasons, known or
unknown. Therefore, a sort of matching and synchronization between Ershad and
Hasina is not meaningless from India’s standpoint.
Ershad does not care what the people think of
him. He is what he is. Nobody can change him. More painstaking is that nobody in
the party is in a position to raise any question assertively before him,
privately or publicly. Practice in the party is that if he commits a political
blunder that, of course, without forwarding any substantial logic and points, is
branded ‘tactical’ by the party men. If he remains lipped-tight when his voice
is needed for the interest of the country and people that is termed as a
‘historic cause’ by the party men. That’s why if Ershad nods in favor of
elections under Hasina led interim government ranks and files in the party
officially echo the same song as if Ershad has done the right thing in
accordance with their long-cherished hopes and aspirations. Bravo, bravo, His
excellence Hussain Mohammad Ershad.
However, I am startled about such ostensible unflinching
support to and confidence in Ershad by the ranks and files in the jatio party.
In fact, Ershad must confess privately, if not publicly that he is alone, alone
in the politics of Bangladesh, which can better be noted as follows:
I am Hussein Mohammad Ershad
Not the lord of all I survey
As the saying is being sustained and carried
by many;
From jatio party to AL to BNP to all other
left and right political parties
There is none to stand by me in time of distress
and crisis;
Even in Jatio Party there I find a
congregation of self-centered associates and opportunists
And outside the Jatio Party remain there
so-called friends and allies
Not for me but for their interests primarily.
I am Hussein Mohammad Ershad
Telling you frankly also
Elections shall come and elections shall go
Perhaps I shall again be used as paw
What for, what for all are these taking place
in case of me?
Therefore, let me declare candidly-------
I am Hussein Mohammad Ershad
I am alone, alone
With sincerity, commitment, love and
affection
Nobody is with and around me
More painstaking is that I am told impulsive
by a lot
I am Hussein Mohammad Ershad
Remaining, remaining alone all the time
Believe me or not.
Thus, again my prayer to the creator of universe
also called Allah is that ‘O Allah, bless HM Ershad to survive and live for a
long in an atmosphere of responsibility and responsiveness’.
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