42 years after independence, victors have become killers. 36 killed in 72 hours.

‘The prison that is Bangladesh’ This was the title of a Guardian report published on Sunday 15^th December on the eve of Bangladesh independence. The guardian reports highlights the present day Bangladesh after 42 years of independence. Barrister Moudud Ahmed defended the independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, against Pakistani tyranny and oppression, however, the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh whom is his daughter puts him in jail. John Pilger writes, “On a moonless night in 1971 Moudud Ahmed led me clandestinely into what was then East Pakistan – and is now Bangladesh – past villages that the Pakistani army had raped and razed. The war of liberation was under way; Moudud was a young lawyer who had defended the Bengali independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. When Bangladesh was declared that year, Moudud brought a rally to its feet when he held up the front page of the Daily Mirror, which carried my report beneath the headline: BIRTH OF A NATION. "We are alive, but we are not yet free," he said, prophetically.

"Once in power, Sheikh Mujib turned on his own democrats and held show trials at which Moudud was their indefatigable defender until he himself was arrested. Assassination, coup and counter-coup have since seen Moudud revolve between prison and parliament. He once won a parliamentary seat from prison. In the 1980s he was prime minister. It is fair to say that Bangladesh's short life has been blighted by almost perpetual conflict between feudalists and democrats, and more recently, fundemantalists."

 

National elections have been called for 5 January. The prime minister since 2009, Sheik Hasina – the daughter of Sheik Mujib – has been accused of manipulating the electoral process to establish a one-party state. Sheikh Hasina recently appointed herself law minister and home minister. This means that the final decision on whether the leadership of the parliamentary opposition stands against her Awami League or languishes in prison is hers. Most recently Jamat leader, Abdul Kader Mollah was executed on the false premise of killing innocent Bangladeshi during the liberation war of 1971. War crimes trial set up by Sheikh Hasina is marred by accusation of government collusion in framing politically motivated charges, biased judges, and a below standard process that does not meet international standards. Human rights organizations, United Nations special envoy on war crimes, head of states have raised concern on the intention and process of war crimes Tribunal. John Kerry, the USA secretaries of state, United Nation secretary general Banki Moon, Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan have personally phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop the execution, but their entire request fell on deaf ears. Sheikh Hasina has become untouchable due to direct support of India in her criminality. With the National Election boycotted by the opposition, her Awami Party has already won more than half of the parliamentary seats uncontested, and the rest are there for grab when election takes place on 5^th of January against some independence candidates and her insignificant allies of one or two smaller party’s that are contesting with her party symbol. Many politician and civic leaders have termed this uncontested election as the world biggest farce, disgrace, and preposterous.

The opposition have been demanding a fair, free, and credible election under a caretaker government that had been a constitutional process since 1996, however when Sheikh Hasina came to power, she removed it from the constitution to suit her party seeing that her party has lost support due to myriads of corruptions, abduction, and political killings. Recently UN Banki Moons special envoy Taranaco was sent to mediate between the parties’s to come to a compromise, but in spite of his best effort, Sheikh Hasina refused to climb down from her position for a free election under a neutral administration. USA secretary of state John Kerry’s recent phone call for her to step down was mocked by her in meeting on Saturday. Recent report in Indian Newspaper Annondo Bazar states that Sheikh Hasina has refused Begum Zia’s offer of election under her party’s President, or parliamentary speaker Shirin Shermin. In fact, Sheikh Hasina has become so bold and hungry for power that she has ordered a country wide crackdown on opposition activists and leaders, even if it means turning the whole country in to a mass graves and prison full with opposition activists.

Today’s Independence Day has left us nothing to celebrate other than to dig graves for Bangladesh opposition killed at the hands of Sheikh Hasina’s state killing machine. The world in 2013 can not allow this to happen to people of Bangladesh. While I am writing this piece, operation of government killings are going on in various parts of Bangladesh. Many newspapers have been reporting that every hour two person are being killed by government thugs and law enforcement agency. Indiscriminate killings have to stop, and Indian hegemony must be stop before the whole country falls apart. The united state and the European Union are Bangladesh biggest export market, it is high time that for the security of the region those countries bear pressure on Sheikh Hasina by announcing sanctions, or support an Army take over to save the country from the brink.