Who killed democracy in Bangladesh? Who were responsible for its death? Two countries – India and USA

In 2005, western diplomats in Bangladesh formed the Tuesday group. In 2007, they formed the coffee group, and in 20013 they formed the friends group, but by 2014 India and China left the group for their own reasons. The purpose of those groups was to bring their favourite party in to power. Each had its own agenda, but in the process they gave little preference to the only people that mattered and that are the people of Bangladesh. Many would say why blame the foreigners, while you allow them to interfere. It’s true that partly our leaders and the cream of our society are responsible for this, but in a country like Bangladesh, ordinary people, even if they are aware of the plot, they don’t have the means or voice to make any difference. I can give two simple example of controlling or manipulating people’s opinion by the big powers with their money and influence. One is the Media and the other is the Army and administration. If you can control majority of them, you can control the whole country. If the Army had not been supported by the Tuesday group, army lead caretaker government would not have happened, and if manipulation of the election and a huge distorted media campaign had not been supported by the coffee group that included India and USA, Sheikh Hasina would have come to power, but with only a simple majority, and that would have been enough to prevent the 15^th amendment and the whole sale politicization of the administration. The killing of the Philkhana Army officers would have been avoided, because then Sheikh Hasina would not have thought of fulfilling her fathers dream for BAKSAL ( One party Rule ) 

The killing of the army officers was important for Sheikh Hasina for two reasons: Those officers were BNP minded and had affinity with former president Zia. They were a patriotic batch. They would not allow one party rule in Bangladesh. Second reason was to replace them with Awmi minded BAKSALI officers so that any opposition of a one party rule from the Army would be checked. Simple calculation that USA may not have thought. The USA’s only priority was economical, TICFA and their long time aspiration of a military base in Bay of Bengal. Sheikh Hasina appeased Dan Mozina, the USA ambassador in Bangladesh with a last minute TICFA deal in December 2013. Any fool would have understood why she had done this. After the deal, Dan Mozina went silent and did nothing affective to bear pressure on Sheikh Hasina to engage with the opposition. Dan Mozina’s tacit approval helped Sheikh Hasina to kill aspiration of the people that mattered. Democracy is dead, and USA and India are responsible for encouraging Sheikh Hasina to kill our peoples and freedom fighters aspiration and hope of a multi party democratic country.

Awami electronic and print media’s constant propaganda, a huge amount of money to buy loyalty, and government political persecution of the opposition together with direct intelligence support from India played an important part to consolidate Sheikh Hasina’s power in opposition to popular demand for a free, fair and credible election under a caretaker government. Most of the opposition leaders, apart from Jamati Islam, the government were able to either buy or manipulate their silence on the excuse of doing trial for war crimes. Many opposition leaders at the 11^th hour are realizing what they are loosing and how Sheikh Hasina tricked them for the last five years, but it is too late to save democracy. Freedom fighters Mr, Oli Ahmed and Kader Siddique, A.S.M Rab have appealed to the people to boycott what remains of the one sided election, but we know even if a single person don’t cast their vote, Sheikh Hasina has already won the election with 153 uncontested seats. And their media is such that they would make no turnout to a mass turnout and if Sheikh Hasina could make the western diplomats happy with some economic incentive, they may say nothing about the validity of the election or who knows, what their position will be.

This leaves only the intellectual and a few smaller parties to give their decisions. Well, to get their approval, sheikh Hasina only needs to give them a few ministries or buy them with money from the public fund. Now, what about the opinion of the people? They are the real owner of the country, who have been fighting and suffering for the last five years for democracy.  They are the overwhelming majority, the real patriotic people of the country. For them, Sheikh Hasina made it clear that she will use her ruthless law enforcement agency and secret police to kill, arrest, torture, and silence them. So are there any solutions to the reality we will be facing after 5^th of January? Certainly there are many options for the people and the leaders of the opposition. We only need to think how the killers of democracy think, what are the interests of the friends group, and what are the interest of India and China?  We need to think outside the box, both in the global context, and in local context. I believe a country of 160 Million people can not be silenced. It is not a country in the Middle East with vast wealth and little people. Our country is small with too many people to control by suppression, and wealth is not enough to make everybody happy. Each party will have its individual policy and priorities, but common to all is the restoration of democracy which can only guarantee our national interest, as well as western economic interest and regional stability.

An immediate change to democracy could appear by 3 interventions: A change of heart from the Army for the greater interest of country, forcing Sheikh Hasina to comply with the demand of the people. Second possible change to democracy could appear if Western country, especially the USA and the European Union, if they become serious and impose meaningful sanctions on country’s garments industry which could force the business community to revolt and thereby Sheikh Hasina may find difficult to resist them, as they are very powerful. And last, but not least, if the ordinary people of Bangladesh, from all walks of life revolts against the government, forgetting any party differences and truly joining the fight for democracy in defiance of government repression, crippling government ability to run the country, and implementing an effective blockade on the country’s economic lifeline. The third option would mean immediate intervention from the western powers fearing lose of business for their big company’s and the risk of instability in the region. If the government becomes more rigid on repression then there are other unconventional options which can not be discussed here, but surely people are aware of this and its methods.  India and USA needs to be responsible leaders and preach what they believe are to be the definition of democracy, and not say the half truth. They need to think of long term benefit of democracy and not short term goal. Sheikh Hasina is not a normal woman; she is mentally disturbed by her father’s assassination of 1975. Her political decision not to have an inclusive all party election is not based on interest of the people but merely revenge for her family. Today, in the name of democracy, Sheikh Hasina is committing unforgivable crime against the people of Bangladesh. This election is not done for upholding democracy; it is Sheikh Hasina’s revenge on the people of Bangladesh for 1975 killing of her father.

I fear, after the mockery election, Sheikh Hasina will kill more people, disappear, and handicap many of her opponents. The constitution clearly states participation of people in the election, but we can see 80% people democratic rights can not be exercised by this one party election. International community, apart from her only partner in crime, India, has called the election to be postponed for a multi party all inclusive free fair and credible election, but she has shown contempt to all, even the UN secretary general call has been frustrated. If people and international community do not act now, Bangladesh will fall in to darkness; killings, abductions, and torture of her opponent will continue. Corruption will become more rampant, and greatest danger for the country would be an inevitable civil war. People will resort to arm conflict, if things get worse; no amount of precaution or repression from the government can stop people taking up arms. Meanwhile the opposition need to revise their strategy, find new allies and new way to regain the momentum. None violence against Awami brutality will have no effect on the government. Hasina is an ‘unprincipled’ type of woman and only option to remove her may will be from a violent uprising. After 24^th of January, Awami government will have no legitimacy due to none participation of the people in the election. Constitutionally, the government will be illegitimate; therefore, if the army for the greatest interest of the country takes over to restore democracy, future government can not try them for breach, and their action may save the country from further turmoil. Otherwise, the people have to prepare for a long violent campaign against Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorship. Even people from her own party who believes in democracy and fairness should join in this fight to free our country from one party rule, and realize the dream of our freedom fighters.