In the midst of confronting dire political crises in Bangladesh, it is a calling for all patriotic forces to stand up defending their motherland.
The very sovereignty and freedom of the country stands at a high stake from the defeating fascist fit, where even a simple criticism is not tolerated. The Digital Security Act (DSA) of 2018 budges in, like many discriminating (anti-people) laws presently existing in favor of the ruling party. Many, including an 18 year old girl, are still languishing in prison for the last 18 months, only for asking a question during a talk-show that goes against the ruling government. The country is either a hostage, or surrendered to their quirks — people are finding no choices. The last resort for a citizen is the Judiciary, which too has been randomly politicized. Judges are directed by the Prime Minister’s office in terms of the judgments they would discharge, often judged through the government’s partisan prejudices.
The duplicitous deceitfulness of the present administration (emboldened by regional interest quarters), always beset to split the unity and solidarity of the patriotic forces either in exile, or those someway surviving within the country despite intimidations using State organs (run by tax-payers’ money) or using their cronies’ partisan hooligans, — need to be steadfast and vigilant against all these manipulations and conspiracies of the present Awami League regime
It is defiantly been witnessed with alarming concern that the ruling government (with support from their benefactor) have set up a design to stage-manage the upcoming elections (more severely than the other 3 past elections) in three to four layers for administrative and other (including the voters list) cover-up for them to frantically win the elections in 2024, to hold on to power with their anti-state hidden agendas from hegemonic aspirations. Showing no heed to people’s right to vote, neither their democratic or human rights.
While the present government is immersed in duplicity and bottomless corruptions and high-handedness, all national resources are plundered. On top of that, inherent values, tradition or customs and faith that nurtured and built the nation are being played upon, presumably attending to vested quarter’s gains, depriving the country and its copious indigent population who are desperate to get their freedom back. This is quite evident today, from the gathering of the demonstrations in hundreds and thousands called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), — cannot be overridden, notwithstanding.
The international communities are supporting the cause of the people seeing their incarcerated state of affairs; people are restricted even to open their mouths, let alone protest against injustices responding to petitions in written or other forms to lay pressure on the government to stop utter persecution using state agencies and their partisan atrocities. Until the time when after many years of misrule and injustices one after another of the ruling party’s misdeeds and criminalities revealed, the United States came up with sanction against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
RAB is a paramilitary force which had been delegated by the government to silence, kill, and disappear people, in other words, terrorize the whole nation. After that, and with the international communities’ strict observations, the opposition was let to hold large rallies and public meetings. But behind the scenes there were attacks, persecution, and lawsuits using the law enforcement agencies and the draconian laws. There are 400,000 lawsuits against BNP members alone all over the country from 150,000,000 cases.
The patriotic forces of the country must stand up to join forces from each of the individuals’ standing/capacities to support and reinforce the majority population’s movement to free the country, to get back democracy and human rights and dignity from the iniquitous fascist rule of hegemonic domain, with hidden agendas.
It is our calling.
We must stand up for our country, Bangladesh!!
*The writer is a journalist, columnist, human rights campaigner and politician.
July 17, 2023
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
