Unpredictable bloodshed looms in South Asia due to India’s deliberative support to the dictatorial and illegal government of Bangladesh, as it denies real democracy to its people. A democratic process will never return to Bangladesh if Sheikh Hasina remains in power. Keeping her pro-India administration intact, no election in Bangladesh will ever defeat her or any of her followers. If the election is held under a non-party caretaker government, it must be held according to the prescriptions of the democratic world.
The democratic international community also wants that the next general election should be Unpredictable bloodshed looms in South Asia due to India’s deliberate support of the held in a congenial atmosphere so that all parties and people can freely and fearlessly participate in it, which is only possible under a national and caretaker government. Sheikh Hasina was also elected under such a system. But attaining power through enormous vote rigging, she amended the Constitution to continue her autocratic Nazi-like fascist regime.
The opposition parties now are determined and desperate to end her rule. They are sure if they participate in the election under her administration, the election will never be fair and that will simply legalize and legitimize the election and bring her back to power. That will also legitimize all the anti-Bangladesh treaties and agreements, which her one-party, one-man dictatorial illegal puppet-government signed only to remain in power, enjoying Indian support.
If the next general election of Bangladesh is not held under the unelected incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her party will come to power, as pro-India set of the administration controls everything in Bangladesh.
On the other hand, a three-month or six-month-old caretaker or national government will not be able to set up a neutral administration to hold a fair election. The India-controlled and influenced puppet government and administration should be removed to ensure a neutral and fair government. If that cannot be ensured, the next election will bring back Hasina or a pro-India person to power, which will be harsher to patriotic Bangladeshis, and more submissive to India.
There prevails another dangerous factor which will deter a fair election. Indians camouflaging as pro-Awami League Bangladeshis are available in all sectors of the country from the village police to IGP (Inspector General of Police) and from the clerk of Union Council to the Cabinet Secretary of the administration. They are the beneficiaries of Sheikh Hasina’s unelected government. All of them are desperate to keep Hasina in power.
Under this situation, if the Election Commission (EC) accepts the demands of the opposition parties and instead of EBMs (machines for rigging votes in the case of Bangladesh) uses a traditional system of using ballot papers, the AL (Awami League) will win in the election.
There is an apprehension of a media coup, as almost all the media outlets are the mouthpieces of the ruling party. They, in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies and civil administration, can declare counterfeit election results suiting the ruling party’s interest. Moreover, Indian agencies will remain vigilant during the election to make it that its hegemonic interest remains safe defeating nationalist forces.
So, India and its Bangladeshi loyalists will obviously work to bring Hasina or anyone of Indian choice to power, as they are the sole beneficiaries of the government led by Sheikh Hasina. It is a party government, but not a people’s government. If Hasina is not in power, their reckless corruption, plunder of public money and luxurious lifestyle will end. Above all, they will face unpredictable consequences and debacles for their crimes against humanity, exaggerations, and misuse of power during the last 16 years. They clandestinely work for India and get remunerations of various types both from RAW, the Research and Analysis Wing, the foreign intelligence agency of India, and the Hasina government.
The most dangerous reason why Sheikh Hasina may win in the forthcoming election 0f 2024 is the presence of huge numbers of Indian Hindus in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina appointed them in key positions of all sectors of Bangladesh who directly or indirectly control and influence elections.
A Florida-expatriated Bangladeshi intellectual who closely monitors the events of Bangladesh in his Facebook alleged that India pushed and infiltrated over four million Hindus to Bangladesh, and they collected Bangladeshi passports, National IDs, and enlisted themselves as voters.
The presence of huge numbers of Hindus in Bangladesh dismayed Bangladeshis. One journalist in 2013 wrote that the nameplates of the highly placed officials would confuse anyone whether he is inside the Secretariat of Bangladesh or India. The number of Hindus tremendously increased over the last 10 years.
Equally shocking are those who claim as Bangladeshis their ancestors who sold their land and property voluntarily and left for India prior to or after 1947. They are now Indian citizens and send their earnings in Bangladesh to India. They now work to merge Bangladesh with India. India uses them to implement its dream of Akhand Bharat incorporating Bangladesh to it.
Therefore, the victory of pro-India elements in the next general election will be a victory for India, which will mean surrendering Bangladesh to India. Initially, India will reduce Bangladesh to the status of a defunct Sikkim until it finally merges with India. So, the next election cannot be held under the minimum influence of Hasina and India. The removal of Hasina from power is not enough to ensure a free and fair election, eradication of Indian agents and Indian nationals and cancellation of current voter’s list must be ensured. The national or caretaker government should have at least a two-year timespan to elect a representative government.
Moreover, the UN should take the responsibility of supervising the entire election process and monitoring law and order in the polling centers, as the Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies are entirely loyal to Hasina and tilt towards India.
The ultimate destination of the so-called Indian friendship with Bangladesh is to merge Bangladesh with Indian territory. It is a longstanding policy and dream of India. So, any election under an India-influenced government and administration will liquidate the existence of Bangladesh. The international community has no room to delete the existence from the world map of Kashmir, Hyderabad, seven sisters, (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura), Sikkim, etc.
Sheikh Hasina, the neo-phantom of Lhendup Dorji of defunct Sikkim, virtually mortgaged Bangladesh to India to remain in power. Her open and secret genocide against the patriotic Bangladeshis since 2010 only served Indian interests. Bangladeshis accurately comprehend her treachery and became united to end her dictatorial one-woman, one-party rule.
But India openly declared that it is adamant to protect the Hasina regime. Such a declaration negates the popular movement for democracy. It is, in reality, a blatant intervention of India in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Hasina’s latest press conference of June 14 was woeful. It was not only an impudent and insulting in commentary, but also an open challenge to those world powers which are trying to convince all the groups to hold a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
Analysts consider Hasina’s statement as a warning that South Asia may become a battlefield if Hasina and her guardian India deny holding a free and fair election in Bangladesh under a neutral national or caretaker government.
*Mohammad Zainal Abedin is a journalist & researcher in New York, USA.
May 17, 2024
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
