The illegitimate regime in Dhaka is now blaming the opposition parties, particularly the BNP and Jamat-e-Islami for the ongoing student movements against the existing quota system on government services and the subsequent carnage in Bangladesh. The main argument of the regime is that it is a student movement and that political parties have nothing to do with it. The second argument is that BNP-Jamat elements have infiltrated here and are trying to fish in the troubled waters, that they are out to depose the clique in power. Finally, since the authority has accepted the demands of the students, there is no justification to continue the movement any longer. Their excuses may be discussed from some academic points of view.
1. The primary objectives of the political parties are to support and advance people’s movements, causes and aspirations. They lend their support to social, cultural, educational, and other important issues along with so-called strictly political questions. Manifestoes of political parties cover all important questions related to the public interest. The quota reform movement of the students has become the people’s demand. Hence it is natural that political parties will be actively involved in it. Otherwise, they will fail to perform their basic duties.
2. The regime in power blames that the “disguised miscreants” of opposition parties have infiltrated and are misguiding the students. Actually, the regime is blocking opposition parties from taking part in the movement along with the students. They do not want to see and show that it has become a broad-based people’s demands.
3. Opposition parties are not after fishing in troubled waters. The water was transparent. People have seen with their open eyes how the goons of the Student League, other regime-affiliated cadres and members of the so-called law enforcement agencies have carried out indiscriminate shootings and massacres.
The reaction was spontaneous. This farcically elected clique could not imagine that the student resistance would be so strong because since 2014, time and again, they executed and steamrolled any dissenters. This time around, the movement survived even under brutal force. The regime became afraid.
Instead of coming to a sensible and logical conclusion, they made further mistakes and adopted an extreme course of action. This regime carried out an unprecedented killing operation under the darkness of curfew-clamped nights. Excepting the crackdown period of 1971, the people of this country have not witnessed so many killings under any government or regime since 1947. Nobody knows how many people have been killed. The figure will surely reach hundreds, if not thousands. Some members of law enforcement agencies and some regime supporters have also become victims of vengeance and lost their lives, which is equally condemnable. Culprits, whoever they are, must be brought to justice.
4. The regime is now arguing that there is no reason to continue this movement when the quota system has been reformed as per the students’ demands. They skipped the fact that the students had put forward 9 demands. Out of these, only one has been fulfilled, with some severe deviations. Students did not demand the total abolition of the female quota. But the court abolished it altogether. However, the court has opined that the executive branch can increase or decrease the quota they see fit. Nobody knows what will happen later.
Yes, the main demand of the students has been fulfilled. But at what cost? Hundreds of students and supporters of the movement have been killed, imprisoned and tortured. Can they withdraw/withhold their entire program/activities if the killers are not punished? Nobody believes in the “judicial inquiry commission” constituted by the regime. The independence and impartiality of any such commission must be ensured. The patriotic students cannot betray the blood of their comrades.
5. The BNP-led opposition has demanded the resignation of the regime. The killing of a single innocent person is enough to demand the resignation of a regime. Here, the illicit regime has killed countless numbers of people. Had it been a properly elected government it would have resigned by itself. The people of Bangladesh deserve an unconditional apology from the regime that has captured power with a rigged election.
*The writer is a senior Bangladeshi journalist now residing in Sweden.
July 31, 2024
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
