Family “Dy-nasty” in Bangladesh politics: Its vision and origin.

Mohammad Gani

Years ago, Prime Minister and the "Empress of India", Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi of our good and friendly neighbor, worlds the largest civilized democracy and the pioneer of absolute secularism was brutally assassinated by fanatic Islamic terrorist (Razakar?) that stunned the entire world. While this deeply shocked nation (India) and the world were solemnly sobbed and mourning her memories with remorseful emotion, the veteran politicians of Congress party had promptly and quietly started working on choosing/electing their new leader. They all assembled in a mid size auditorium at the outskirt of New Delhi to conduct a "closed door" meeting for an expedited"special delivery of replacement" of Mrs. Gandhi. Several hours later, as the closed doors still remained closed, way longer than expected; a curious on duty security staff peeped thorough an window into and discovered that all the formidable and veteran leaders were lying faces down motionless on the floor! A forced entry into this politicians enclave led to the discovery of a nascent and bloody battle field with critically wounded politicians; bruised and injured badly, bloody noses, broken skulls, bones, legs, hands etc,.

But the exciting news was that 3 days later, all these obdurate but true nationalist patriots kept aside their fierce battle/ differences for moments and became the closest fiends again! They immediately flew to Italy altogether, hijacked visiting Indian Airline pilot Rajiv Gandhi and drafted him to lead his mother's Congress party before it disintegrates to total collapsing into Yamuna river! Rest of the story (history) is well known to all of us; this Cambridge University graduate, a shy and reluctant Airline pilot-cum-politician had to jump into the same wagon of his mother to embrace his miserable fate; sadly
again in the hands of same fanatic Islamic terrorist (Razakar)! But a bright family dynasty has still been flourishing in this great democracy India, boldly and beautifully except that a "non-native Indian" Gandhi (Sonia) shall not accept the position of the prime minister, and thanks to her generous courtesy to Indian sovereignty. However, Indian politicians still desperately need "Italian Gandhi's" unique leadership and patriotic vision to save Indian democracy and secularism! How one can believe that a country like India did not produced any leader to replace Indira Gandhi?

In our national politics, umbilical cord appears immensely powerful than any ideological strength of morals except probably in the leftist ones. Why are Mujib/Zia dynasties getting brickbats in Bangladesh politics? Are our politicians cunningly playing brain dead or pretending feckless travesty? Does not this nation know exactly all the sordid tales of deceits and betrayals from these greedy politicians and their mother politicians for years? Did not they only disillusioned 165 million people and fail to ameliorate poverty for 38 years? Family dynasty in Bangladesh politics thus could be the accretion of few different situations. As examples, majority ordinary people (voters) of Bangladesh are either plain dumb and cannot understand or do not try to understand that Mujib/Zia family brand name do not automatically make Khaleda/Hainsa MP or Prime Minister. It is the ordinary people who elect them and if they choose not to elect these families, they can not lead this nation. Especially that Khaleda and Hasina are inherently all square dumber and their IQs are several orders of magnitude lesser than many other inner party ordinary junior level crusaders (or negative IQ!). Another example is our rapacious politicians who are truly culpable; especially in BNP which is a unique collection of "opportunists and crooks", originally drawn from various ideological roots. These crooks would have left each other dead before killing BNP if Khaleda was not drawn into these TV series!

Here are "some" free sneak preview; once the sycophant Awami League Secretary General and powerful national leader Jalil Shaheb proudly announced, "Hasina saved the party, she has very reluctantly but kindly consented to be the chair person of Awami League". What he exactly meant that Awami League shall cease to exist without Hasina, a veritable successor of Mujib dynasty!

Why do we blame Khaleda and Hasina only? Moments after BNP chairman General Ziaur Rahman who introduced his own democratic concepts, was assassinated by his fellow comrades; Khaleda, a shadowed and full time house wife was triggered to accept the leadership for protecting the professional political business of cozening the public wealth by BNP lietenants. It did not matter how shy was she nor had any political experience; Party came first and democracy was irrelevant there! And Tarique, Zia's eldest son, as we all knew, generated tsunami like waves and resonances throughout the country as the BNP senior joint Secretary General with many unique and extra curricular activities! Superseding all the senior party leaders was a matter of irrelevant detail. Party's "crook body" wished and gladly threw out their predilection for Tarique that he would be a historic addition as party's Secretary General, the second most powerful position after the chairperson Khaleda Zia. Khaleda made her elder sister Khurshid Jahan a member of the cabinet with the Women and Children Affairs and her brother Sayed Iskander became a member of parliament. Saiful Islam Duke, her young nephew worked at the PMO, was the most powerful private secretary to the Prime Minister Khaleda. That's not all; another nephew, Sharin Islam Tuhin was given a BNP ticket in the parliamentary elections in 1996 against loud remonstrations and having other candidates with better credentials.

Both Khaleda and Hasina have been equally forthcoming in inducting family members into the party in key positions after securing their highest position in the Government and in their party.

After the brutal assassination of Mujb/ family by some disgruntle “Razakars” (or dedicated Army?), All Awami League veterans and super stars instantly went into hiding to fox holes and to our “good and friendly” neighbor (India) to protect secularism and democracy at a later date!! As the dust settled over time, these toady orphans, champions of secularism and struts of democracy were helplessly vacillating around the inner cities for politician's jobs. The entire senior leadership of the party instantly became out of action. Their attempts of resolving the strings of conflicts ended up with bloody noses in a free style wrestling mania. At the end, Awami League spelled into many feuding factions and failed to rebuild itself at least for 5 years (1975-1981). Being fearful of more losses in future lucrative professional business, these exhausted and feuding step-brothers became almost united again and jointly hijacked the world champion of Secularism and Democracy, Sk. Hasina Wajed from mother-India to rescue and secure their patriotic mission.