Media has reported that a new Hefazat-e-Islam committee has been announced in the city on Monday reportedly under pressure from the government. The latest government move showed that there is no place for freedom of association or propagation of political belief by people if it is not loyal to the people. They are ignoring loyalty of the people.
There is no politics in the country, so do not bother to organise politics. Money loyalty does not last. It is known that the government is paying some party politicians also. There no open politics but that does not mean there is no kind of politics. We are harming intelligent agencies by using them for politics. The government is asking them to do what they are not trained to do. They know how to spread fear of the government
Dictatorship tries to succeed by eliminating alternative forces. This way they destroy responsible alternative but not other kind of alternative. Gen Ayub Khan destroyed democratic opposition. But his Basic Democracy organised by intelligent agencies was no help to save from his humiliating end. But he had kingly life when lasted in power. Disgraceful end was not important. He did not want to live honourably in public mind. He is the man who destroyed Pakistan. Politics is for honourable people and not for those who live grandiosely in power and out of power they have to fend for themselves alone without any help from the hired ones.
Such an event is nothing new in Bangladesh politics but it shows the country’s utterly nasty and derogated political landscape and ruling party’s intolerance to political forces that it thinks as threats. Even the government recently arrested several religious scholars who preach at local religious gathering. This shows how unnerved the ruling party now feels from Islamist forces.
The new committee has retained former amir Junayed Babunagari as Hefazat chief and adopted Nurul Islam Jihadi as new secretary general. On the other hand by ensuring the dropping of most previous committee leaders the government made sure its total grip on Hefazat-e-Islam by installing people closer to the ruling party. As we know the previous leaders had invited the wrath of the government by orchestrating agitation during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dhaka in late March and subsequently protesting the killing of 17 people by police at protest rallies in Chattogram, Brahmanbaria and Dhaka. Over 50 Hefajat leaders are now in jail and 77 cases have been filed accusing hundreds of people.
The arrest of former Hefazat leader Maulana Mamunul Haque who was reportedly trapped in a scandalous incident gave a fatal blow to the organisation’s image and paved the way for Hefazat to reconstitute its committee. The new secretary general and some others met the government leaders recently and reached an understanding on its new role. The press conference announcing the new committee was even reportedly arranged by people not known to many Hefazat members.
As against the people the government is very generous with people’s money.
