Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
In the morning of July 14, 2019 my neighbour a retired banker told me over cell Jatiya Party Chairman General (Retd) Hussain Muhammad Ershad just passed away in a mixed tone, who is now leader of the Opposition in current Parliament, in response to which I said as a Muslim Inna Lillahe Oinna Ilaihe Rajeun, everybody is mortal will return to Allah and answerable. Immediately following it in exchange of views I told him what I observed and felt from experience, advised him watch media what his many beneficiaries say, and I will address title question in my column after a week. There is no denying the fact he usurped power on 24 March 1982, toppled by mass upsurge on December 06, 1990 and documented in 11th Amendment to the Constitution. But he managed to keep him in mainstream politics, shared power in following democracy decades till his death, for which others who allied with him or kept him under fear thru Court cases cannot plead innocence.
Well, after all political turmoil created by the self-seeking politicians including partisan professors and their student fronts in post Bangladesh, which were unknown before, we saw a free and fair Presidential election was held on 15 November 1981. Respected Justice Abdus Sattar, Candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), won landslide victory getting 14,203,958 votes (65.5%), while his nearest Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Candidate Dr. Kamal Hossain got 5,636,113 votes (26%). Other candidates bagged respectively: independent candidate General (Retd) M.A.G. Osmani 1.4% , Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) 1.1% and NAP(M)- CPB Candidate Muzaffar Ahmed 1.0 percent votes. President Sattar started to restore discipline in different sectors. Hardly four months passed unconstitutional change occurred.
We were 41 years old in 1982, looking for materialisation of the objectives of independence movement, won after huge sacrifices in 1971, as Dhaka University batch 1961 and did not expect after 11 years we will find another military takeover of the type so to say conspired by Minister Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed became self-proclaimed President and civilian Chief Martial Law administrator. I was then working in my home Gas City of Cumilla; born in a patriotic Advocate- political family and as an Old Victorian (ex-student of Cumilla Victoria College) had natural acquaintances with political leaders and workers. In the following evening when I was returning from office to residence, on the road before Cumilla Town Hall two contemporary Awami League leaders told me they received call from ‘Apa’ to support military takeover as it is people’s martial law. However, popular uprising led by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and AL President Sheikh Hasina deposed the former Army Chief H. M. Ershad from the Presidency on December 6, 1990.
It was not expected after the National Election in 1991 that democracy would fall into trouble. The starting point was nice and reassuring as 11th and 12th Amendments to the Constitution were unanimously adopted by BNP and AL in 5th Parliament. But ‘Magura’ by-election debacle and inactivity of then Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Abdur Rauf for his personal ambition did the rot. Parliament went in limbo which led to breaking up of Civil Service discipline led by Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, bad impact of which still persists. Meanwhile, reputed career Justice AKM Sadeq assumed the responsibility of CEC and assured ‘Magura’ debacle would not recur and undertook electoral reforms. But he did not get cooperation of BNP and AL. Even a full time Secretary was not posted in the Election Commission Secretariat on his repeated requests and the charge was held by my classmate in addition to his own duties as Education Secretary. This helpless situation I saw closely which I brought in my column but to no effect.
On the other hand, it appeared fallen autocrat Ershad won in five seats personally and his party 35 seats in 1991 and 1996 gave it the position of third main party in the country that showed his popularity in some places. Splintered NAP, JSD and so on lost the voting base, particularly because of Prof Muzaffar who ought to have joined lead CPB after Liberation 1971 instead of hiding in NAP separately in the name of Muslim to fetch Pro-Soviet funds and trainings and tours separately. True it was found opportunists of politico bureaucratic nexus emerged from those returned from relief camps in bordering Indian states started to swarm the offices in search of benefits under the cover of autocratic Ershad who reciprocated. Many leaders and workers of BNP, AL, NAP and other parties joined him centrally and locally. Those who’re non-political were at ease with him, which has been expressed after his death in the words of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus for Grameen Bank, musical exponent Mustafa Zaman Abbasi and so on.
Some did not, reorganised under Bhashani NAP in 1990, one of traditional two mainstream parties, both founded by Bhashani in erstwhile East Pakistan, tried to raise it to alternative party but of no avail defunct on November 17, 2006. The need for third party said time and again did not materialise yet. The ground reality is there are 40 parties registered with Election Commission under immediate past emergency caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed in 2008, but actually two by voting strength. Other small parties are known as press release, signboard parties maintain links locally and foreign for personal aggrandizements. But Ershad kept his separate identity and party symbol in contesting elections despite in mega alliance led by AL. He was never in 14-party alliances that used ‘Boat’ symbol in contests. Former Prime Minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed wanted to build Jatiya Party as third main as NAP failed, but his mission may be kept in view by new leadership get united to avoid disintegration without Ershad Factor.
Look what politics today is: Dr. Kamal Hossain is the leader of Oikya Front powered by BNP in last 11th Parliamentary election. Dr. Kamal Hossain left Awami League, raised Gano Forum in 1993 from civil society Bangladesh Democratic Forum initiative 1992, though for qualitative change in politics, on the support of collapsed Pro-Soviet Communists. His Gano Forum has no voting base but managed to show a seat won in current parliament. Awami League-led mega alliance lost a dependable partner without Ershad Factor who had wide contacts at home and abroad. Let all corners delve the title question.
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam an economist, advocate and columnist; email:[email protected])
