Mainul Hosein :
The politics of killing, enforced disappearances to create an atmosphere of panic and involving government administration including police for robbing election were not known to us before Bangladesh was created with overwhelming power and leadership of India.
This is not to recognise with gratitude India’s cooperation to save our people from the hateful savagery on our unarmed people by Pakistan army.
How the freed Bangladesh has become a victim of nightmarish brutal politics to kill democracy through secret killing, torture and violation of human rights in all forms against the opponents is the question we have no clear answer.
From a news item appeared in the media it has come to light that a suggestion has been floated from the government for the civilian government and the army to work together.
Whatever may be the reality this is the idea of communist regimentation. In free countries the army remains above party politics of the government.
In communist countries armies are maintained to suppress the people for protecting the government. The army is integral part of the government. Surely our army is not to be anti-people for the benefit of the government. The indication of running the government jointly with the army is surprisingly a new notion for rescuing otherwise a sinking government.
The people have no vote. Now comes the proposal for the army to be openly the partner of the government. The government experienced how police can be used for ensuring election victory. The Army
Chief’s answer as reported was enigmatic. He said army is cooperating with the government. His blunt answer should have been that the army was not to be a partner of the government, they were a professional force not to be in politics.
During fifty years of intensely democracy killing politics it was the army which tried at some stage to relax the deadly grip of authoritarianism but failed in the end.
The army is not trained for democratic leadership. Yet they tried but later all round corruption became the collective source of power of the government. Our greedy educated ones ganged up against democracy and the public interest. Looting became the business of the few in the government and politics. We lost political leadership for democracy.
There was no place for consideration that democracy is not for the good of corrupt politicians but for the welfare of the people to have people’s government.
How many ministers and others connected with the government plundered unconscionably to become billionaires and kept their money abroad is being exposed from various sources. Exact position cannot be confirmed by our media as it is not free of fear. But whispering is getting louder and bolder.
Only the international organisations can come to our help. This is the need of globalisation. We want truth to be revealed and our stolen money returned.
The BBC came out with news to assert that police were going about to houses of those reported missing but not found to secure statements denying such reports. Our police sources asked police to stop doing that.
Thus a perplexing and worrisome situation is developing for the government against all time certainty of their ways.
Yesterday local dailies published an exceptional but encouraging report that the twelve international human rights organisation have written to the United Nations Department of Peace Operations seeking a ban the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for UN deployment on the allegations of involvement in “torture, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations”. The letter has been sent to the UN Under Secretary General Jean-Pierre Lacroix. These bodies claimed they “documented widespread RAB abuses”. This letter was sent two months ago. A formal reply is still awaiting.
But Kerry Kennedy, The president of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, was more emphatic to say: “The evidence is clear; now it is time for action”.
The UN Working Group said that officers involved in or willing to tolerate abuses appear to be promoted or rewarded “within the Bangladesh security forces and law enforcement forces.”
The signal appears clear that human rights abusing units will not be part of the UN Peace Keeping Force. Though quite late, but the network of actions is closing in. The UN has been slow in action not only in Bangladesh but also in other countries where state terrorism is going on. The real strength of Western democracies against communist expansionism lies in fighting boldly for human rights.
Denying the free election is first and foremost human rights violation. All other human rights violations are easy with state power. The politics behind the oppressive bodies used for abusing human rights must be taken of first.
The free election is the source of all human rights and not an internal affair for any dictatorship. In Bangladesh election under sitting government has to change to make free election possible. Bureaucracy is well organised against free election.
