Awami League joint secretary general Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif has termed a section of the civil society as ‘Pakistani agents’ blaming them for finding fault in every small thing and did not see success in development activities. At a discussion meeting on Sheikh Hasina’s homecoming day on Tuesday at Jatiya Press Club he said “There is a section of civil society members who criticize the government whenever they get a chance. They are agents of Pakistan.”
He said they are the remnants of the defeated force of 1971 Liberation War. Alam’s comments were directed at Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) evaluation of the recent City Corporation election; which said it was highly flawed. Hanif shot back asking the TIB to prove where it was flawed.
We do not want to discuss the facts of Liberation War. Bangladeshis do not take certificate from those who took shelter in India without Bangabandhu’s instruction to do so. In reality it was the people of Bangladesh that won the people’s war with the help of Indian army. If there are some who find a section of our people as Pakistani agents in Bangladesh but, there are others who find a section as Indian agents in Bangladesh, who are responsible for motivating killing of democracy and denying the people’s voting right.
Besides, the defeated force was Pakistan army and it was defeated by Indian army. Pakistan army surrendered to Indian army. So no Bangladeshi is a defeated force.
Moreover everybody who left for India in those days of maximum danger to our people cannot be a freedom fighter. So those who went to India in the face of Pakistani military attack on our people ignoring Bangabandhu and his family who remained within the country, have to prove a lot about their role then and now.
What is noticeable is that the controversy over the City elections is not ending and TIB is not the first either to tell this election was highly flawed; many other organisations have made similar evaluation. Politics will be faced politically-this is natural.
But what makes the people really surprised and angry, is the insulting remark of the Awami League leader labelling the election critics as ‘Pakistani agents.’
If Pakistani agents are to condemned then Indian agents are to be condemned also. This should be the responsibility of defence and internal intelligence agencies to identify the agents of foreign countries engaged in anti-people and anti-independence activities within Bangladesh. Who went to India and who did not, cannot be the proof of patriotism in free Bangladesh. Everyone has to prove patriotism through his pro-people and pro-independence activities. Labelling one as foreign agent is not a political issue, it is a crime against Bangladesh and should be decided through a free trial.
It is in the interest of Bangladesh and one’s patriotism that past mistakes be forgotten to build a united Bangladesh. Nobody should have the audacity to challenge anybody else’s patriotism if he himself is a patriot.
