The young Turks of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) under the guidance of Sirajul Alam Khan, one of the pioneers of the independence of Bangladesh, formed Jatiya Samajtantik Dal (JSD) in early 1972 with Major (rtd) M A Jalil, one of the Sector Commanders, as president and former DUCSU Vice-President A S M Abdur Rab as general secretary.
The JSD leaders adopted radical left tilted programms what they called scientific socialism, class struggle and social revolution as their party philosophy. Its student wing BCL (R-S) won in the student’ union elections in more than eighty per cent colleges and universities and its labour front Jatiya Sramik League (JSL) established suzerainty in the industrial belt. But the JSD could not convince the rural people that they were working for their economic emancipation.
Moreover, the government’s hardstand also stopped their campaign. The other leftwing political parties also did not support JSD.
The party faced split several times- the last one on Saturday. Sharif Nurul Ambia and Nazmul Haque formed their own committee and denounced the party philosophy of scientific socialism, class struggle and social revolution. The mainstream JSD also, I think, does not pursue its philosophy and that is why joined grand alliance government. JASAD abdicated it long before, while Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal prefers Communist Party of Bangladesh as socialist partner.
We will suggest all the groups of the JSD and the BSD despite all past misunderstanding to reunite and to adopt democratic socialism as party philosophy. In that case, it can become a powerful political party.
A Senior Citizen
An acceptable election
In my letter of March 5, 2016 my views about upcoming UP polls were expressed. In one place I wrote”we do not expect a free and fair election from this election commission.we have seen enough of their performance to come to this realisation”.
On March 22 the first phase of the election was held amid violence in which 10 people were killed, 500 hundred injured, intimidation,stuffing of ballot boxes and capture of polling stations took place.
We are dumbfounded by the declaration of Chief Election Commissioner that union council election held on March 22 “were definitely acceptable”.
There is a limit to people’s patience. We just cannot take it anymore. The situation is deteriorating fast. When the CEC is unable to hold a fair election, should not he resign instead of turning a blind eye.
Nur Jahan
Chittagong
