by Zoglul Husain
Through the farcical election of 7 January 2024 by barbaric repression of the opposition and brazen rigging of the election of a very low turnout, Sheikh Hasina has retained her illegitimate power. Disaster has befallen on Bangladesh in addition to the last 15 years of killings, tyranny, and reckless plunder by the fascists and the hegemonists. We need to rescue the country, we need to unite, we need to campaign. Kindly find the following campaign leaflet below. We intend to form a campaign organization, with a name, say, Freedom and Democracy Forum, and we will decide on a Convenor, a Member Secretary, etc. depending on those who want to join the campaign. Please see the leaflet in English and Bangla, as follows:
Resist Indian Hegemonism and Sheikh Hasina’s Fascism
Through the election farce of 7 January 2024, Hasina has again installed herself in power illegally. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and like-minded parties boycotted the election, as election under Hasina government means barbaric repression of the opposition and blatant rigging of elections. Those happened in 2014 and 2018 elections, and those happened in the present election, too. In the pre-election crackdown on the opposition, the Awami League and the police attacked the BNP’s peaceful mammoth gathering of 1 million people on 28 October 2023 and dispersed them. Within 2 months of this, 25,000 of the leaders and activists of the opposition were thrown to prison, with 16 killed, 5,500 wounded, and many tortured with electric shocks, shooting to maim, knee capping, severe beatings, etc. Many human rights organizations condemned this, and the Western governments said the election was neither free nor fair. The opposition call to the voters to boycott the election was successful as, according to the BNP, the turnout was only 5-10%, although 40% was declared by the Election Commission, and one hour before this declaration, 28% was announced. Before the present crackdown, over the 15 years of Hasina’s illegitimate regime, it killed 1,500 of BNP members, 600 were abducted, most of them killed, 100,000 were thrown to prison, and false lawsuits were lodged against 5 million members and supporters.
A great disaster has today befallen on Bangladesh. As a matter of fact, the disaster started from 2009 from the beginning of the illegitimate regime. Within the last 15 years, the backbone of the country has been broken. This unelected, illegitimate and fascist regime has been perpetrating killings, torture, oppression and repression in its horrifying reign of terror. They have handed over independence and sovereignty to India, as well as the control of Bangladesh.
The Awami League and India together have been plundering Bangladesh recklessly. In this plunder, the country’s economy has taken a severe downturn. On the other hand, there is an alarming misrule going on in the country. The army, the administration and the judiciary have been turned into the slaves of the government, as indeed, the whole country and its administration have been turned into slaves to carry out Indian orders. India and its lackeys, the Hasina regime, have been working relentlessly to turn Bangladesh into an annexed or occupied territory of India, and in turn, the Hasina regime has been plundering billions of dollars, which are laundered from Bangladesh every year.
From 2009, India has perpetrated 3 massacres with the help of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh: (1) BDR massacre, the aim of which was to establish control on the border by India, and also to establish its authority on the Bangladesh army. India achieved both the targets; (2) massacre on the Jamaat-e-Islami, with the aim of destroying the Islamic force, India has been successful in this; and (3) massacre on Hafazat-e-Islam, again with the aim of destroying the Islamic force. Once again India has been successful in this. With Hasina’s help, India has achieved all these targets. Many say that Hasina regime’s decisions come from the Indian High Commission. Even who would be employed in which position is decided by the Indian High Commission. India has continued its political, economic and cultural aggression in Bangladesh.
If India can manage to occupy Bangladesh, then the Muslims of Bangladesh would lose their homes, lands, all assets, industries, trade and commerce, their jobs, education, etc. Everything would be occupied by the Indians. The Muslims would be turned into landless peasants in rural areas and shanty dwelling poor workers in towns. They would be subordinate to the Indians, and there may even be genocides on them as in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The same thing happened to the Muslims in Bengal after the Palashi war of 1757, whereas before this war, the Bengal Subah was the richest country or one of the richest countries in the world.
According to reports, there are 3.5 million Indians working in Bangladesh, most of them illegally. The remittance they send to India is the third highest remittance income in India, amounting to $10 billion a year. India conducts unequal trade in Bangladesh. With border smuggling, such as of Phensedyl, India causes immense harm to Bangladesh. They built dams and structures on common rivers, which has decertified many areas and caused immense harm to Bangladesh’s agriculture. They have been using Bangladesh ports, rivers, roads, etc. as they wish. In sum, they have been using Bangladesh as a colony, and our independence and sovereignty have become endangered.
So, it is imperative on us to wake up, get organized, and save the country. Bangladesh has a history of great struggles. We have a history of movements of 1952, 1954, the great mass uprising of 1969, the great war of independence in 1971, the glorious army-people uprisings of 15 August and 7 November 1975, the great mass uprising of 1990, etc. It is with struggle we will defeat Indian hegemonism and Hasina’s fascism and establish a patriotic and democratic government.
So, let’s be united and organized. Let’s spread the wave of movement throughout the country. Let’s resist Indian hegemonism and Hasina’s fascism! Let’s boycott Indian goods and resist Indian interests in Bangladesh! Let’s resist Hasina regime!
*The writer is a London-based political analyst, commentator and a former activist and columnist constantly campaigning for Freedom and Democracy, Justice, Human Rights and Harmonious Development in Bangladesh. He appeared many times on Bengali TV talk shows in London speaking on the political affairs of Bangladesh. A retired computer consultant with a Master’s degree in Mathematics, he left his PhD studies in the UK to travel to Kolkata, India, in 1971 to join the Independence War of Bangladesh. He is a recipient of Independence Award.
