Begum Zia still can’t sleep. She goes to sleep very late. As the night lengthens, memories of past glory crowd her mind. She thinks of her sons, their children. Her yearning for them has grown stronger since her trip to Makkah.
Her worries have increased too upon return. She’s heard that she’ll be sent to jail in the orphanage case. She was never scared of going to jail in the past, but now for some reason she is rather disturbed. Age is catching up with her and she has been running BNP’s politics single-handedly. She knows her sons can’t return. If she is imprisoned, there’ll be no one to take over the reins of the party. She is assailed by all sorts of dark thoughts. Will she really have to go to jail? Will Zia’s grave be removed? Will her party be split into small factions?
She is extremely annoyed with Sheikh Hasina. Hasina had her thrown out of the house where she lived for 40 years. She’s been ousted from parliament. Her red passport has been turned green. She has no protocol, no family, her wealth, resources and power have all dwindled. Now will Sheikh Hasina stop? She won’t.
She rises and walks to the window. It’s raining hard outside. The sky is aglow till far in the distance with the city lights of Dhaka. If she is sent to Kasempur jail, she won’t see these lights for years. Yet if she had won this election, she would have sent Sheikh Hasina to jail. The irate people all around her had thought of even worse punishments of which she was not aware. How would Sheikh Hasina feel then!
A gust of rain hits her face. She suddenly puts herself in Hasina’s place and begins to think. Sheikh Hasina has been arrested by Bogra’s women police and Interpol has been approached for the arrest of her children. Her father’s name has been erased from everything. How would Sheikh Hasina feel then?
Begum Zia is taken aback at the feelings of sympathy she starts to feel for Sheikh Hasina. She begins to look back on the sufferings she has actually put Hasina through. She thinks of August 15, August 21 and even the phone conversation of October last year. The cool touch of early morning rain has touched her heart, unawares. A sense of sadness descends upon her. Before falling into a deep slumber, she makes some strange decisions.
2. Sheikh Hasina was stunned by the news. Khaleda Zia had declared she would never again celebrate her birthday on August 15. Sheikh Hasina was even more shocked that her spies didn’t have an inkling that such an announcement was in the offing.
Sheikh Hasina knows there must be some catch to Begum Zia’s statement. In the press statement, she didn’t say that August 15 was not her birthday. She merely said she would not celebrate her birthday on August 15. She had even informed BNP leaders and workers at all levels about this and had instructed them accordingly. She informed the people that she had taken this decision on her own in the interests of political tolerance and harmony.
All newspapers carried this statement of Begum Zia. Sheikh Hasina knows the people of Bangladesh. She knows they will take this favourably, and so will foreign quarters.
Hasina summons her trusted associates and sits down to talks with them. She is used to Begum Zia’s tricks. She doesn’t need anyone’s advice as to how to respond. But this statement of Begum Zia was bereft of tricks! How did Begum Zia pull off such a stunt!
Her advisors try to instigate her. They tell her to issue a statement to the effect that Begum Zia’s lies have finally been exposed. But she remains calm. August 15 wasn’t just the death anniversary of her father alone; it was also the death anniversary of her little brother Russel, her other brothers and her loving mother. She simply cannot tolerate the pictures on Begum Zia’s smiling face as she cuts her birthday cake on August 15. She is happy that she will no longer have to see such a picture.
She comes to her bedroom and stares at the pictures of her family. She looks at these pictures and weeps almost every day. Even today she weeps. But today a sense of peace descends upon her. She wonders if Begum Zia knows that she has, even to a small extent, lifted a great burden from her mind.
3. Begum Zia had announced, without consulting anyone, that she will not celebrate her birthday on August 15. BNP leaders were shocked, some even criticised her to her face. Today they realise the great value of her decision. She can’t help but laugh when the leader who had criticised her, is now full of praise.
The people of the country have greeted Begum Zia’s decision wholeheartedly. The government too has suddenly softened its stance. The police and intelligence agencies have cut sown on their surveillance of BNP leaders. For the first time this year BNP has been given permission to hold a public meeting in Dhaka city. She has heard though reliable sources that the decision to remove Zia’s grave has been shelved. The government is no longer that interested in the cases against her either.
On August 20 she takes another unthinkable decision. She prepares a statement condemning the August 21 heinous grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina. She even expresses regret about her past government’s shortcomings in investigating the case. Her statement again appears in the newspapers. This time, however, some of BNP leaders are furious for some reason. Many of them are accused in the August 21 case. In fact, there is a case against her son in this regard too.
Media persons throng around her house from the morning of August 21. She will not meet anyone. She is genuinely unwell. She has a dizzy spell and falls down in the night. She opens her eyes to find herself in hospital. Her younger brother and his wife are sitting by her side. The doctor comes and says she has nothing to worry about. She can return home within a week.
The TV in her cabin is switched on. She sees crowds have gathered outside the hospital. Prayers are being offered in various places for her recovery. She speaks to her sons over the phone. The next afternoon as she awakens, her eyes brim over with tears of happiness. Sitting by her bedside in an aura of light are Zubeida and Zayma!
There is a bigger surprise awaiting Begum Zia. At four in the afternoon her cabin door opens. Sheikh Hasina enters, bouquet in hand, a sweet mischievous smile playing on her lips. She raises her eyebrows at Begum Zia and says, “What is this Apa? If you just remain in bed, who will launch a movement against me?”
Begum Zia sits up in bed. Sheikh Hasina hugs her. The flashing of cameras almost blinds her. She can hardly believe this is happening.
That night on TV she sees another unimaginable scene. Processions are being held all over the country and slogans are being chanted: “Joy Sheikh Hasina, Joy Khaleda Zia! Khaleda Zia zindabad, Sheikh Hasina zindabad!”
4. The two leaders have met for talks. In the third round of talks, it is just the two of them. At the end of the meeting, they issue a joint statement, pledging to do away with jealousy, hate, conflict and to work together. They declare that they will sever all ties with autocrats, militants, communal forces and war criminals. They call for a national convention to strengthen and render more independent the local government, the judiciary, various commissions and the parliament. They pledge zero tolerance towards crime and corruption. They declare that gradually food, shelter, clothing, medical treatment and healthcare will be established as fundamental rights.
Most significant is that they have announced radical reforms in the Election Commission and election-time government to ensure free, fair and credible elections. They announce that discussions will be held with the civil society to draw up these reforms.
Festive rallies are held throughout the day, sweets are distributed, prayers for the two leaders are held in mosques, temples and churches. The talk shows are effusive in praise all night. Apu Ukil and Nilufar Rahman Moni get up and hug each other in the middle of a talk show. For the first time anchor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury forgets to ask, “What is the solution?” The next morning Bangladesh saw a most beautiful sunrise!
5. I was supposed to write about BNP’s threat for a movement. I perhaps might have written about that, but I really no longer feel like writing about clashes, conflict, crossfire and violence. I feel like writing stories of happiness, hope and love.
Honourable leaders, can you not create a world full of love? Don’t you ever have such dreams?
Source: Prothom Alo
