Blockade Bangladesh

Opinion

The heinous attack that took place yesterday at a roundtable discussion organized by Manch 71 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Auditorium has once again exposed the deep crisis in Bangladesh’s political culture. A group of miscreants carried out an organized attack on the organizers of the great liberation war, former lawmakers of the country, heroic freedom fighters, distinguished journalists, university teachers and dignitaries who were participating in a discussion titled ‘The War of Independence and Our Constitution’. Many were seriously injured.

What is even more incredible is that these mob terrorists handed over the victims to the police, and the police instead of arresting the attackers sent the victims to jail. This incident is not only violence, it is a naked display of impunity and evidence of the resurgence of anti-liberation forces.

Bangladesh was born through the Liberation War—with the dream of freedom, democracy, and equality. The constitution was written with the ideals of that Liberation War in mind. But the attack by miscreants on the discussion organized by Manch 71 in Dhaka showed that the people’s determination to protect the Liberation War, Bangladesh, and the constitution was targeted.

Like the mob violence that has been happening for a little over a year, here too, anti-Bangladesh and anti-liberation war forces have announced their rise and strong position, and they have demonstrated their strength. By silencing the voices of the people, they are trying to prove that free thought, dissent, or the values ​​of the liberation war are no longer safe in this land.

The violence at the Dhaka Reporters Unity is not an isolated incident; it is part of a project to destroy the democratic achievements of the state. Today, a besieged journalist is asking the nation on his way to prison, “Is speaking in favor of the liberation war, talking to freedom fighters, or is it terrorism?” A law professor on his way to prison expressed his firm determination to protect the constitution. If someone is targeted for repression today for speaking out about the liberation war and protecting the constitution, it is a direct blow to the nation’s identity.

The attack on DRU is not just an attack on a few people—it is an attack on free thought, the right to expression, and the future of the state. It has sent a message to the entire society: if you express dissent, you too can be attacked, and even the law will not be on your side. This culture of fear has been created and is being constantly reinforced to sustain Dr. Yunus’s autocratic power and to expose the anti-Bangladesh forces to everyone.

Political violence is not new in the history of Bangladesh. International human rights organizations have said in their recent reports that the culture of impunity is deepening in Bangladesh. The attack on DRU proves that the attackers know that they will not be punished. Because under Dr. Yunus, the state’s law enforcement agencies have always taken action against dissidents instead of the victims.

This DRU incident makes it clear that Bangladesh is practically under siege today. When democracy, freedom of expression and fundamental rights are suppressed, the state is bound by an invisible chain. Where the constitution, which was drafted in the spirit of the Liberation War, has pledged to protect civil rights, if the discussion of protecting the constitution becomes a crime, then it is a sign of a nation under siege. The victims of the attack have been sent to prison, while the attackers remain unharmed. This proves that the law, justice and state machinery are imprisoned in the interests of a group. As a result, the anti-Liberation War groups and communal forces have become more reckless.

Anti-Bangladesh groups are sending a message of their power by suppressing the liberation war and the determination to protect the constitution. If we do not protest against this message, the very existence of Bangladesh may one day be in question. The reaction on social media proves that people have understood that Bangladesh is under siege today, and to break this siege, the nation must unite anew.

–Ejaz Mamun
Columnist