Respect for Khaleda Zia is an example of etiquette, not helpless surrender

Opinion

Except for the online-centric ‘Batar Batar Bahini’ of Jamaat-Shibir, people have shown immense sincerity towards Khaleda Zia. BNP should be forever grateful for this. It was unprecedented. Khaleda Zia is lucky, she received immense love from the people on her last journey.

BNP’s main political rival, Awami League, was also on the list of expressing this sincerity. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy had condolence messages there. Sheikh Hasina’s condolence message was natural, because together she and Khaleda Zia have taken Bangladesh’s democratic path to a unique level. It is not unusual for her to have a special attraction to Khaleda Zia, a one-time companion of the street movement. In this series, Khaleda Zia has also lived outside of jail at her own home with Sheikh Hasina’s approval while she was the Prime Minister. Although it is risky to say this in the changed political situation and there is a fear of a destructive tag, it is true and true, and it has to be mentioned. If we do not mention it, we will only read part of history here.

What caught my attention here was Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s condolence message. He posted one condolence message twice on Facebook. I saw him posting the same message a second time because the first condolence message was lost in the public report by the Jamaat-Shibir’s ‘Batorbatar Bahini’.

In his condolence message, Sajeeb Wazed Joy said, “I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members on the death of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. At this critical moment in the country, when the common people are suffering from lack of security and there are attempts to destabilize and depoliticize the country, her passing will have a profound impact on Bangladesh’s path to progress. Despite being a victim of various depoliticization processes in the past, she has achieved numerous successes in her long political life and has set various important policies for the country. Her contribution to nation building will be remembered forever; however, her death is a major setback in the efforts to stabilize Bangladesh at present. My heartfelt condolences to her numerous supporters and well-wishers.”

These condolence messages from Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed Joy have basically given direction to the online reactions of Awami League leaders and supporters. It has attracted the attention of many. Many have welcomed it; on the other hand, I have seen many people rejecting the aggressive and extremist style of condolence. That is why I do not give importance to them.

In contrast to the grief of Awami League supporters after Khaleda Zia’s death, some have cited the jubilation of BNP supporters after the verdict against Sheikh Hasina in the International Crimes Tribunal. Some have wanted to bring to the fore BNP’s involvement in the demolition of Dhanmondi 32. These are not lies. However, the humane expression shown by Awami League supporters here, despite all this, points the way to the future well-being of Bangladesh.

At the moment, there is an executive order ban on the political activities of the Awami League in the country; they are unable to participate in the elections as their registration with the EC has been suspended; the Dhanmondi Thirty-Two are repeatedly being victimized by government-sponsored mobs; Awami League leaders and activists and their assets are being attacked; and BNP leaders and activists are participating in all these areas, yet this condolence message and response of the Awami League after the death of Khaleda Zia is hopeful and exemplary. On the one hand, these are indications of a beautiful future, and on the other hand, they are an expression of humanity by limiting competition to the political sphere. I personally welcome this.

There is no reason to think that these reactions are just the cries of the helpless because the Awami League is in a corner in the political arena. Nearly half of the country still supports the Awami League. Although the Awami League was ousted from power on August 5 last year, it has not been wiped out from the country. The proof of this is the BNP. In the last one and a half decades, the BNP, which was not found in field politics, has gathered millions of people to welcome its acting chairman Tarique Rahman; millions of people attended the funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia. However, even a year and a half ago, there was no leader of the BNP in the country who could hold a banner. Therefore, generalizations in determining the strength and potential of the BNP-Awami League in politics are completely inappropriate. It is a reality if you accept it, and it is also a reality if you deny it.

Many people brought up two speeches on the day of the funeral. One was by Tarique Rahman, the other by Nazrul Islam Khan. Tarique’s speech was from a family member, while Nazrul’s was political and party-related. It is right for both of them to appear to give speeches, because firstly, Khaleda Zia is a mother; secondly, she is the head of a political party in the country. What Tarique Rahman said in his speech is what we say on the day of the last journey of our family members. I myself said these exact words during the pre-funeral speech of my parents, if you pay attention, you will surely say these exact words or will say them in the future. Tarique Rahman has fulfilled the responsibility of a motherless child here.

However, the way Nazrul Islam Khan used political language in his speech is inappropriate, at least in a time of public mourning. He has used political language while seeking responsibility for Khaleda Zia’s death. However, Khaleda Zia died while undergoing treatment in the country. During the Awami League period, they repeatedly asked to send her abroad for treatment, and every time, the Awami League government did not accept the issue of sending her abroad, citing the law. They used to mention the issue of treatment abroad in their speeches and statements, but when the issue of legal obstacles was brought forward for this, they never went through the legal route. We did not see BNP approach the High Court to seek legal redress. Apart from this, Khaleda Zia was sent abroad only once after a few months after the fall of the Awami League government. This time, when she was on her deathbed, it was said that an air ambulance would come from Qatar, but we did not see that air ambulance arrive. In other words, BNP has proven time and again that the demand for treatment abroad was truly political.

After the death of Khaleda Zia, the people of the country expressed their deepest condolences. BNP should have learned from this. The party should have seen this as an opportunity. However, we do not see any signs of taking advantage of that lesson and opportunity in Nazrul Islam Khan’s statement. This is undesirable. Looking at the huge crowd on the day of Tarique Rahman’s return, the sea of ​​people at Khaleda Zia’s funeral, and the public expressions of grief, there is no way to think that everyone in the country has become BNP. Everyone has forgotten the previous times of BNP. In one case, this happened out of sincerity and a humanitarian stance, in another case, it happened out of anger at the misrule of the interim government.

If you look closely, you will see that since the arrival of Tarique Rahman, no one is paying attention to the interim government in the country. Where the chief advisor of this government went, what he did, what he said; who is saying what the advisors of the government are doing, none of this is now within the realm of knowledge. Out of the desire to get rid of this government, people have taken a strategic position of forgetting the past of BNP. People have started believing that whatever political government comes to the country, it will at least be no worse than the interim government; therefore, the joy of Tarique’s return and the grief of Khaleda Zia’s death have become universally accepted in an instant.

My birthday was on the day of Khaleda Zia’s death. I did not thank anyone that day to join the mourning. I said many positive things. It is sympathy. This does not mean that I support BNP; it does not mean that I support any party. I am the same as before, non-partisan. Most people are like that, they do not change their position on one or more specific issues. So no one should become overly interested in these. Everyone should learn from this. If the country is on the verge of destruction due to the misrule of the interim government, if nothing other than the misrule can be thought of to get out of it, then this sympathy and interest will not take long to end.

Now, even people who dislike BNP’s politics are showing interest in BNP. This is mainly with the intention of getting rid of Yunus Shahi’s misrule. Not being able to utilize this will be the cause of BNP’s political shortsightedness and total destruction. When they leave, people’s interest will not be the same as it is now; they will compare it with the previous regime. BNP should forget that they were ousted from power twice before in the face of intense mass movements. The previous victorious people were not as extremist as the current victors, which saved them in the end. If they are ousted from power again in a mass movement in the future, it will be difficult for the country to come out of the trend that the current extremists have created. Therefore, education and education should be the vow of BNP; without it, there is no salvation.

Kabir Yahmed

Journalist, Columnist, Political Analyst