Tiger Fled, Cat Came, Elephant to Hunt

Opinion

On May 10, not only was there a government decision to ban all political activities of the Awami League, but freedom of speech and freedom of expression were also attacked.

Whether Awami League is guilty or innocent is not the subject of my discussion in this status. Whether the Awami League can do politics in Bangladesh in the future is also not the issue.

Through an executive order, the government has snatched away people’s freedom of speech and thought by involving the Awami League. Institutionalization of state repression has been carried out.

Those who do politics, those who are free-spirited, it cannot be assumed that they will remain silent. Rather, when people’s freedom is taken away, they feel more compelled to speak out.

Freedom of the press has already been curtailed. Recently, the media can speak against the Awami League, but it cannot say anything in favor of the party or provide analytical content. These are dire situations.

However, we should remember that Bangladesh is not defined by July-August. Bangladesh does not stand on July-August; it stands on the foundation of the great Liberation War of 1971. Coercion can happen here, and one can survive for some time through force, but the future is dark.

The interim government, under the guise of driving out fascism, has established a narrative where people are still deeply immersed. But how long will it take for realization to strike? What is happening now has never occurred in the history of Bangladesh. It is doubtful whether such things are even happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or North Korea.

During the long rule of the Awami League, we never saw the party’s leaders and activists consider the thought of stepping out of power. The Awami League, a government of immense authority, has now become irrelevant the moment it lost control in Dhaka. Yet, who will claim that the party’s support has been entirely extinguished?

The current active government does not have even ten thousand people in Bangladesh who can take to the streets in their favor. True, there are scattered and strong mobs in Dhaka and across the country, but there is no public support. Do they think they will survive forever with administration and mobs alone?

If you learn from the Awami League or make a comparison, you are insignificant! Yet, how arrogant! History should be brought to the forefront here. History says the gap between arrogance and its destruction is a matter of minutes!

How or whether the Awami League will return is not my subject. But the result of taking away people’s freedom of thought and expression is entirely negative!

When attempts are made to suppress voices, aren’t you opening all mouths by trying to silence them?

Let me cite a proverb that has survived through time: “Mughal Pathan fell, Persian read by the weaver, tiger fled, cat came, elephant to hunt.”

-Kabir Yahmed
Journalist and Columnist