Editor's Pick

Outplayed?

12 December 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Abu Sufiyan, Lalmatia Dhaka
Awami League has proved itself extremely immature and inept in the game of politics against BNP. It should concede defeat and play the game according to the plan laid out by BNP-Jamaat. Awami League can never win the game via constitutional methods as all the institutions of state are controlled by BNP-Jamaat. BNP has demonstrated extreme shrwedness and farsight by thinking all its future moves in well advance. Whereas, Awami League's response has been amateurish and adhoc, devoid of political acumen. BNP was able to foresee every move of Awami League and countered it with appropriate action. For example look at the issues of opposing Hasan as CA, removal of CEC Aziz, ECs Mahfuz and Zakaria, President Iajuddin from the post of CA and lastly the three writs challenging the constitutionality of taking over the post of CA by Iajuddin. In every one of these cases BNP has come out as the winner. Awami league could only respond by crying unfair and by imposing Oborodh on the helpless and suffering people and behaving as a hopelessly confused fellow pondering what to do next.

It was unbelievable to watch Awami League terming these defeats as victories! It is really impossible to accept that this grand old party of Bangladesh has become so bankrupt of clever ideas. Awami League still thinks and plays the game as Bhadralok whereas BNP plays as a goon and gives a damn to the constitutional niceties. Just look how it tramples the constitution under its feet but thunders to protect it! This reminds one the famous dictum that "patriotism is the last resort of scoundrels". There is no chance of Awami League's winning the next general election in the existing set up. Bangladesh has successfully been turned into a one party state by BNP-Jamaat. The soviet system of nomenclature has been planted by BNP with the objective of ruling the country for at least the next 10 years. In such a situation Awami League can only bring the situation in its favour by mobilising the masses and staging a mass uprising of people like 1969 against the demonic forces occupying the institutions of state. But this is a tall order for Awami League which is a party of petty bourgeois and wavering middle class which is afraid of people's power. Its holding of dialogue with BNP in October 2006 was a replay of Mujib-Yahia parley in March 1971.

Therefore instead of imposing useless Oborodhs and Gheraos on the suffering people of Bangladesh Awami League should submit to the superior game-plan of BNP-Jamaat and prepare to participate obediently in the coming election and become the permanent opposition in the parliament. It has no competence to govern the country. In such a scenario we might witness a spontaneous uprising of the people after five more years of BNP-Jamaat rule. But this could also be a wishful thinking. Anyway Awami League should realise that politics of street agitation for gaining state power is over in Bangladesh. If the politics of Pakistan is any guide to us then Awami League should try to build its base in that crucial institution which is the foundation of power of the ruling regime in a Muslim state.

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