Bangladesh: Thirty-three years later

I first saw the influence of Bangala in Malacca, Malaysia, where its colourful history kept reminding me of what was Bangala. The history of Malacca kept talking of the influence of Bangala and the West of Bangala (which included the Arabs, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English traders). Bangladesh was not only a mystic and scenic land of diaphanous muslins and spices, flowing rivers and swaying palms, flowering trees and sweet smelling flowers, but a land full of poets and writers, lovers of nature and aesthetic beauty. They were simple hard working people with honest minds.

The "envy of the world" saw many conquerors in various guise -- traders and preachers alike -- set their influence on this once upon a time serene and prosperous deltaic and fertile region of the sub-continent. A variety of people laid down their traits and we can see diverse cultures mixed into one unique Bengali culture -- a real remix! And so the years rolled on.

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Then what happened? The British left India in 1947 by joining two extreme boundaries (East and West) into one country (Pakistan), which was divided by a large chunk of another independent country (India). The joining/fusion of two extreme wings having no similar or common culture or language, but bonded by one religion was, in the eyes of many, a mistake. If religion was to be the only unifying factor, then the different sovereign Muslim or Christian countries should all be unified to become Islamistan or Christianistan!

So, what was inevitable occurred. Exploitation by the West wing of Pakistan, within which territory the capital was located and which controlled the finance, foreign policy, and defence, gave rise to discontent and uprising in the East wing. West Pakistan was developed at the cost of "Bangala" -- once upon a time the great and prosperous country -- whose golden fibre, tea, betel leaves, rice, fish, etc. all added to the wealth of Pakistan for the development of its Western wing whilst the hard working inhabitants of East Pakistan continued to toil and live in sub-standard conditions of survival. The six points demands were welcomed by the local people of East Pakistan and the subsequent election of 1970 which gave the Awami League a thumping victory saw the real intentions of the government. Then came the black night of March 25, 1971.

We all know the rest.

All genuine Bangladeshis united, and with the unified movement, we were successful in routing out the marauding Pakistanis. We became Bangladesh! Victory was achieved in record nine months time. Unity was the only machinery against the well-trained army of Pakistan where arms were like second garments to its people.

Today, at the beginning of September, 2004, what do we, the common people of Bangladesh, perceive? We see the politicians who manage and govern the country are at daggers drawn with each other. Have they forgotten that Bangladesh is the result of long years of exploitations culminating in the glorious War of Liberation, where every one of the peace-loving, serene, and poetic Bangladeshis joined hands to free themselves from continued poverty, hardship, and exploitation to build a beautiful Sonar Bangla?

Everything is politicised, and people are being forced to follow one or the other political camps. As if they can have no independent thoughts. Even the grenades and bombs are being made to fall within this or that political camp. We learnt that offenders of law are not friends of society, and definitely the bomb throwers are enemies of the state. The survivors of the attacks should co-operate with the investigating officers in order to bring the culprits to book. Their cooperation should be given not only to avenge the dead, but also to prevent the recurrence of the crime.

If governments are to be blamed for any attacks, then, neither of the "democratic" parties can absolve themselves of their responsibilities. If the first public place bombing of 1997 had been properly investigated and attackers punished promptly; if the first arms haul case had been completed and the offenders punished, then today in 2004, we would not have seen the spate of bombs and chopping of people in different places. Due to the failure of the past regimes to control crime, the innocent persons are suffering. Who do we blame? I leave it to the readers to guess.

In conclusion, the people should become united and forget animosities. Let us learn from other democracies the respect that one political party has for the other, and how the government and the opposition can work together to build, develop, and thereby strengthen, the country, which will in turn prevent any unwanted third person from interfering or destroying the nation. No citizen is interested in the power play of political parties, rather, they care less for who is where, and their only concern is how to ensure a safe, secure, free from worry life, where food, clothing, education, and health is taken care of. A life that they had thought was possible when they sacrificed their lives and property for what is now Bangladesh.

Therefore, dear readers, please rise and send a strong message to the political parties that they must stop this dangerous game of who comes to power, and if they cannot stop their race to power then they should not involve innocent bystanders in their quest.

Sigma Huda is an Advocate.