Betting on the wrong horse
NOTWITHSTANDING continuing woes and setbacks, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) political prospects have, off late, brightened thanks to the growing frustration over the incumbent AL's performance, which is depressing at the least.
The prime minister's thinly veiled pronouncement of going ahead with her government's choice of the route of the Asian Highway came as a rude shock to the anti-corridor lobby, which sees it as being against what it calls national interest. Sheikh Hasina's view, as a result, was taken to be arbitrary and in defiance of national consensus which, though essential, is yet to be established on the issue.
Thus, while the public has been relenting on an estranged BNP and the party itself is in a upbeat mood, certain quarters of the BNP have been trying to prop up TariqZia, the party's senior joint secretary, now in London for treatment, afresh as the revamped party's mascot. Only two years ago, he symbolised what brought down the BNP's citadel of power and threw the party into a shambles and brought ignominy for it.
The fresh craze for Tariq Zia's succession as BNP's future leader has indeed exposed the party's bankruptcy and proved that politics in Bangladesh is far from being cleansed of sleaze. There still are people who have no aversion to his second coming as the party's redeemer. Surprisingly, the return of the prodigal is supported by none other than university teachers, who are not necessarily from among the BNP's diehard White Panel logylists.
It appears that the years of political upheaval and its descent into chaos produced nothing positive and only generated further cynicism. Even if there is nothing wrong in pursuing BNP politics, organised lobbying to emphasise the indispensability of Tariq Zia inspite of his unsavoury past record does not augur well cither for the party or its future.
The supporters of Tariq Zia are feverishly covering the city walls with graffiti enlogising and lionising him disproportionately. He has even been compared with the likes of President Obama. While this prodigal son of the BNP is still recovering from his post 1/11 incarceration, apparent defeat, and insults there is a calibrated attempt to rebuild his "image" through crude propaganda.
But will Tariq Zia with his badly tarnished reputation be able to meet the bill for reemerging as a Zia protege, or even something less than that. A dropout as a student, Tariq never inherited the mantle of his illustrious father; neither did he acquire anything later -- except humbugism.
By propping him up the BNP may be gambling desperately to regain its political space, but it is apparently betting on the wrong horse. However, at the moment, to perch Tariq Zia alongside the aging madam seems to be the party's idee fixe.
Even with past moral turpitude, BNP has a right to be in politics provided it becomes acceptable to the people after its necessary atonement. Neither BNP nor Tariq Zia has ever gone through that process. The BNP rather denied all allegation against its name.
Tariq Zia was alleged to have criminalised the politics of our country, and hushed up crimes like murder for money (of course for the party) in complicity with his loyal state minister for home. Can he lead the party to victory only after four years, even if rehabilitated?
Any sensible person would welcome BNP politics at this juncture, but not with the same criminals at the helm. We have traversed a long, meandering way in our political Odyssey, but not to embellish its centre stage with persons of Hawa Bhaban notoriety. The previous caretaker government gave us a jolt, perhaps to awaken us to the need for political catharsis. But alas! No such catharis is as yet in sight.
Whether in power or on the streets, are politicians are portrayed as a paragons of excellence, citadels of probity and fountains of moral and intellectual purity? Yet Tariq Zia, with his brief stint in politics and besmirched with accusations, will be welcomed back, and the huge BNP family doesn't have anyone who can bring the party back to the path of sanity.
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