Starting well, ending well
WITH the retirement of General Moeen U. Ahmed -- the chief of army staff and much talked-about backstage hero of 1/11 -- some quarters are opening their mouths about his leading role in the 1/11 change-over and the following years -- 2007-08. His activities are now under serious scrutiny and debate.
Although some duly credit him with having done what was but inevitable in the turbulent circumstances prior to 1/11, a few others criticise him on some counts. His detractors, of course, recognise the worth of some of his works by virtue of which he had gained some extra-prominence.
However, those who admire him as a the 1/11 "saviour of the nation" argue that had not the army under the general's leadership come to the rescue of the nation -- then embroiled in political meltdown -- the BNP-Jamaat jote would have come back to power through their stage-managed election scheduled for January 22, '07, thus plunging the country into deeper turmoil and uncertainty. The 1/11 intervention frustrated the evil design.
As a matter of fact, the patriotic armed forces did save the nation from the brink of a bloodbath that looked inevitable. At the beginning of the emergency rule, Gen Moeen commented that "the country"s democracy train had derailed." Their imperative was to put back the same on the rails.
Then, in mid-2008, he claimed to have put the democracy train back on the track. What was still needed was to find competent drivers -- meaning politicians -- to steer it to the cherished destination. It may be recalled that General Moeen had all along made it clear that he had no political ambition, and the army was only helping the new CTG to create a congenial atmosphere for holding a fair and credible national election.
Now that he is off the stage, the critics are a little too aggressively blaming him for having pulled the strings from the background, and orchestrated what they term as a "depoliticising campaign in the guise of reforms." It is history that will judge General Moeen's activities all through. Be that as it may, we must not be oblivious of the fact that state institutions like the Election Commission (EC), the administration, and the highest court had turned dysfunctional allegedly due to wholesale politicisation by the immediate past BNP regime.
And the then President Iajuddin-led CTG and much despised justice M.A. Aziz-led EC were bent upon holding the election scheduled for January 22, '07 to ensure the jote's free ride to power again. If our memory does not betray, the nation, confronted by an unprecedented crisis, waited with bated breath for the patriotic armed forces to intervene. Then, 1/11 came as a God-sent respite.
The staging of 1/11 was a welcome response to the nation's collective prayers for a way out of the dire straits we were in. The standoff between the two mainstream political camps kind of invited the armed forces' intervention.
Contrarily, the armed forces could have acted as silent bystanders at that critical juncture, but with what eventuality we can well guess. And would that not be perfidious to the nation? After all, the armed forces, being the last resort of state security, could not have remained passive onlookers at the crunch hour.
Then, despite many twists and turns under the CTG, things ultimately went in the right direction. Political parties were registered with the reformed EC under the new RPO, and the embargo on open politics was withdrawn. A near fool-proof voter list with voters' photographs was prepared, the much awaited free and fair election held, and finally, a democratic government installed.
But, things might have gone the wrong way as well had General Moeen wanted to capture power on this or that pretext as his predecessors from the army had done. Astutely, he could feel the democratic pulse of the nation, and chose to accept the people's sovereign right to elect their government.
Undeniably, General Moeen did not arrogate to himself the responsibility of governing the country, although many reckon he could have seized power if he had really aspired to. He did not do that. Instead, he went back to his domain when the elected government took over.
Now, those who happened to suffer harassment and indignity on corruption charges are castigating the retired general. Everybody does not need to agree with their perspective. But, given the tumultuous circumstances warranting the 1/11, one has to ask why BNP-Jamaat leadership should not be held responsible for the polity slipping off the democratic track.
In fact, had not the 4-party leadership plotted to make a comeback to power by manipulating the election, 1/11 would not have come about. However, there would likely be lingering discussions on the retired general's historical part, with some commending as also some condemning it from differing angles.
But, in the ultimate analysis, it must be admitted that the army-guided CTG kept true to its promise of restoring democracy. General Moeen, the man in the background, does deserve commendation for respecting our national aspiration and ensuring our democratic transition, the most welcome ending.
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