The rather low key public celebration of the 50 the anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence and birth centenary of Sk. Mujibur Rahman turned into a rampaging battle field as Hefazat-e-Islam and other Islamists took to the streets and created mayhem. Chatra League activists attacked media workers and activists of the Left and Nur as expcted. Finally, the guns spoke in Chattogram and after the deaths Hefazot declared a day of “bikkhov” followed by a day of hartal. FB was slowed/shut down.
Meanwhile the Government has promised not to allow the hartal. Whether it’s a counter-threat or an early declaration of negotiations, one is not sure. But the shine on the celebrations of both anniversaries are damaged. It’s not something which Hasina would have preferred both as the PM and the daughter of the founder of Bangladesh.
Several protests were on, all anti-Modi but it’s only a part. The Left took the stand against Modi’s visit to focus on their own anti-government activism. It’s therefore the softest target and Chatra league attacked and sent several to the hospital. To this may be added the Nur group, not yet a party but seeming to become one soon. This may be called the political opposition to the Hasina government in the grab of the anti-Modi visit.
Hefazat’s opposition to the Modi visit are multiple but more basic. It reflects its constituency’s unhappiness with India in general and Modi in particular for his anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant stance. The Government had used Hefazot to end the Shahbagh movement and in return had patronized the Quami madrasa system in general and Hefazot in particular.
However, since 2013 it has grown in strength and recently challenged Sk. Hasina on the “Mujib murti” issue. It was so in the midst of the celebrations peak which no one would have dared for one reason or other. Although the Government had calmed them down, no legal action has followed either for the leaders who spoke out against it but also the activists who allegedly defaced a Kushtia murti. Till now, no go ahead is seen on the murtis either. If they are not completed Hefazot can claim victory.
The third group of anti-Modi activists are the Brahmanbaria ones who uprooted the railways attacks and trashed Mujib murals there. That the Islamists are not scared of the Government it’s obvious. The cause behind their strength is the relative prosperity of the rural economy where their supporters come from and the greater confidence in the social sub-states that emerging in Bangladesh. The AL’s control is on the known faces in Dhaka and on the FB but it seems not everywhere. It has declared that hartals won’t be allowed but a group which can gherao a police station is very different from a Facebook group, is a fact.
Perhaps a political analysis more fit for the current situation is needed by the powers that be. Calling every protestor a pro-Pakistani will only have limited effect now. With Indo-China rivalry peaking and Bangladesh faltering on a critical G2G project with China, one hopes the waters will remain calm in the future.
