What had seemed like a simple visit to commemorate the 50th anniversary turned into a regular political battlefield including a high dose of violence It was not just about the activism against Modi or BJP but possibly a sign of deeper angst felt against a country which is not seen as friendly by anyone anymore.
Given that Bangladesh has no significant relations with any neighbor other than India, that doesn’t bode well for the future. However, everyone seems to have bad relations with their neighbors but India is pretty much up there in the list. The list of woes is many and will probably never be addressed satisfactorily. This is a big problem as both Bangladesh and India both need each other.
However, on the street the issue is different and the public reaction is more coming from the gut level than analysis. To this has been added the fuel of political conflict within. Together they have produced a week of turmoil which one hopes people who matter will pay more attention to then they have been paying for the last few mundane years.
To the Government party, the BNP is still enemy number one. So even a peep from them brings high reactions. BNP did try to take to the street but were met with determined resistance by the government forces. A BNP leader’s encouragement of street violence has landed her in jail and more has followed. Though two buses were indeed torched, we don’t know whether the two are connected. What we know is that BNP draws more attention than others. But does BNP deserve it ?
There is little evidence till date that the party is capable of mounting a mass movement no matter how hostile or conducive the scene. One doesn’t know how many cadres are in jail but given the claims, millions must be outside but there was very little movement on the street to show that they exist. In 2013, the shadow of BNP was everywhere over Hefazot and it’s BNP who was the prime mover. But that phase has ended and clearly Hefazot is able to make moves on their own now and doesn’t need BNP’s encouragement.
Hefazot has come out looking stronger than ever and has the socio- institutional strength stronger than all other parties. Hefazot is a non-political party deeply rooted in religious ideology. But in preaching it as it does brings it in conflict with the ruling party making such relations political in the end.
For the Government party, that makes the situation complex as it has to handle two sets of opposition, one formally political and the other informally so. But they put pressure on the Government and its party making it an unusual political scenario. It wants Hefazot’s constituency support but not its ideological practices beyond a point which is what is making this alliance holding difficult.
Final verdict on the scene is miles away but that it’s a phase of high complexity is beyond a doubt after last week.
