That people who live in glass houses should not throw stones was proven on the 3rd of April as Hefazat leader Mamunul Haq was found in a resort with a lady he claimed to be his second wife. As the storm grew and he was about to be taken in, Hefazat activists snatched him away. But by then the damage had been done as he talked on telephone to his wife and asked her to lie along admitting it was someone else’s wife. His chat with the lady in question was also on tape. It was leaked on social media and millions heard the conversation. As expected the tape was played on Ekattur, the TV channel closest to the government. The claim of Hefazat as guardian of Islam was severely damaged though its leaders probably can’t comprehend yet.
Meanwhile, a few other Hefazat leaders including the horse riding activist has also been caught and more will be compromised if one looks by the way things are turning out. At this point, the Government sits pretty as it has sent a signal to the Indians that it isn’t a welcome power in Bangladesh using Hefazat and just as Hefazat was thinking it was ordering things around, its belligerent leader was “caught”.
Power play wise, there is a tendency to underestimate Sk. Hasina. But a political leader who has been in power for 12 years or more, fair means or foul, certainly knows how the game is played. In this process her main opponent BNP is withered and Hefazot looked set to replace it. But that has suddenly become yesterday’s news because the moral market value of this group is now severely dented.
People are going to ask if their GS is found lying and trying to mislead people, what about other Hefazot leaders? The seeds of doubt have been planted and watered and they have flourished. The time for picking the fruits is on now.
Hefazot leader can be forgiven for not understanding the power of technology but that shouldn’t be the case with BNP leaders who also discuss torching vehicles on the road during hartals with street activists and on phone. The result is a foregone conclusion. Perhaps the lesson is simple. If you want to burn down a bus, go down yourself and not ask others to do it when all phones are being listened to and by efficient machines.
How the political scene will look one can’t say immediately but when the powers that be is as strong as the current PM, simple burn and parade activism will work only so far. It’s the system that one is up against and that’s why it’s not easy for the opposition.
What perhaps is the toughest call of them all is that each vulnerability is detectable in this state and can be used against them in the techno era. That’s why it’s best to be clean first before calling out someone as unclean.
