–Md. Nurul Haque–

Who are the most beneficiaries of the student-people uprising that toppled the long-lasting iron-fisted autocrat Sheikh Hasina and her vicious layers of associates? To answer these questions, we must delve into the political acumen and atrocious or philanthropic attitudes and behaviours of the political parties.

The background of the uprising also contains half of the answer as the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement got the impetus because of the already pent-up agony and anger of the ordinary people who had been the dire victims of extreme injustice, extortion and overall deprivation of individual rights of voting, vetoing and freedom of expression about every aspect of the nation. This uprising significantly impacted the political situation, reshaping the power dynamics and forcing a re-evaluation of the ruling regime. People have been deceived in the name of monastic development by building colossal structures centring mainly on Dhaka and other parts of the country.

However, laymen and daily wage earners had a pent-up agony of extreme inability to defray basic commodities and essentials. People had been the victims of artificial class systems of haves and have-nots, persecuted and persecutors, anti-liberation and pro-liberation, and rulers and ruled. The gap between the poor and the rich was ever-widening.

Despite these divisions, the people of Bangladesh stood united in their fight for justice and equality, demonstrating a strong sense of community. The political oppression and suppression of Bangladesh Awami League on opposition political parties like BNP and Jamaat was so acute that many political leaders had to face more than a hundred false cases. Both parties had to sacrifice their top-class leaders. People of the country had a soft corner for Jamaat as they were the worst victims of oppression, suppression and atrocities.

So when the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement came with their demands of quota reform in government jobs, the fallen government, with its arrogant attitude, resorted to suppression and oppression with state-run killing and enforced disappearance of protesters and ordinary people. Ultimately on 5 August, the apparently mighty regime had to surrender and flee the country, leaving its aides in dire helplessness.

Now, Jamaat backed and supported most student coordinators, and BNP seconded only a few. The influence of these student coordinators on the movement’s success was noteworthy, as they were instrumental in mobilising public opinion in favour of them and ultimately gaining the second freedom of the country.

Jamaat was also successful in proving that India is in no way a friendly country to Bangladesh, instead the former fought the war independence of Bangladesh in 1971 for its own sake. Even after the second independence achieved by the students with their life and blood, Jamaat did not try to bag the credit, though they had covertly backed up the movement. Instead, they thanked the students and ordinary people for their invaluable sacrifice. They express their empathy and help the injured protesters mentally and financially.

When the fallen regime wanted to draw the attention of its Indian aides by attacking and demolishing the Hindu temple with their political musclemen or hired criminals, it was Jamaat who could read the pulses and protected the temples and businesses that foiled their conspiracy. Moreover, their contribution to the flood-affected people was also noteworthy.

On the other hand, initially it seemed that the BNP was in a hurry to grab the state power as if the mass uprising was paving the way for the coronation ceremony of their exiled leaders. They arranged a public gathering of their political activists and leaders, ignoring the agony and mourning of the bereaved families of the martyrs and injured.  People did take it otherwise and thought of them as greedy and power mongers. Realising the reality and pulse of the students and mass people, they followed Jamaat’s steps and commenced doing what Jamaat had done a few days before.

However, their greedy and crazy leaders occupied the lands, buildings, businesses, markets and garments of the fallen party as if they had been hungry for years. Almost every day, newspapers and print media report that BNP activists have done the same as the previous autocrats. However, their repeated pressure on the interim government for elections caused anger among the reformist people and intellectuals.

So after analysing the present political and social landscape, it seems that if BNP does not shun the politics of oppression, vengeance and bankruptcy of idealism, Jamaat will be the main beneficiary of the second independence of Bangladesh.

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The writer is an Assistant Professor

of English at IUBAT and a PhD

candidate at Universiti Putra Malaysia