The grand rally called by 14-party on 22nd November was an unprecedented national event. The grand rally turned into a vast sea of people. From the rally the 14-party spelled out a 23-point programme for movement, election and formation of government. This common minimum national programme has been formulated after protracted efforts over two years by all important secular democratic parties of the country to overcome the prevalent political, economic and social crisis by ensuring free, fair and neutral election through reforms of caretaker government and election commission. Terming this programme as the historic “Magna Carta”, the 14-party opposition combine including Awami League pledged to create a national awakening for peace and prosperity in the country.

The BNP-Jamat Alliance government blatantly violating the constitutional protection for assembly and speech made every effort to foil the rally. Starting a few days prior to the rally the government arrested about ten thousand Awami League workers and supporters all across the country. They carried out illegal and unwarranted search in their houses in Dhaka and other districts just to intimidate them. On the night of 20 November a sudden indefinite transport strike was arranged by the Communication and the LGRD Ministers in connivance with the General Secretary belonging to BNP of a transport workers organization. By arrangement a worker was arrested to give the cause for the strike call and he was conveniently released immediately after the conclusion of the rally. In reality the so-called strike was enforced by BNP-Jamat mastans strongly supported by the police force and state authorities. Buses and trucks were not allowed to get out of the stands and those plying on the roads were harassed by law enforcing authorities. The main objective of this planned and arranged strike was to restrain people from joining the rally. Even river transports that were not subject to the so-called strike call were blocked by the police and BNP-Jamaat cadres. Even the small boats plying in the Buriganga river near the capital were stopped by force.

All the evil machinations and the secret conspiracies, all the obstacles and the repression could not stop the rally. As if with vengeance people came running to Dhaka in unending waves by trains, trucks, wagons, scooters and on foot and by any other means as they could. The government must have been afraid of a mass uprising and hence all the efforts and tricks for restricting the movement of people. The police, RAB and other law enforcing agencies and the ruffians of the Alliance government did not only put hindrances in all sorts of transports but also lathi-charged, threw teargas and arrested the rally-going people. Even they obstructed the car of the Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina at various points in the capital city. In the name of security people were harassed and obstructed here and there. Innumerable roads were blocked and thousands of armed personnel were deployed in threatening demeanor. The city was transformed into a city of fear and anxiety.

The People, of course, became more desperate in the face of these state created barriers. Lakhs of people took it as a challenge and joined the grand rally. All government plans to sabotage the rally became futile. The grand rally transformed into a vast sea of people. A new chapter was added to the traditions of democratic movement of Bangladesh. The fascist nature of Khaleda-Nizami government once again was unveiled.

New Phase of the Mass Movement

The democratic movement of the opposition has been elevated to a new height with the success of the grand rally on 22nd November and with the declaration of a common minimum programme. For four years at a stretch the BNP-Jamat junta had an innings of gross misrule. Limitless corruption and greed of the powerful, the unending price hike, the unstoppable smuggling of arms, the rising incidence of acts of violence and crimes, the expanding sway of extremists under government patronage, the series of extra-judicial killings, rampant violations of human rights, the open games of extortion and hijacking, the lawlessness in the countryside, the attack on the communal minorities and political opponents and a total climate of impunity characterize the current situation in Bangladesh. In the background of the abject failure of the BNP-Jamat Alliance government the combine of the secular democratic parties and common minimum programme has earned the confidence of the people as substitute of the present Alliance.

In the past also, the democratic forces have forged unity to end autocratic rule and revive democracy. They have also adopted common demands and programme. But after liberation, this time only the freedom fighters, the secular forces and the democratic standard-bearers, imbued with the spirit of liberation war, have got together to restore the core values of the nation. The 23 point programme is not only a declaration of war against the criminal government but it is like a mini election manifesto of a united front and the pledges of a prospective government. They have not only criticized the government and announced their programme but in reality have also demonstrated that they are an election alliance of 14 parties. Henceforth let there be no wavering, no doubts, no equivocation and no uncertainty.

Sheikh Hasina in her address forewarned the nation that the death knell for Khaleda-Nizami government has been rung by the grand rally. She congratulated the mass of people for defying all the obstacles put up by the government and resisting the repression let loose by them. The leader of opposition in the National Assembly and President of the Awami League Sheikh Hasina announced a 2-month long programme to popularize the 23 point programme as well as to bring down the accursed government of the Khaleda-Nizami junta. She warned the RAB, the police and the civil administration not to incur the fury of the people by standing against their legitimate and democratic movement in a vain attempt to people to protect the present criminal junta. She asked the police not to intimidate the masses or obstruct them because ultimately they will succeed while the present rulers will flee the country with all their loot. And they will not take the small fries with them, who would have to be looked after by the people. She asked the RAB to contain terrorism and haul the terrorists and not to undertake the job of restraining political workers as they express their democratic right of protest. She also suggested that those who have criminalized politics and looted the wealth of the country will not be spared in future. They will be tried and punished under appropriate laws in this land. She thundered that Khaleda-Nizami junta will have to answer to the people for their attempt to make Bangladesh a failed state, for their abject misrule, for their murder of people without trial and for their limitless corruption.

A Failed Government

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked how come the Alliance government fail to arrest terrorists and bomb-blasters when they are successful in killing Awami League leaders and workers and arresting thousands of innocent people for no valid reason. She confirmed that people know very well as to who are sheltering the terrorists, helping them and play acting the arrest game. She maintained that the terrorist organizations have grown under the protective umbrella of the government nursed by a partner in power – the Jamat. Sheikh Hasina suggested that the arrest of the Prime Minister and her son, State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar and Amir of Jamat Industry Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami would unravel terrorism and only then all terrorists will be caught and bomb-blasts will stop.

Sheikh Haisna added that the Alliance government has completely failed to govern the country. Price hikes have made the life of the common man extremely miserable while Hawa Bhaban is pocketing money and transferring it abroad. She questioned how the broken suitcase and torn vest left by Ziaur Rahman has so rapidly enriched his successors with assets worth thousands of cores of taka, BMW cars and luxurious lives. She warned that someday people would exact the hidden money from Hawa Bhaban, from the Prime Minister and her Ministers and associates in corruption.

Reviewing some of the salient features of misrule Sheikh Hasina accused the Alliance government of destroying all the three pillars of state – the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. She said that the Khaleda-Nizami junta is making the parliament ineffective, destroying the integrity of the electoral process, politicizing the civil administration, taking away the independence of the judiciary and converting the police force into a partisan rogue body. She complained that the party die-hards are being inducted in the BCS by leaking out question papers. Meritorious students are being dropped to make room for partisan ‘golden boys’. Referring to the recent granting of four TV licenses in the private sector she pointed out that these have been granted to the Prime Minister’s family and her own people. They are engaged in all-out looting and now they have occupied the entire media. She questioned as to why public funds were wasted so much in decorations for the SAARC summit meeting when people are dying in the country for want of food. She expressed dismay at the mishandling of Hajj flights especially when it was taking place under the nose of the Prime Minister. After all the PM is in charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry!

Sheikh Hasina highlighted the immediate task of voter roll preparation and said, “You will have to unite to maintain your voting right just as you have come to this grand rally in the face of all odds and obstacles. Voter list is being fabricated; make sure that every name is there and all bogus names are cancelled.” She warned that the rigging of the election in 2001 put a monster in power in the country and people paid heavily for this. Innumerable lives have been lost, the name and reputation of the country have been badly tarnished and the economy is not realizing its potential. General Ziaur Rahman gave Jamat a new lease of life after his forcible and illegal occupation of power. Though he tried to legalize his alleged occupation by fraudulent elections and killing two and a half thousand officers, the High Court has now declared that this seizure of power was illegal. The rehabilitation of Jamat is at the root of the rise of extremism in Bangladesh. Jamat did not and yet do not believe in Bangladesh liberation war and so they are out to trash Bangladesh into a failed state. Sheikh Hasina asserted that people are not prepared to tolerate the failed government any more. She called upon people to stand up against the nefarious designs of the government in the same way as they did for the rally. She gave a clarion call to stop injustice and ensure fair play.

Call for National Awakening

Announcing the 2 month long programme of the movement Sheikh Hasina told that this government cannot be allowed to stay in power any longer. She stated, “Get prepared, create national awakening and mass upsurge. They will not get time to flee.” She reminded the rulers of the wrath of people that toppled Khaleda regime in 1996 in just twelve days.

In the rally the following leaders of 14-party combine delivered their speeches: Gano Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain and Secretary general Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, JSD President Hansnul Haque Inu, Ganatantri Party President Nurul Islam, Amena Ahmed of NAP, Samyabadi Party General Secretary Dilip Barua, Haji Abdus Samad of Gono Azadi League, Zakir Hossain of Ganatantric Mazdoor Party, Asit Baran Roy of Communist Kendra, Awami League Presidium Members Abdur Razzaque MP, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta MP spoke on the occasion.

The Common Minimum Programme was read out by Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil MP. At the call of Sheikh Hasina lakhs of people showed their support for the Programme amidst thunderous applause by raising their two hands.

It was announced in the rally that the 14-party will not participate in any election unless Caretaker government and Election Commission are reformed according to their demands and they expressed their strong resolve to resist the holding of any farcical election.

Sheikh Hasina also announced that the 23-point programme will be taken to the people by all the political parties. Simultaneously the coalition will organize joint programmes all across the country. There will be grand rallies in Divisional Headquarters, meetings and demonstrations in zilas and upazilas. Further she announced a long march towards Dhaka on 22nd January 2006 and declared a country-wide daylong hartal on 24th November to protest against the obstacles created by the government to restrain the marchers from attending the rally.

23 Point Common Minimum Programme of Bangladesh Awami League, 11 Party, JSD, NAP

1. A secular democratic government will be established through free and fair election held after instituting reforms in the caretaker system of government and the Election Commission on the basis of the guidelines announced on July 15, 2005. The elections will be free from black money, violence and communalism. People will not accept any election without reforms in the caretaker system of government and the Election Commission.

2. The country will be freed from aggressive communal forces and religious militants. Such forces will be removed from all levels of the government and administration. Trials of war criminals will be held and politics of religion will also be banned. Freedom to practice religion, freedom of expression and freedom of conscience will be ensured. The verdict of the Bangabandhu murder case will be executed. Perpetrators responsible for all grenade and bomb blasts beginning with the Udichi bomb blast of 1999 will be brought to justice. This will include the grenade and bomb attacks on the Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League rally on August 21, the bomb blast at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjala at Sylhet, the murderous attacks on the British High Commissioner, Mayor Kamran of Sylhet, Suranjit Sengupta MP as well as bombings of cultural events, religious congregations, places of worship like churches, mosques, temples etc, the assassination of S.A.M.S. Kibria MP and Ahsanullah Master MP, and the nationwide bomb blasts on 17 August 2005. The conspirators and organizations behind these criminal activities will be hunted down and rooted out. All training camps of Jamaat, Shibir and other militants will be identified and eliminated.

3. Based on the principle that all powers belong to the people and their exercise is effected under the authority of the constitution the supremacy of the constitution will be established in running the state machinery. Rule of law will be established; effective and neutral application of laws will be ensured; and all laws and practices contrary to the fundamental rights of the people will be scrapped and steps will be taken to stop extra-judicial killings and politicization of administration and judiciary and ensure recruitment and promotion on the basis of merit and fitness. People removed unjustly from jobs will be reinstated. To ensure the independence and neutrality of the judiciary, it will be separated from the executive branch of the government without any delay after assumption of power by the elected government.

4. The parliament will be made effective as the centre of all national activities and accountability of the government will be ensured. Elections to Zila and Upazila Parishads will be held within a year of the formation of the new government.
Autonomous local governments will be strengthened and made really effective.

5. Terrorism will be uprooted and criminals and their godfathers will be identified and will be brought to book. They will not be accepted as members of any political party and no party can nominate them for any election. A healthy democratic political culture will be established by stopping corruption and criminalization in politics.

6. In order to stamp out corruption at all spheres of the state and the society a system will be introduced so that all ministers, lawmakers, people’s representatives, political leaders and bureaucrats disclose their property statement and it is regularly monitored. The independence and effectiveness of the Anti Corruption Commission will be ensured. Exemplary punishment will be meted out to the corrupt and the loan defaulters and their ill gotten property and money will be confiscated.

7. Prices of essential commodities like rice, pulse and edible oil, will be brought within the people’s purchasing power and a Price Regulatory Authority will be established to control and monitor prices. Forcible collection of tolls on the highway will be stopped; rights of the consumers will be protected by law and rationing system will be introduced for the poor and the low-income group. Tariff for utility services such as water, electricity, gas or sewerage will be kept stable. Famine in the northern region and food crises in other parts of the country will be effectively dealt with. The water logging problem in the south-western part of the country will also be properly addressed. Food security will be ensured for all.

8. Effective measures will be initiated for restarting the closed mills and factories, for the protection and expansion of garment, sugar and jute industries. A national minimum wage will be announced and implemented for workers irrespective of the sector. Effective and meaningful steps will be taken to implement the core conventions of the ILO; laws will be passed for protecting the unorganized labour and their dismissal and lay-offs will be prevented. An enabling environment for local and foreign investment will be created and steps will be taken to assist such investments.

9. A national programme will be adopted for removing poverty. There will be specific allocation in the national budget for poverty alleviation. Slum dwellers, vendors and rickshaw-pullers will not be evicted without proper rehabilitation. Government land will be distributed among the real landless and homeless people and victims of river erosion.

10. All able citizens of urban and rural areas will be registered and pragmatic steps will be taken so that at least one youth from every family comes under the “employment guarantee scheme”.

11. Prices of agri-inputs will be lowered and fair prices for agro-products will be ensured. There will also be subsidies in agriculture as well as employment for agri-workers along with effective measures for farmers’ rehabilitation and land reform.

12. State, social and financial honour for the freedom fighters will be ensured.

13. Gender disparity will be removed. The national women development policy of 1997 will be reinstated. Direct elections will be held for reserved women’s seats in the parliament, while representation of women at all levels will be enhanced.

14. Legitimate demands of the teachers, engineers, physicians, journalists, lawyers and other professionals will be implemented.

15. The “unified” education system of the BNP-Jamaat led Alliance government will be scrapped and steps will be taken to implement science-based uniform system of education enjoined by the constitution. The commercialization of education, corruption in the system as well as violence in educational campuses will be terminated. The standards in education will be upgraded to international levels. Teachers and employees illegally retrenched will be reinstated. Payment of suspended salaries and allowances will be restored. Politicization of educational institutions will be brought to an end.

16. Healthcare for all will be ensured. Community healthcare centres will be introduced. Steps will be taken to control and prevent arsenic contamination, prevent spread of HIV and prevent infectious diseases.

17. State radio and television will be freed from control of the government giving them full autonomy. Free flow of information will be ensured by appropriate legislation. While the aggression of vulgarism must be resisted, cultural freedom, non-communal cultural spirit, and flourishing of Bengali culture should be promoted.

18. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord signed during Awami League rule in 1997 will be implemented. Rights of the adivasis (indigenous people) will also be ensured. All discriminatory laws curtailing the rights of the minorities, will be scrapped. Tough laws against communal violence will be enacted and such acts of violence will be severely punished.

19. The best use of gas, coal and other natural resources of the country will be ensured. Domestic and foreign investment will be encouraged through transparent policies. National energy security will be ensured. The administration of the ports will be raised to international efficiency level and Chittagong and Mongla ports will be developed as South Asian ports.

20. Emphasis will be put on regional cooperation for resolving the problems of sharing the water of international rivers, water management, flood control and generation of hydro-electricity.

21. A national defence policy will be formulated and implemented through public discussion and peoples’ participation.

22. A policy of regional cooperation will be followed for reducing trade gap, curbing cross-border terrorism and bringing peace along the border.

23. ‘Friendship with all and malice towards none’ will be the motto of the independent foreign policy.

Newsletter _______________________
Vol. 4. No. 10. December 7, 2005
Bangladesh Awami League Publication