Demonic terror by Alliance Govt.
Ongoing movement reached to a new Phase

Once again it has been proved how much afraid is the Khaleda-Nizami Govt. for fear of being cut off from the public and losing the power. It has also been demonstrated how much malicious and brutal can be the fascist Govt. in attacking the people. The movement for downfall of the Govt. in last April has unfurled the hard reality to the people in the one hand and has decided the fate of BNP-Jamat Govt. on the other.

15 POINTS : TIMELY DEMAND

Earlier we have explained 15 point demands, its background and justification in more than one newsletters. Now in the background of recent agitation specially in the month of April against the Govt. for implementation 15 points demand, a political analysis is given hereunder.

When the country has started sinking for BNP-Jamat Govt.'s tyrannical administration during the last two (2) and a half years, when the people have become puzzled with Govt.'s tyranny, corruption, looting, favoritism and price hike, when the democracy, human rights and rule of law have been crushed under the heels of autocratic Govt. when the people from all strata, irrespective of their political affiliation are anxiously waiting for their emancipation from this suffocating situation, just in that moment came the 15 points demand from the President of Bangladesh Awami League Sheikh Hasina to save the country. On 10th January, these were announced in the grand rally in Paltan Maidan. These are to decrease the cost of daily necessities and cost of living, to ensure safety of life and properties, stoppage of corruption and looting, trial of all corrupt people, to introduce rule of law for ensuring human rights and rights of the women, termination of partisanship, provision for employment, lowering price of agricultural inputs, stoppage of activities of all most violent communal fundamentalist forces, reforms of electoral system, rebuilding the image of the country and to run the country imbued with the sprit of liberation war. The Govt. were asked to fulfill these demands within one month. The people hoped that the Govt. would accept the demands and act accordingly. But the Alliance Govt. did not pay heed to these just and timely 15 points demands to save the country and the nation. Rather they resorted to cruel path of repression and in the meantime the time limit of scheduled 10th February passed away. And the 15 points demand have become the demands of the whole nation

ONE POINT DEMAND TO FULFILL 15 POINTS DEMAND

From the savage repression and oppression of the Govt. and its recalcitrant attitude, it became clear that these demands will not be realized till the BNP-Jamat Govt. remains in power. So under compulsion the demand for resignation of the Govt. and holding of mid-term election was raised to achieve the 15 points demand. In order to make the movement irresistible, programmes were chalked out one after another in a peaceful and constitutional way.

PARTICIPATION OF PEOPLE

Awami League always believe in people's power. Awami League since its inception has always tried to build up mass movement through the democratic and constitutional means. This was amply demonstrated in language movement in 1952, election in 1954, struggle against military autocracy in 1962 and 1964, 6-point movement from 1966 & mass uprising of 1969. After liberation Awami League organised the people against military rule of General Zia and General Earshad. Earsad and Kheleda Zia were forced to resign in the face of popular mass uprising.

Following the past experiences, Awami League took up peaceful programmes like organising mass no-confidence wall, street walking in procession and human chains, in addition to traditional means of hartal and demonstrations. Lakhs of people voluntarily participated in these programs which indicates their anger and no confidence against the present Govt. People do not want to see the present Govt. in power even for a moment. To lead the present movement towards its logical conclusion, in other words, to compel the BNP-Jamat Alliance to step down from power, Awami League, as a policy, has been trying to associate the mass people of all section of the society. Because Awami League believe that unless people of all walks of life actively participate for the cause, no militant and spontaneous mass uprising is possible. And without mass upheaval no other alternative way is in the hands of Awami league. Conspiracy, acting against the people and occupation of power from behind the scence are some of the tactics adopted by BNP-Jamat alliance but Awami League never resorted to these.

PANIC STRICKEN GOVT. AND DEMONIC TYRRANY

Awami League General Secretary Md. Abdul Jalil MP reciprocating the hope & aspiration of the people demanded resignation of the Govt. and mid-term election by 30th April. This demand created unprecedented uneasiness, conster- nation and fear of losing power in the ruling circle. The base of the Govt. was trembling. Govt., being nervous resorted to the path of severe suppression and oppression. Despite their two-thirds majority in the parliament, they fear the people as they have come to power by conspiracy and not by popular vote of the people. The BNP-Jamat alliance lost their confidence in themselves and started unprecedented demonic terrorism.

ENCIRLEMENT OF HAWA BHAVAN : BESIEZED CITY

To Protect the Hawa Bhavan, the center of corruption and terrorism, ten thousand police and BDR beseized the whole of Dhaka City on 21st April. The Govt. itself encircled the Hawa Bhavan. The general people had to undergo much harassment at the hands of police in all the entry points of Gulshan and Banani. Throughout the day the police stopped all movement of transports in these areas and conducted search house to house and in transports and arrested in large scale. Residents of these areas, ordinary day wage earners, pedestrians. students, service holders, businessman, nobody was spared from the harassment in the hands of police.

Making the people to suffer and keeping these areas beseized, two sons of the prime Minster played cricket and ate biriani reminding the proverb "When Rome was burning Nero was playing flute." But we are not sure whether the Prime Minister is aware or not that to attain power Nero killed his own mother. The way the Govt. used all the machinery of state to protect Hawa Bhavan goes to prove that from Hawa Bhavan, the center of all corruption, a parallel Govt. is working in the country.

MASS ARREST : REPRESSION OF WOMEN

After the announcement of the encirclement of Hawa Bhavan about 20 thousand people have been arrested in Bangaldesh including Dhaka City upto 30th April. The alliance Govt. has turned Bangladesh including Dhaka into a big prison.

The most humiliating part of this mass arrest was the arrest of women. On 20th April alone more than one thousand women workers were arrested. Even the women workers coming in buses were taken up into custody along with buses. Some women were arrested along with children in their laps. Also the female workers expecting babies were not spared. Many women came to the rally leaving suckling babies at home but could not return. In many cases the repression on women surpassed even the Pakistani armies tyranny. Only the Awami League leaders and supporters were not arrested, even the innocent general public became the target of mass arrest. People coming to Dhaka from different districts for various different works were arrested at rail station, bus terminals, or lunch terminals just when they stepped down. People coming to Dhaka for service interview, some People coming out for purchasing milk for children, shopkeepers starting for home after closing their shops or garment workers returning home after day's hard work and above all man going to hospitals to see ailing mothers were forcibly captured and taken to custody.

They were sent to jails without letting them know the reasons for arrest. Working people were arrested to exact money from them. No pleader was allowed to speak for them. Without sending them to court, they were sent to jail and fined. Ministry of home reportedly directed the lower courts not to grant bail before 30th April. Awami League leaders and workers along with innocent citizens are being fortured inhumanly after taking them to remand and false confession being exacted.

On 20th April youth and women Awami League leaders Salma, Ishrat and Bina were arrested and then taken to remand. Their relations were not given information as to where they were kept.

Thousands of arrested people have been living in jail in inhuman condition. Even they were forced to live in toilets. People coming form farfetched areas to see their captivated relatives had to wait in the jail gates braving the hot sun, rain and hunger hoping their release. As a result of this mass arrest this is now crystal clear that this Govt. has morally been defeated and cut off from the people.

On the otherhand during this movement in April, rape of girl student by cadres of student forum of BNP in Shah Jalal University and armed attack on agitating general students who were demanding justice, extreme communal tyrant's open systematic killings and oppressions at Rajshai, all these give rise to the question whether there is any Govt. in this country. Even if there is any, whose interest they are representing?

GAINS OF MOVEMENT

Opposition to Awami League without realizing the correct position has been expressing that as the Govt. has not fallen, so the movement has failed. This has been spread deliberately to break down the moral strength of the workers of Awami League and people. Besides many people has seen the one side of the coin. They have missed to see the other side.

Agitation of people against any misrule has never failed. Though the ultimate win has not been achieved in the present agitation, three significant achievements of the agitation cannot be ignored anyway.

Firstly through this agitation, there has been moral defeat of the Govt. The President of Bangladesh Awami League and the leader of opposition Sheikh Hasina in her news conference on 30th April have clarified the point. This Govt. has turned out to be an occupation Govt. by starting an undeclared war against its own people, treating them as their opponents and by resorting to barbaric oppression on them. The BNP-Jamat alliance have therefore forfeited their right to govern this country.

Secondly, their separation from the people have not only proved but by this agitation this gap with people has considerably widened. Without the terror by state i.e. repression and suppression and police protection, this Govt. has nothing to protect them. And without the support of the people and their protection, no power can protect for a long time a Govt. cut off from the people. The fall of this Govt. is now only a matter of time.

Thirdly, it has been amply demonstrated by this agitation that Bangladesh Awami League is the only alternative. Those who tried to establish a so-called third force in the country and make it acceptable to the people has realized that in the background of BNP-Jamat Alliances failure, only a Govt. by Awami League can establish a good administration and carry on the development and thereby make Bangladesh a really strong and prosperous state. By any unconstitutional third force no economic, social & political problems and crisis of Bangladesh can be solved.

NEW PHASE OF AGITATION : MOST DIFFICULT PATH

After 30th April, the present agitation reached to a new phase. on the one hand people have assessed the weakness of the Govt. and on the other Awami League has got a chance to evolve new technique of this agitation. Recent agitation has made it clear that Govt. has lost its ground and the agitating parties have also realized how cruel & barbaric the Govt. can be and how much misuse of power they may resort to. On the basis of these experiences people will take up their new strategies.

Though the base of Govt. is feeble but even then to force the Govt. to resign, the people will have to go through a difficult path. It will be possible constitutionally. Only the slogan that "we don't want this Govt. any longer" will not do. The people of villages, cities and other places, male or female, from all profession and all parties must unite together and actively participate in the agitation. To unite people and make them to actively participate is more difficult and painstaking task than to oust a Govt. Sheikh Hasina has specially urged the party leaders and workers to perform this task.

CALL OF SHEIKH HASINA

On April 30, President of Bangladesh Awami League and leader of opposition in the parliament Sheikh Hasina explained the overall position to an over crowded news conference at party office at 23, Bangabandhu Avenue. In her concluding part of the speech she said, "Bangladesh Awami League believes in people's strength. At the behest of the Father of the Nation, Skeikh Mujibur Rahman Bangladesh Awami League, which led the Nation to liberation war, has turned out, to be the single largest party in Bangladesh.

People want to see the fulfillment of their aspiration in every work of Awami League. This confidence of the people increases our responsibility in one hand and on the otherhand gives us encouragement and inspires us to work and firms up our belief in people's power.

It is now clear as to what the people want and what is their aspirations. The events of the last month (April) has established the truth that people don't want to see this Govt. They want mid-term election and thereby to see the reflection of their verdict. The repression, suppression, mass arrest of this Alliance Govt. has failed to suppress this truth. People want judgment on every misdeed of the Govt. and rescue from their hands.

In order to fulfill the wishes of people for resignation of Govt. and holding mid term election I appeal to you all, irrespective of party, classes and professions to work unitedly to lead the present agitation to its logical culmination.

We know that everyday that we pass under this Govt. will bring us new suffering, anxiety and uncertainty which really hurts us. But we are hopeful that within the shortest possible time we shall be able give freedom to people, return their desired democracy, rule of law and economic and social security.

People's no confidence to Govt. and the undemocratic and fierce suppression of this Govt.which failed in every respect go to prove that the fall of Govt. has started. We will keep up our movement in full force in order to fulfill our demand for mid-term election by accelerating the fall of the Govt. This primary achievement will lead us to final victory."

Newsletter _______________________
Vol. 3. No. X, 17 May, 2004
Bangladesh Awami League Publication

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