From 5th February 2013, Dhaka’s Shahbagh Square has become a place of mass gathering, where silent movement for a modern, broad and liberal Bangladesh is curving out of the old hardliner shell. It is important here to note that the whole movement is ignited by common mass and the country’s youth and the present liberal government Awami league has its support.
Before 1971, Majority of people in East Pakistan wanted this because they wants themselves to be identified with rich cultural and social heritage of India and the change happened in the form of Bangladesh with the help of India.
But it was short lived. Immediately after the assassination of the founding father and 1st President later Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15th August 1975 by a group of Junior Army Officers and Pro Pakistani hardliners, the entire country was again went into the grip of narrow fanatic anti Indian hardliners, which oppressed time and again the demand for a liberal Bangladesh.
“After the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan with the help of India. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman banned Jamat-e-Islami a hardline religious pro Pakistan group in 1972 but it started working as IDEAL, Islamic Democratic League but immediately after the killing of Mujibur Rehman it resurfaced again more powerful with the fuel from the Pakistan and started oppressing liberal views in all forms including atrocities on the hindus and attack on hindu temples” says Bimal Pramanik, a Muktijoddha himself and now Director of Centre for Research on Indo-Bangladesh Relations.
The present movement started moments after Islamist leader Abdul Kader Molllah was given a life-imprisonment on February 5 this year. Spontaneous protests were held at press club, not far from the war crimes court within a couple of hours Facebook status by the bloggers announced to protest silently near Dhaka University intersection. Few hundred joined the demonstration. It marched towards Shahbagh Square.
Facebook and Twitter is playing an important role and Shahbagh Square has become an epicenter for every single liberal Bangladeshis who want a beautiful broad and liberal country of themselves. The social media has dramatically helped to get through the millions of supporters at home and abroad. All the cities and small towns began similar street protests held every day in the country and abroad.
"Already 3.5 million people have signed our petition to hand over severest punishments to those who found guilty by the war tribunal," says Salim, who is in Kolkata for 2 days and who is out of his house because of the movement and is afraid of his photographs being taken.
They know their opponents as formidable as their demands are, which also includes banning Jamaat-e-Islami. "Islam doesn't need a political party to spread its lofty message. One shouldn't mix politics with religion," Salim says.
Bonded by social networking, hundreds of thousands of people - most of them not even born when Bangladesh came into being in 1971 - have been agitating for weeks, seeking execution of some Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, who are pronounced guilty by war crime tribunal which is hearing the cases of war crimes including the assassination of then Prime Minister of the country Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and his family.
“Young Bangladesh doesn’t want to be Pakistan” says Asad Ali, who is an active social networking site user and fore front leader in the silent protest in Shahbagh Square.
The place Shahbagh Square was not as famous as it is today, the traditional place of protest for both the political parties of Bangladesh are Gulisthan of Awami League and Paltan of Bangladesh National Party. But the movement started by a few hundred youths who lit some candles as a mark of tribute to liberation war soldiers and to protest against the guilty in the square,spread like wild fire through new media.
Total population of Bangladesh is 16 crores and the country has 3 crores Internet users of which 35 lakhs are active Facebook users and 4 lakh active bloggers. This forms the youth community, the new generation.
Liberal Bangladesh has always seen India as its big brother now at the time of need President Pranav Mukherjee’s visit to the country is seen as an important gesture and when he showed his open support to the movement, it encouraged the liberal protesters. Although the opposition, Bangladesh National Party and Jamaat are close allies and they charge the ruling party to be too close to comfort with India.
About the government role in Bangladesh we can say, the Shahbag Square movement received overwhelming support for the Bangladesh parliament, in addition prime minister herself expressed emotional support to the youths. On the other hand the opposition BNP gave contradictory statements to the press. On the 8th day Khaleda with a note of caution gave her party's support, which she withdrew on 28 February. She made direct attack on the bloggers and said they have shamed the nation.
Now Khaleda is accusing the bloggers and activists as ‘atheist and spoiled boys’. After this speech Dr. Imran H sarkar convener of Shahbag movement asked Khaleda to decide her choice to stand beside so called ‘atheist and spoiled boys’ or beside war criminal ,rapist and killers. In Chittagong the fundamentalist kawmi madrasa leaders, name of hefazate islam protested Shahbag movement activist Ganojagoron moncha last 13th march ,which was a strong support to Jamat. Members of the law enforcing agencies on Wednesday 13th march sent the representatives of Shahbag Projanmo Chattar led by its spokesman Dr Imran H Sarkar back to Dhaka from Feni on their way to Chittagong.
Police sent back three microbuses carrying Imran H Sarkar and others on the ground of security reasons at 3:00pm.
The representatives of Projanmo Chattar were on their way to Chittagong to interact with the local Islamic thinkers, and eminent citizens of Chittagong in order dispel the misinterpretation, derogatory remarks on Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) and Islam.
The microbuses carrying them when reached at Fatehpur railway crossing, the superintendent of police (SP), Feni halted them and invited to his office over a cup of tea. The representatives after spending nearly 25 minutes were appealed to go back to Dhaka for security reasons.
Earlier, Imran H Sarkar at a press conference in the capital said they would come to Chittagong only to hold a discussion with local islami thinkers , though their scheduled Ganojagaran Rally was postponed. Earlier, Projonmo Chattar announced to hold the first-ever Ganojagaran Rally after the capital in Chittagong on Wednesday but later the rally was postponed when Hefazat-e-Islam the leaders of extremist group announced to resist the rally and called for a dawn to dusk hartal in the city.
As Hefazat-e-Islam also announced to hold grand rally at the same venue - Chittagong Press Club (CPC) premises, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) earlier imposed section 144 in three places - CPC premises, Zilla Parishad premises and Railway station premises to avert untoward incident.
Apprehending further deterioration of law and order in the city, CMP Commissioner around 9pm 12th march night imposed a ban on all kinds of meetings, holding rallies, processions, gatherings and carrying arms and explosives, lethal weapons from 6:00am to 12:00pm on 13th march ,2013 night in the metropolis of chittagong.CMP, however, in the announcement declared that the civic life would be kept normal at any cost.
Around 1500 members of law enforcing agencies including six platoons of Boarder Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and rapid action battalion (RAB) have positioned in different parts of the city.
On the very day Chittagong Metropolitan police role seems very controversial on that moment, still Dr. Imran could not attend any program in Chittagong. Organizers of Chittagong also played controversial role, on 12th night without talking with Dr. Imran suddenly they announced to postponed 13th sit-on program which was announced before by Dr. Imran the convenor.
On the other hand the general election in Bangladesh is due this December. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and leader of Awami League who has sought a mandate in the 2008 election to hold the trials of war criminals and has fulfilled the promise by starting the tribunal and punishing the guilty. But the protesters wants the present government now should take some solid steps by banning the hardline groups including Jamaat-e-Islami , as the ground is already prepared by youths for this to happen. But Hasina’s government is still in dilemma. Again the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party including Jamat-e-Islam and 18 other hardliner groups are protesting this move of the common people, which till now claimed 80 lives across the country.
Bangladesh has only two main political parties which have been into the reign of power either Bangladesh Nationalist Party or Awami League; therefore dilemma continues to prevail among the people as Bangladesh now expect the ruling government to take some strict decision which can change the future course of this country.
History has been the proof that every revolution started by youths has seen the light and the world have witnessed that in recent past also and the youth have been successful in the move. Here in Bangladesh too the youths has dreamt and taken the responsibility to bring in new wave with new media. It is too early to decide the future course of Bangladesh based on present situation, but we can just hope for a better tomorrow.
Sumi Khan
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