Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury
I am not a professional writer nor have I any interest in the revengeful politics of our country. But I have a conscious and human mind. This is what compels me to put some questions to Madam Sheikh Hasina. I am doing it because I consider AL at least a political party and her as the daughter of Father of the Nation. I don't know whether any English paper has the courage to publish it.
Before I put my questions let me share one very special comment made by one of the very high-profile politicians of Awami League (AL) long ago. I once had the chance to work with AL and had to meet that politician quite often (name's put disguised). I found him jubilant all the time while talking to me. Most of the time we would talk about our liberation war and the untiring and intrepid role of Bangabandhu to make our country independent. On one occasion he told me that although I am so craving for our liberation war and life of Bangabandhu, he was pretty sure that I never had been a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). I asked him how he had guessed it. He told me that it was because of my modesty and keen desire to see the human and humane in Bangabandhu and in the motto of our liberation war. He concluded that those who are members of BCL they never can be modest and gentle – rather they are very aggressive and savage.
I was listening to the Home Minister on December 11 evening on TV. He was saying that those who killed Biswajit were not members of BCL. Then why were they there to chase the BNP supporter? For argument's sake, if even Biswajit had been a member of BNP or Jamat, who had given the authority to these killers to kill him. Most pitifully Biswajit was an innocent breadwinner for his family. Trust me Madam Sheikh Hasina I am a staunch supporter of AL and motivate people to cast vote for good contenders of AL. And it's because of Bangabandhu. Before Dec 9 I didn't care about Hartal of BNP and Jamat and would go out for my office. But after the killing of Biswajit, I stopped going out of home. Who knows when BCL men go on the rampage and kill me? It would be anybody now! Maybe after killing, those killers would be called that they had already been expelled from BCL, but before they commit the killing they would very much be of BCL's.
Madam Sheikh Hasina please don't treat the common people ignorant and uneducated. If you do so it would go back to you and your people. There is not even an iota of doubt that the killers were under the patronage of BCL and AL, but as the whole nation or more specifically the whole world has gone against this inhuman killing, now you are throwing your protégés out of your court to save yourselves. And in fact this is the nature of the dirty politics of this country – when you need them you caress their heads, but when you don't need them you kick them in the drains.
The other day I was talking to one of my friends working for the police department. He told me that the way the killing had been done, there should be two decisive decisions – either capital punishment if found guilty or acquittal if not found guilty. Madam Sheikh Hasina I am sure you have already seen the footage and pictures of the sequence of Biswajit killing, what is your comment about the killers? Should they be acquitted as they are the members of BCL? The judiciary is in your hand. So you can make them order anything in AL's favour. At the end of the day you have a great "pardoning president" who can do mass pardoning any time after your orders. I know for sure there will be no judgement of this killing as long as AL is in power. Prove it I am wrong.
I can well remember the case of "centurion Manik" and many others. All of them got big rewards for their misdemeanours. Very recently we have seen how the gun-wielding BCL men were sitting with police people but it was told that they could not be traced out. What an irony and farce!
Madam Sheikh Hasina you often talk about "rule of law" and "democracy" and reiterate that you want to establish it. At least in case of Biswajit killing prove what you preach is in you practice. But remember if in this gruesome case any farce is done as before I would never vote for AL anymore and stop singing "Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy" forever.
[The writer is a development worker; email: npfreethinker@yahoo.com]