Since in the “new world order” Islamists coming to power are not welcome even if their access to power bears the stamp of standard western parliamentary democracy, the nationalist forces are finding it much easier to resort to suppressive measures. They know in the Henry Ford kind of democracy they are the only ‘revered and legitimate’ customers for their infatuation in ‘black color’.That is why a mute criminal silence has been witnessed when tanks were rolled on the Ikhwanul Muslimoon protesting sacking of President Morsi and his democratic government. The blood-baths enacted on the streets of Egypt did not satiate the rulers, they went to ban the Ikhwan and initiated politically motivated trials against them. A judge in Alexandria last month gave 21 young women, including 7 minors, prison sentences upto 11 years for joining a march to protest against Morsi’s fall. Compare it with Egyptian courts being extremely lenient with policemen charged with abuse of power. Despite some 2000 deaths from police gunfire in the past three years, the acquittals have come thick and fast. Against ousted president Morsi ‘jail break’ case, during the Tahrir Square mass mobilization, has been manufactured and court proceeding has started against him. Remember over two thousand Ikhwan protestors were killed by the Al-Sisi regime including women and children but the killers are roaming free
Sheikh Hassina Wajid, the prime minister of Bangladesh got emboldened to hang her political and ideological rivals - Jamat-e-Islami Bangladesh. In proverbial wolf’s devouring instinct she unearthed the moth-eaten, dust covered file, long buried in the archives by her father Bangu Bunduh Sheikh Mujibur Rehman himself, against Jamat. After nearly four decades the fear-stricken Awami League Leader accused Jamat of perpetrating ‘crimes against humanity’ during the 1971 struggle for independence. Seven Jamat leaders have been convicted for life sentences by the ‘International Crimes Tribunal’ constituted in 2010. The tribunal has drawn severe criticism for lack of international standard of justice and fairness. UN Secretary General voiced displeasure against its functioning. The tribunal in essence proved a state-backed Kangaroo court where for the crime of “mudding waters” – some 40 years before – the “lamb” has but to be gobbled up at any cost.
The hanging of Abdul Qadir Mollah, assistant secretary general since 2010 of Jamat and a former executive editor of the Daily Sangram has come a rude shock. No one was expecting the execution. That it did come in quickest and ghastly manner shows the full blown political vendetta of Hasina and her party towards the Islam-loving party. Jamat has called the hanging a ‘political murder’ and vowed of ‘exacting revenge for every drop of his blood’. Since then the country has plunged in deep strife. Violent demonstrations have followed and many precious lives have been lost. The major opposition party BNP lad by Khalida Zia (with which Jama’t has allied) has boycotted the election due next month with Hasina refusing to its demand of setting a coalition government. Jamat has been banned from contesting elections. The immune system of Hasina government has proved to be more robust.
Jama’t in Bangladesh has, true to its ideology, tried its best to save Pakistan from getting split into two halves. As deadly against monster of nationalism, its youth in Alshamas and Albadar voluntary groups sided Pakistan troops to fight Mukti Bhani, the militant outfit India trained and armed. After Bangladesh won freedom thousands of people were arrested. Of them only 752 people were convicted by the courts. Alshamas and Albadar were not convicted of war crimes, but censured for helping Pakistan army. In 1973, however, the general amnesty declared by Mujibur Rehman got all prisoners released from jails. His generosity in 1974 won acquittal even for 195 Pakistan army officers convicted for war crimes. Thus he himself closed the file of 1971 war crimes. He declared publicly that Bangladesh wants to move ahead forgetting the past.
It is amazing that the party stalwarts the Tribunal pronounced guilty charges against neither figured in the convicted 195 army officers nor among the thousands arrested. More importantly, Jamat in 1980 openly supported AL in toppling General Irshad’s military government. The same AL in 1991 approached JI for supporting her and offered some ministerial berths to its leaders, some of them now stand convicted for ‘crimes against humanity’. Jamat spurned the offer and instead in 1994 aligned with BNP. In 2001 JI emerged third biggest political party in Bangladesh. With its support BNP won 197 seats, AL getting plummeted down to 98 berths. In Jamat’s alliance with BNP, the AL smelled a doom for its political career. That threat perception unnerved her to go after Jamat.
Sending Jamat leaders to gallows or delivering life sentences to them through mock trials has evoked a schadenfreude in both Indian political class and its media circles. Even its soft-spoken Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is on record to have said that ‘Bangladesh is anti-India due to JI Bangladesh’. So ‘anti-India’ groups have to be liquidated. Doesn’t need to be Einstein to understand the full import of the statement in the backdrop of executions and sentences.
Pakistan’s response has been obnoxiously weak and duplicitous. In one breath it protested the Mollah’s hanging in Parliament, in second its foreign adviser to Nawaz Shiref, Sartaj Aziz called it ‘internal affair’ of Bangladesh. After all liberals (anywhere) are alike in sensitivities. It seems in Bangladesh the JI is still paying a price for its role in defending united Pakistan. And Pakistanis have no taufeeq to show solidarity to the Jamat and say a few words of sympathy.
By Hassan Zainagiree
zainagiree@yahoo.co.in
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