BANGLADESH BEYOND THE CLUB OF DOOM

 

• DHAKA: protest of Bangladeshi hunger striker Mahbubul Haque Shipon  
• among six other demonstrations on the same busy thoroughfare.
  
• Bangladesh summer revolution, culminating in autocratic Hasina’s ouster
• Hasina’s govt no longer able to contain anger over widening inequality
  

• more protests in Dhaka since Hasina ouster than during uprising against her
• calling for ouster of Bangla president – still in office
• clamour of numerous protests being staged
• Govt employees chanted demands for higher pay and benefits
• protest urging protections for Sufi religious shrines.
• university official subjected to anonymous death threats
• vandal attack on a nearby mosque 
• garment workers protesting unpaid wages held sit-ins on highways 
• student procession blocked the road outside the Secretariat 
• Non-stop demonstrations near the Secretariat building 
• sheer number of protests across sprawling megacity, 21 million people
• constant disruptions caused by protests
• protests threatened to provoke disorder and violence
• Islamist groups plan to besiege two newspapers for insulting Islam
• crowd stormed Dhaka’s most prestigious theatre to stop popular play

• ‘Fascist party’ 
• Hasina’s Awami League party attempting to regroup after top leaders arrested

MY COMMENTS : 

What is happening in Bangladesh is that hardly three months after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the euphoria of getting rid of a tyrant regime is now wearing thin. Because nothing is changing or has changed.

This is exactly what happened in Egypt after the Arab Spring when the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi became president of Egypt in 2012. Nothing changed so the euphoria of the "revolution" disappeared. People became fed up very quickly. So they overthrew Morsi in 2013. And now 11 years later still nothing much has changed in Egypt.

The same thing happened in Malaysia. In 2018, after 63 years the people threw out the BN / UMNO regime. Dr Mahathir took over. But nothing changed. No reforms. So the euphoria of kicking out the BN / UMNO also disappeared. And Dr Mahathir  was kicked out in 2020. 

Then Tan Sri Muhyiddin took over. Again there was some euphoria. Maybe this time things will improve. Nope. There was still no change. So Muhyiddin was taken out after a year. 

Then Ismail Sabri took over. By this time there was no euphoria. People were tired. And again nothing changed. The peoples' lives did not improve. So Sabri was ousted after about another year. 

Now the present gomen is in power in Malaysia. Absolutely nothing has changed.    No reforms nothing.  And there never was any euphoria either. The people are really tired.

So just like in Malaysia, in Bangladesh too they basically do not know what to do. Mohamed Yunos the unconstitutional 'Advisor' to the figurehead Bangladeshi President is running the country without any legal or electoral endorsement by the people of Bangladesh. There is no provision in their Constitution for an 'Advisor' to the President to manage the affairs of the country. There is no legally authorised Cabinet. He is occupying an unprecedented, 'illegal' position. 

How will we know all this for sure? We will know all this for sure if there is another revolution in Bangladesh (there will be) and a new group takes over. Then they will most likely throw Mohamed Yunos in jail.  He better have a CIA or Pakistani aircraft constantly warmed up and ready to take off at a moment's notice.

Bangladesh is waiting for the Muslim Brotherhood (aka Jamaate Islami) to give the green light for them to have general elections. This is going to be very tricky because the Jamate Islami cannot be sure of winning the votes to form a government. 

So the elections are going to take a while. That is why after THREE MONTHS there is no announcement when there will be general elections in Bangladesh. 

"Elections may be possible within the next year (2025), but there are many factors involved. Reforms and political compromises are said to lead to elections. The other factors are formation of a search committee and election commission, preparation of voter list etc. If these factors could be fulfilled, the election may be held next year (2025)", Dr Asif Nazrul, an adviser to the interim government, said in a statement.   "This is also my initial guess" he added.

Initial guess?  Meaning the elections are not going to happen anytime soon. Or even next year.

What the hell are  political compromises ?  Fixing things? Assembling 'electoral pacts' between friendly parties? Tripping up the 'fascist' Awami League from contesting? 

I think Bangladesh needs a DAP and an Abang Johari. You know for political stability. To be a moderating influence. Or maybe to launch a Chinese-aunty type van shuttle service to the train station using a trillion takas worth of public funds. Something like that. (Taka is the Bangla currency).

To make a long story short Bangladesh is screwed. They were screwed already. Now it will get worse.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.