Personal gains at national cost
AMID the political hustle and bustle and with a lot of political changes around, we, as a nation, must be aware of a bitter fact that our ‘well-wishers’ are busy digging new ditches for us. Such hostile elements are misguided by their own ‘innocence’ that the present political scenario in Pakistan has weakened and divided not only the whole nation but also the forces responsible for the defence of Pakistan. Though such fools are a few and far between but even then their presence could not be denied. Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is also one of those who always underestimate the will, the power and the faithful unity of the people of Pakistan. They don’t know that Pakistan is a democratic country and political changes are always the part and parcel of democracy. If there were a Bangladesh-like political-dictatorship, things would have been totally changed.
Recently, keeping aside the worst kind of human rights violation of its own people, the Sheikh Hasina-led government of Bangladesh has started a move against Pakistan in the UN Human Rights Council. Reports say that in its coming 53rd session, the UN Human Rights Council has included the demand for international recognition of so-called ‘genocide’ committed by the Pakistani forces and their associates against the Bengalese during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The session is going to start on June 19, 2023. Experts on the issue are of the opinion that Sheikh Hasina has ignited this matter just for her personal political motives as the general election is expected to be held in January 2024. It has also been reported that Hasina is enjoying full support of the RAB in crushing her political opponents in the country.
Apparently, the Rapid Action Battalion of Bangladesh is an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police but in fact the RAB works to safeguard the personal political interests of Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. This Battalion was formed on 26 March 2004. This organization is blamed for killing more than 1,062 people during the period 2004 to 2008. This organization has been facing bitter criticism from rights groups for its involvement in extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances since its formation. Shaikh Hasina Wajid, after coming to power in 2009, launched a crackdown against opposition political parties including Khalid Zia, the leader of Bangladesh National Party with the help of the RAB.
Amnesty International and other human right watchdogs including international media bodies have been raising their voice against atrocities committed by Hasina Wajid government against the right wing political parties but these voices always remained unheard. The situation in Bangladesh is, no doubt, very horrible; teachers, writers, intellectuals and journalists, who do not support Hasina’s illegal actions, are being continuously harassed. No media person is allowed to point out these atrocities and if anyone dares to do so, he or she is detained under the charges of sedition and treason. Between January 2020 and February 2022, at least 2244 individuals were accused of treason and detained.
Today the situation with reference to the human right violations in Bangladesh is more horrible even than the situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The worst example of it is misuse of Information &. Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2006 and Digital Security Act 2018 (DSA). A report prepared by the Human Rights Watch says that from 2013 to 2018 Bangladesh police filed nearly 1,300 charges under the ICT Act, 2006. The ICT Act had been under harsh criticism as it was widely used to arrest and prosecute individuals for expressing their views online. Unwillingly, under international pressure, Sheikh Hasina’s government had to replace it with DSA in 2018.
‘Overly broad and vague provisions in the DSA have granted Hasina’s government enormous punitive powers to initiate investigations against anyone suspected of being engaged in political activities which could prove a threat to the government.’ The report pointed out that from 1st Jan 2020 to 31st Oct 2021, more than 754 cases were filed under DSA. The list of the accused included almost 29.5% politicians and 25.6% journalists. The rest of the accused came from a variety of professions, including business people, students and teachers. Same pathetic situation was highlighted in a report prepared by another research group of Bangladesh, the Centre for Governance Studies. According to that report, between October 2018 and August 2022, almost 1,029 cases were registered under the DSA against 301 politicians and 280 journalists.
It is the adamant and stubborn temperament of Sheikh Hasina which is compelling her to dig into the past and waste her time on ‘refurbishing the history’. It would have been much better if she had utilized her talent and skill in making today’s Bangladesh society free of human rights violations. Her effort of restarting the stale blame game against Pakistan is nothing but a desperate attempt to win political sympathies of her nation. She is distracted by her misconception that by restarting a blame-game against Pakistan, she would succeed in sustaining the ‘kind favours’ of Mr. Modi, the Prime Minister of India; the same Mr. Modi who is dreaming of changing his country into a ‘Minority Free India’.
—The writer is Principal of a Government College and senior columnist, based in Multan.
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