BNP Chief Ms Khaleda (leader of opposition) declined to meet the President of India during the latter's state visit to Bangladesh this week. Such behavior on the part of Ms Khaleda not only speaks volumes about her political compulsion, but also gives her true face as fountain head of Jamaat.
Pakistani Zia Islamised the country and we all know what has been happening there. Bangladeshi Zia also followed the same path to replace Mijub from the history of Bangladesh. But fortunately such selfish and myopic vision of Bangladeshi Zia has resulted into "Shahbag".
In spite of many wrong doings by Mujib, no one can deny his mass political base in the then East Pakistan which grew up gradually from early 1950s and culminated in the liberation movement of 1971. Replacing Mujib, with his mass political stature of 1971, by an unknown Bengali Army Major in Pakistani Army of that time as "liberator of Bangladesh" is childish. All of us know that Bengali Army officers in Pakistani Army were second class officers and none could rise to any respectable level in 25 years of honey moon.
After the assassination of Mujib, Bangladeshi Zia grabbed the power, first as Chief Martial Law Administrator and then as President of the country. He made a political party (BNP) which is run by his wife (Ms Khaleda) after he himself was assassinated. The core of BNP consists with Islamic fanatics and Pakistani collaborators of Bangladeshi freedom struggles. In past three decades, thousands of brain-washed Muslim youths have come out from radical Madaris of Bangladesh. They are the back bone of BNP and Jamaat.
BNP-Jamaat combination has now raised the old and stereotype issue of "Islam is in danger" in Bangladesh. If they can perceive this in an Islamic country with 90 per cent Muslim population, then their leaders need psychiatric treatment. Do BNP and Jamaat aspire for the merging of Bangladesh with Pakistan again?
BNP-Jamaat combination's slogans have been virtually adopted, with slight modification, from George Orwell's novel 1984: (Islamic) WAR IS PEACE, (Religious) FREEDOM IS SLAVERY & (Religious) IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
"Hate India" propaganda and destruction of Hindu temples in Bangladesh (started again now in response to "Shahbag") can not serve the interest of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has lived with Pakistan for 25 years and had to fight for freedom because of gross and continuous exploitation of Bangladesh by Pakistan. The then West Pakistan did not show any consideration of Islamic brotherhood to East Pakistanis. Rather West Pakistani leaders and elite group showed contempt towards Bengalis. These are all known facts.
It is high time that unlike Pakistani leaders, BNP and Jamaat should accept the existence of India and try to live with mutual trust, respect and co-operation. They will have to choose between Pakistan and India. There is no second way.