Bangladesh Socio-Political Crisis 2024

[Alter_Ego]

Banning AL and not BNP is going to polarise BD totally and not allow the country to move forward at all. AL supporters will wreck any chance of a functioning democracy.

There is no constitutional reason they can be banned and the party has a significant minority of the population that support it.

If you are going to ban AL(which I support) then also ban BNP.

Those in either party that have not been involved in high level corruption or thuggery can of course join one of the other existing parties or form their own.

Banning them will be dangerous.
Like opportunists they are, banning them will only make them neogotiate a united stand against anhone who dare oppose them. This is realpolitik 101 after all.

The best way to deal with them, is somehow pressuring them to make concessions which favors transformation of both parties along national interest:

- make amendments that negate dynastic rule
- makes them non-violent oriented
- makes more space for educated members
- makes more technocratic
- makes them merit based
- force them to kick out violent and corrupt members

And so on…

The Army may have to assist them in this process, especially with the violent and thugish influientials.

 

[Fallstuff]

Fact is Awami League acted as a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization. AL meets the definition to the letter.

There has to be a punishment at the Organization label.

 

[Al-Zakir]

I am all for this as long as BNP is also banned.

Jamatt is ok.

Most likely, BNP will be in power IF and WHEN election takes place.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Bangladeshi Hindus also need to realize that Hindutva BJP is no friend of theirs either. Once their use is finished, the Indian non Bengali BJP will just throw them under the bus. They need to side with pro Bangladeshi Nationalist views, and that goes for both Hindus and Muslims.

Precisely correct.

Political parties like BNP and Jamaat have a responsibility to ensure they give the Hindu communities the confidence to support them, this includes treating them fairly and making it safe for them in Bangladesh.

So this is clearly understood, whether or not it is yet on prominent public display among the concerned leadership. That hint is a hopeful one.

Both BNP and Jamaat have been trying to do that, I hope they continue and be strict on any radical members within their ranks. These reforms are a must in the new Bangladesh.

This remains to be seen.
There are too many voices even among prominent members' posts here of a religion-driven quest for identity to give comfort to secular elements observing this from elsewhere.
It is for the time being pointless to describe, or discuss, if these quests have the nature of revival or renewal.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Im curious about how Singapore resolves the challenge with many large ethnic and religious groups coexisting.

By complete and utter domination of the political process by one community and the resultant clear mental understanding of this reality in administrative and social processes and interactions.

 

[LeonBlack08]

So this is clearly understood, whether or not it is yet on prominent public display among the concerned leadership. That hint is a hopeful one.

This remains to be seen.
There are too many voices even among prominent members' posts here of a religion-driven quest for identity to give comfort to secular elements observing this from elsewhere.
It is for the time being pointless to describe, or discuss, if these quests have the nature of revival or renewal.

BNP has always been a secular party irrespective of how they are portrayed in Indian media. Its ranks are filled with retired army officers and businessmen. Even Ziaur Rahman wasn't an "Islamist" in the conventional meaning of the word. BNP party charter does not have requirement to follow Islamic principles in their political activities, something Jamaat and other Islamic parties in BD explicitly have in their party constitution. If anything, one can accuse BNP of being an elitist party, as their grassroot level organization had always been weaker compared to BAL and Jamaat.

The reason they are termed "Islamists" is because the uber liberal leftists in Bangladesh hated them for their alliance with Jamaat for 2001-2006 rule and out of their unconditional love for BAL. BAL used that term to portray BNP negatively in the International arena at a time when the global war on terror was on full swing. We also saw the rise of JMB during that period, conveniently timed for BAL. And all this received the complete blessing of Indian govt. and media.

I remember watching Veena Sikri (former ambassador to BD) immediately after the initial protests started in July, coming on television and blaming the "Islamist" BNP-Jamaat for the instability. This again demonstrates the Indian govt failure to stay neutral and support Bangladesh as a neighbouring state instead of supporting a specific party in Bangladesh i.e. BAL.

Sorry I digressed a bit there.

That alliance with Jamaat is no longer in place. BNP now is as much of an "Islamic" party as BAL is.

Jamaat on the other hand has gone through a rennaissance under their current leadership. Their current Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman (physician) is probably the most eloquent and qualified leader of a major political party BD has seen since Ziaur Rahman. He has been actively meeting with leaders of Hindu community and instructed his party men to guard temples and Hindu households, following the deterioration of law and order after Hasina's fall. This is something previous Jamaat leadership hadn't done. He went as far as to say that we should get rid of the majority Muslim minority Hindu mindset and consider all as Bangladeshis. I view this as a very positive change in the political landscape of Bangladesh. You need leaders with positivity and forward thinking, instead of those who are stuck in the past with petty vengeful mindset like Hasina.

The following videos are in Bengali, if you have time Dada please watch both. I found it a very refreshing change to hear a BD politician speak like this and connecting with the people with opposing views -