What Signals Is Bangladesh Posting to The World?

When elements rooted in the legacy of 1971's opposition and their repeated antagonism towards the spirit of the Liberation War and those who openly usurp the authority of the law, the very existence of a governing body is called into question. We demand a full accounting for the state's use of force, specifically the deployment of government bulldozers in demolishing the historic residence of a political icon like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Crackdown on common leaders and activists belonging to Awami League is a vivid sign of absolute disorder and disrespect to statutory laws.

The house located at Dhanmondi 32 in capital Dhaka city is a sanctified memorial museum standing in tribute to the martyred Architect of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family since the dark tragedy of August 1975-has been subjected to multiple terrorist incursions over the last year. The underlying cause of this relentless assault is clear: the assailants' visceral hatred for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the name which is synonymous for Bangladesh-it originated with him, the genesis of our flag and national anthem, the visionary who dreamt of a culture inspired by Kazi Nazrul Islam and Rabindranath Tagore and the champion of women rights, interreligious harmony, generous visions of life and progressive and secular ways of conducting social lineaments and pursuing state-level goals.

Has the Bangladesh interim government failed in doing its fundamental duty to safeguard the state and its citizens? Patriotic masses truly believe that by repeatedly attacking and breaking down the Dhanmondi 32 residence, myopic and delusional quarters can extinguish the colossal popularity of Bangabandhu-it's a mistaken perception. Let the interim government restore faith and integrity and thus they must hold a truly neutral election and they will witness the real public standing on the previous controversial government. Globally, the reputation of this government and its security forces has become deeply tarnished and subject to enormous interrogative signs.

When former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted on 5 August 2024, the revolutionaries and the people who supported the mass uprising last year hoped for a new sunrise but rather a new much darker and bleaker nocturnal gloom has engulfed Bangladesh since then when mob gangs unleashed attacks on minorities, shrines, political opponents etcetera. Even dead bodies were not spared by mob culprits. In some places corpses were pulled out of tombs and were beaten up and burned in presence of law and order forces who stood idle like mere spectators. What bigger disgrace is necessary to display the utter failure of a government which cannot even safeguard graves and dead bodies?

Several occurrences of attacking women not wearing hijab have also taken place since August 2024 and these things have hit news headlines and have also gone viral on social media. Bangladesh suffered a number of terror attacks by fanatical outfits during the previous years but all the past horrors of religious extremism have been exceeded by the atrocities that gripped the country for last 15 months. 

Devastated rule of law has heavily imperiled Bangladesh's economic terrain and ease of doing business has drastically nosedived. Foreign direct investment as well as investment from local entrepreneurs have gone down severely too because business enterprises and industrialists are not being able to put confidence on the interim government. Economists and prominent civil society bigwigs have over and over again called upon the interim government to improve law and order situation across Bangladesh which is essential for bolstering the country's economic status but nothing good is coming out of all these endeavours, calls and appeals from renowned individuals. Beating up journalists and framing media professionals in legal entrapments has also mounted at an astronomical pace. Thus freedom of press has once again come under a sledgehammer. It should be noted that adding dishonour to the value of the glorious Liberation War of 1971 will make the nation divided and antagonistic to one another permanently. Prosperity and socioeconomic justice under these circumstances are a far cry without doubts. No concrete action has been yet taken to fight corruption in state organs. Rather harassing media workers and traders has resumed wearing a new mask. It's like things getting back to square one. It has become difficult to mark qualitative differences between the interim government and the ruling party which was overthrown in August last year.
 
The moral strength of police force has been pulled down as a result of which crime rate has shot through the roof during last more than one year. Even extending magistracy power to the military services is not yielding any beneficial outcomes. It has alarmed, upset and terrified ordinary citizens, business groups, civil society dignitaries, financial experts and so on. Certain international institutions like the United Nations, US State Department, Amnesty International, International Forum of Journalists (IFJ), Human Rights Watch etcetera were highly vociferous when the immediate past government was in power but these organizations have been mysteriously quiet over the anarchy and reign of terror which have clutched Bangladesh since the regime change in 2024.
 
More than two hundred factories have been shut down during last 15 months and over 2 hundred thousand workers have reportedly lost their jobs in Dhaka, Chittagong, Gazipur, Savar and Narayanganj. Angry dismissed employees obstruct traffic movement every week with heated demonstrations. Moreover, students, teachers, physicians and government employees are agitating against the interim government in humiliating ways which never happened in Bangladesh's history.
 
Political retaliations and vengeance have raised their ugly heads once again. Lots of people have been jeopardized with fictitious police cases during last one year and more. Extortion, gang rape, robbery and snatching are occurring almost everyday in Dhaka city and in some other parts of Bangladesh. It seems to be the fact that these things have lost their ways to find remedies. A totally inefficient, unskilled and disoriented panel of rulers have been misleading Bangladesh towards fanaticism, widening political divides and mistrust-such allegations are being reported by local and international media outlets. Hostilities between major political parties threaten the upcoming elections and when democracy and normal circumstances will be restored-nobody seems to have an answer to this question.

Our precious civil liberties and moral fabric, tragically mirroring our declining economy, now speak of insurmountable challenges and infirmities. Our national civility is currently bowing before the will of a few perverted and savage extremist quarters. Yet, let the message be clear: the people are poised to deliver a crushing response to these despicable activities. The decisive moment is just round the corner. The Renaissance of Bengal is on its way! Let us no way lose hope. While concluding, a few words from famed French author Victor Hugo can be quoted "Even the darkest night will end and sunshine will appear on the horizon".
 
Simanto Chowdhury is an author and a geopolitical analyst.