Published: 11:27 PM, 27 July 2026
Clandestine Politics: Nation Needs Unity, Trust to Recover
Just like leader of the nation Begum Khaleda Zia, the government must choose capable leaders, empower them and shield them through challenging reforms. There is simply no alternative. Photo: BNP
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has recently said that an adviser to the immediate past interim government told him sleeper cells (Gupto Entities) heavily influenced the interim government from inside and outside and interfered with making decisions for the most part for 18 months. These clandestine political parasites are still active and around and eating away into state organs with evil shadows. Cultural aggression, rise of fanatical outfits, mob violence, corruption in regulatory authorities, communal disharmony are loud and clear threats to good governance and rule of law in Bangladesh. The government must crack down uncompromisingly on these diabolical groups so that civil administration, law and order forces and intelligence divisions act effectively against conspirators. These Gupto Entities have become reckless and ferocious after the elections held on 12 February 2026 and these monstrous figures have been trying to destabilize the country ever since.
Mahatma Gandhi taught the world how nonviolence can bring about revolutionary changes. Similar instances should be followed for the prevalence of harmony, progress and secularism. Mob attacks one after another violated law and all humanitarian codes in broad daylight with assaults on shrines, newspaper offices, courtrooms, police stations etcetera while no remarkable steps have been yet taken to execute tough actions on mob gangsters. Business owners have been humiliated, harassed and undue travel bans on traders have delivered a deadly blow to foreign direct investments (FDI) and unemployment rates have shot through the roof for the same reason.
One ray of hope is the fact that Tarique Rahman lived in the United Kingdom for 17 years and he closely witnessed the modalities of Westminster democracy. Bangladesh suffered immensely under the misgovernance of the ousted regime and the interim government's discriminatory and disharmonious ruling period. Now it's high time to pull out the country from the ashes and relics of financial vices, banking system rampage, incursions on religious minorities, attacks on women, irregularities and anarchy in financial institutions, banks with bureaucratic wings politicized and regulations flouted every now and then.
Partisanship and politicized government services have heavily affected Bangladesh's development prospects. It was painfully observed that writ petitions against the scams and negligence of the interim government regarding measles outbreak were quashed in courts a number of times. So far nearly 1 thousand children have died of measles, according to official data. No measles vaccines were imported during Dr. Muhammad Yunus's tenure which devastated medical treatment for minor children. Tarique Rahman hails from a valiant freedom fighter's family. His mother Begum Khaleda Zia was three times Prime Minister winning the title "Uncompromising Leader" and she performed competently with utmost dedication and patriotism to build up a sound and solid democratic environment in Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman was also subjected to maltreatment and injustice by vested quarters during the 1/11 regime.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that required initiatives will be carried out to examine the allegations against the past rulers. It is highly unfortunate that an avalanche of corruption, extortion, tagging, ill-motivated attempts were made by different unscrupulous officials and political quorums for repressing media professionals, entrepreneurs, academic scholars, painters, authors, poets and film stars to drive Bangladesh into the dark caves of medieval ages. Over 2 million workers have become jobless during last couple of years while thousands of factories have been laid off including readymade garments (RMG) which mainly happened during the interim government's term. Even Sub Saharan countries are not in so much shambles.
Nothing should be taken lightly. Intelligence departments should be instructed by the government to thoroughly scrutinize all allegations about provocative communal social media content, media trial and vicious propaganda. It's now or never for Bangladesh.
Women emancipation faced severe impediments while the interim government was in power. The present elected government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has to identify the hidden antagonists who work for spoiling the country's potentialities. Martyred President Ziaur Rahman was the visionary architect of a united South Asia through SAARC. Ziaur Rahman's brilliant legacy must be carried forward for a harmonious, prosperous, peaceful and beautiful Bangladesh.
While concluding, a few words from Begum Khaleda Zia can be quoted who once said "The nation voted us to power to see unity and harmony, not for any division or communality."
Simanto Chowdhury is a geopolitical analyst writing on contemporary affairs.
