Conflict, violence in Bangladesh’s political history

Politics has the power to transform people's fortunes and stimulate the emergence of new ideas and perspectives. It is impossible to build the future of the country without politics. Hence, politics is deeply intertwined with our lives. Therefore, the interest of the people in this country in politics is comparatively higher. The number of politically aware people is constantly increasing.

When people become politically aware, political parties benefit in the realm of decision-making, and the government can function in an organized manner. However, it must be acknowledged without ambiguity that to contaminate the course of politics, there is always a side that stands aloof, intending to steer the political current in a different direction. Those whose primary goal is to ascend to power do not accord the same importance to the people. Therefore, this faction takes an anti-people stance, compelling the general public to adopt political decisions under duress. Devaluing people, disrespecting anyone, no political party can sustain itself, and there won't be a future either. These issues have been substantiated and have been evident in the history of the world. In democratic politics, the people are the primary and fundamental livelihood. In democratic politics, going against the interest of the people by adopting political decisions is detrimental.

However, the incidents of conflict and violence in the political history of Bangladesh are not completely insignificant. The people of this country have witnessed conflicts and clashes at different times. However, Bangladesh has had political stability for the past decade. Due to the political stability, the people of this country have benefited in many ways. Economic development and progress of the country has accelerated. At various times, it has been seen in the print and electronic media that the general public in the country aspires to political stability at any cost because when political stability is compromised, security breaches are witnessed. A culture of fear is created in people. An insecure and unstable environment leads to anxiety and panic among the people. It is not the case that such influence only radiates within the country. It has a wide impact outside the country, especially negative news about Bangladesh is presented in the world media. This crisis contributes to the distortion of the country's image and tarnishes its reputation on the global stage. In a word, when political instability is created, an adverse reaction is created inside the country and outside the world.

Internal issues of the country create panic especially among the minority communities. Because it has been seen at various times, when the political crisis in the country is intensified, the minority community becomes the victim. This matter is very touching and heartbreaking. They suffer only because of their religious identity. Furthermore, this issue becomes a focal point during elections and there are numerous examples of this in this country. Therefore, on the eve of elections, when any political conflict or conflict arises, the minority community is always in a state of panic and fear. Therefore, those who or whose decisions make the minority community suffer as a result of political instability in Bangladesh can never avoid the responsibility of this conflict.

National election is imminent in Bangladesh. A panic has already been created among the common people after seeing the programmes of the political parties ahead of the elections. A major cause of panic is; the situation seems to be that some political parties are moving towards destructive programs with the mentality of obstructing the conduct of elections. This is the reason why the government is saying that the election will be organized according to the constitution. On a different platform, some like-minded parties including BNP have announced that elections should be held under a caretaker government. There is no provision for a caretaker government in the Constitution as it currently exists in terms of law and order. So the government will not walk towards caretaker government system in any way. The government is working in accordance with the constitution by completing all the arrangements for the election.

In the run-up to the 2014 elections, it was seen that all sorts of subversive programmes were chalked out to disrupt the polls. Anti-public activities like hartal and blockade have been seen. People still haven't forgotten about arson attack. Victims of the arson attack still carry painful memories. Children and women were not spared from the hands of the criminals. Various government infrastructures have been damaged by the anti-people movement. It is clear from the situation that those who do not want elections to follow the rules, they will take destructive activities to obstruct the elections. It can be said without a doubt that a group of domestic and foreign conspiracies is involved with this party. Some are involved only for opposition and some are involved with the aim of obtaining various unethical benefits.

The common people of Bangladesh are also more aware and alert than ever before because people expect the right to live in peace and security. So the people of this country will never give mandate to those who are engaged in anti-national and anti-people activities. Those who think about the people, those who stand by the people in times of crisis and adversity, the people accord significance only to them, offering political support. The era of foreign powers influencing politics in Bangladesh has come to an end. To engage in politics, one must align with the will and aspirations of the people in this country. The days of foreign benefactors manipulating politics are no more in Bangladesh.

So the political parties have to be strategic and take political decisions in view of the upcoming national elections. No decision can be taken against which the people of the country are dissatisfied. Programs like hartal and blockade should be avoided. If foreign investors continue to invest in Bangladesh gradually, employment opportunities will be created for the youth of this country and the country's economy will also be vibrant. On the other hand, if there is a political conflict, foreign investors will turn away. The common people of Bangladesh never expect this. The programmes of the political parties should be formulated keeping these issues in mind. Apart from that, if there is any political disagreement, the problem can be solved by organizing a political dialogue; however, creating opportunities for foreign intervention in this regard should never be allowed because foreigners will never understand the benefits of Bangladeshis, they will only take decisions based on what they are good at. Our politicians should also remember these things.

The people of this country have never accepted politics of conflict and conspiracy. Conspiracy politics may benefit for a short period of time, but those who rely on conspiracy politics have to suffer in the long term. Their masks are unveiled in the eyes of the public and such instances are embedded in the political history of this country. So, it is essential for political leaders to return from the politics of conflict, conspiracy, and foreign dependency and regain the trust of the people in politics focused on their well-being.

Author: Chairman, Department of Criminology and Police Science, Chittagong University.