Crisis and Relevance of 14 Parties

After a long time, the ruling Awami League held a meeting with the stakeholders of the 14-party alliance. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also present at this meeting. Mainly, after the death of former Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim, the activities of the 14 parties have come to a standstill. Although there were a few online meetings in between, they failed to rejuvenate the alliance. After the meeting on May 22, some stakeholders of the 14-party alliance are hopeful, while many are still disappointed with the alliance. They believe that whenever the Awami League faces adversity or problems, talks about the alliance emerge. However, when things settle down, they only assert their own importance. There is truth in the remarks of the alliance stakeholders regarding the Awami League. In reality, no one remembers the smaller parties when they are in power.

The fact that even small forces can be a source of trust in times of great crisis is not well understood by our politicians in this country. In our country, there are primarily two alliances formed under the leadership of the Awami League and the BNP. Before coming into power, these two parties often exchange good words and promises, demonstrating unity in the journey ahead. However, once in power, they often deviate from their stated principles and commitments. Policies and ideals are not upheld, and alongside, the dominance of larger parties and their self-interest becomes apparent. This diminishes the interest in the alliance for the smaller parties. They become inactive due to a sense of resentment. Consequently, although the alliance may exist in name, its effectiveness diminishes.

The existence of the 14-party alliance has lost its effectiveness, as evident from their performance. The journey of the 14-party alliance began almost 18 years ago with promises of elections and forming a government. It emerged through the crucible of the Liberation War, aiming to empower the forces favoring independence. Formed under the leadership of the Awami League with the objective of creating a non-communal and democratic Bangladesh, it had 23 components. During that time, the notable presence of alliance leaders in political initiatives was evident. However, with uninterrupted power for almost three consecutive terms, the alliance has now shown signs of disillusionment. Alliance stakeholders allege that the absence of a powerful opposition on the political stage has rendered the alliance less necessary for the ruling party. Dissatisfaction is brewing among the stakeholders regarding this matter. They are saying that during the time of the movement, the alliance was necessary for the Awami League. At that time, they didn't consider who was small and who was big. However, now that the party has been in power for almost three terms, it seems preoccupied with its own interests.

The party is gradually moving away from its principles and ideals. Additionally, there seems to be a lack of assessment of the stakeholders as smaller parties. The alliance exists only in name, lacking substance in its actions. With the party being in power for almost three terms, there is now visible disillusionment among the alliance stakeholders. They allege that due to the absence of a strong opposition on the political stage, the alliance is no longer deemed necessary for the ruling party.

There is dissatisfaction brewing among the alliance leaders. However, they claim that the 14-party alliance is still ideal and necessary. The goal of establishing a non-communal democratic state by completely eliminating sectarian extremism has not yet been achieved. As a result, there is no alternative to the unity of the 14 parties in the political struggle against sectarian extremist groups.

The BNP-Jamaat alliance government was formed on July 15, 2005. However, the process for the formation of the 14-party alliance began after the Awami League's conference in 2002, led by the efforts of then-general secretary Abdul Jalil. At that time, the Awami League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), and NAP joined the 11-party alliance of the then left parties. The name "14-party alliance" was given to this coalition. However, the partner of the 11-party alliance, CPB, did not join this alliance. In response to the annulment of the January 22, 2007 election, the major political parties, including the Awami League, ALDP, Bikalpa Dhara, and Ganoforam, formed the Grand Alliance. At the same time, tension was created in the 14 parties over the Awami League's "fatwa agreement" with the Islamic Oikyazot.

Even though parties have withdrawn from electoral alliances, the 14-party coalition still exists. Presently, there are visible rifts among the coalition parties on various political issues.

According to the coalition leaders, they collectively fought against the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. During that time, many leaders of the allied parties, in addition to those of the Awami League, were subjected to persecution. Subsequently, with the support of the 14-party alliance, the Awami League came to power. After coming to power, we fought against extremism and arson terrorism. At that time, the Awami League maintained regular communication with us; however, now, with no significant political rivals, the ruling party no longer values us. They now regard us as small parties. It is true that the 14-party alliance was formed for ideological reasons, but the leading party of the alliance, the Awami League, has strayed far from those principles.

A system of forced and manipulated elections has been established, leaving no room for public opinion to be reflected. There is no good governance in the country. A kind of kleptocracy has taken root, with money being laundered freely. Corruption has surpassed all previous records, and there are no effective measures in place to address the economic crisis. Prices of goods are skyrocketing. The job market has become limited, and new employment opportunities are not being created. There is no new investment coming in. The government is struggling with debt and interest payments. A kind of insularity and fundamentalist mindset has spread throughout society. There is a decline in all areas, including sports and culture. Educational institutions are also increasingly falling into decay.

Year after year of the same party being in power has led to institutions being taken over by sycophants. There are no new voices or ideas anywhere except for those that flatter the ruling party. There is no hopeful or creative initiative. Yet, there was an opportunity for the alliance to play a crucial role in revitalizing the country and advancing it toward prosperity. There was also a chance to create a non-communal Bangladesh that upholds the spirit of the Liberation War across the nation. There was an opportunity to strive for establishing a knowledge-based society founded on science and reason instead of surrendering to blind faith. But the Awami League did none of these things, nor did it feel the necessity to do so. Instead of focusing on the spiritual development of everyone, the Awami League prioritized the financial development of a few opportunistic individuals. The obsession with securing benefits for themselves and a handful of loyal followers has rendered the alliance irrelevant.

Even during the global crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no notable joint initiatives undertaken by the alliance. The Awami League has become increasingly arrogant by weakening opposition parties through various strategies. This arrogance has led them to measure everything in terms of numbers. Awami League leaders and activists often boast, saying: 'So many ministers have been made from the 14-party alliance, yet many of them wouldn’t have won any election, let alone become ministers. They would have lost their deposits. And once someone becomes a minister, if they are given anything less prestigious, they start rebelling.'

With such a mentality, achieving something great is not possible. However, the Awami League had the opportunity to accomplish something sustainable for the country by leveraging the 14-party alliance. If the alliance had been activated at both the central and grassroots levels, it could have revitalized political activities across the country, benefiting the Awami League itself. Unfortunately, the Awami League has not pursued this path for all these years. They have tried to monopolize everything themselves. As a result, no matter how small the parties are, the alliance partners have started to criticize. This will not bring any positive outcomes for the government in the future.

The country is currently experiencing a political vacuum due to the dominance of the Awami League. However, such vacuums don't last forever; eventually, someone will fill it, as per the laws of nature. If the ruling party could engage politically and stay connected with the people, this vacuum wouldn't have existed. They have fallen into a trap from which it's difficult to escape.

Author: Columnist