Jatiya Party Office Fire: What signals do the act convey?

The Jatiya Party serves as a significant case study in Bangladeshi politics—simultaneously being part of the government and the opposition, thus giving rise to the concept of a "government-opposing" party. Since the ninth national parliamentary elections in 2008, they have enjoyed various privileges as a partner in power. Recently, they have been labeled as "accomplices of autocrats" by the anti-discrimination student movement.

In a sequence of events, a fire was set at the Jatiya Party's central office in Kakrail, Dhaka, on Thursday night, October 31. Vandalism also took place. The following day, during a press conference on November 1, the party's chairman, GM Quader, stated that "some unruly individuals under the guise of student activists" were responsible for the incident. He also claimed that the Jatiya Party was not involved in any wrongdoing associated with the Awami League and is not an accomplice of theirs.

Media reports indicate that after Thursday evening, a group of helmeted individuals armed with sticks vandalized the Jatiya Party office. During the incident, they were heard chanting slogans like "Beware, Awami League's agents!" They entered the office through the main gate and set fire to banners, posters, and chairs outside the office. Flames were also seen inside the office premises.

Earlier, the convener of the anti-discrimination student movement, Hasanat Abdullah, posted on Facebook, stating, "The national traitor Jatiya Party has attacked our brothers in Bijoynagar with weapons, conducting drills with arms. It is time to ensure the removal of these national traitors." Another coordinator of the movement, Sarjis Alam, made a similar post.

Recently, the Jatiya Party had boycotted Hasanat and Sarjis in Rangpur, leading to a protest march in the city. During the march, slogans were raised such as "Beware, accomplices of autocrats; agents will not have a home in Rangpur; the battle is not over for Abu Sayeed, Mughdho; the people of Rangpur will not tolerate the humiliation of Sarjis and Hasanat; the people will not accept the insult to the revolutionaries of '24." At the rally following the march, speakers demanded a public apology from the Jatiya Party and the retraction of their statements, warning that the student populace would unite against the party if their demands were not met. Thus, it is hard to disagree that the fire at the Jatiya Party office after Thursday evening is connected to the backlash against Hasanat and Sarjis being boycotted in Rangpur.

It is worth noting that after the formation of the interim government, the chief advisor, Dr. Yunus, engaged in dialogues with various political parties, including the Jatiya Party. However, in subsequent dialogues regarding elections and other issues, the Jatiya Party was not invited. This exclusion was reportedly requested by the anti-discrimination student movement. Coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasanat Abdullah took to Facebook to label the Jatiya Party as accomplices of the authoritarian Awami government and as spineless fascist agents. This indicates that the incident of setting fire to the Jatiya Party office was not an impulsive act.

However, regardless of the context of the incident, setting fire to a political party's office is unacceptable. It hinders the development of democracy. Political disputes should be resolved through political means. If a party engages in anti-people activities or positions itself against the country and its citizens, the ultimate judge is the people, and the appropriate time for that judgement is during elections. If the public believes that a party is acting against their interests, they can respond by withholding their votes. Should there be allegations of constitutional or legal violations, or criminal offenses against that party, the established laws of the country should be invoked for justice. Such a party or organization could even be banned. However, disregarding the law and judicial processes to set fire to a political party's office stands as an obstacle to establishing the rule of law in the country.

Now the question arises: Will the Jatiya Party file a case regarding this incident? If they wish to file a case, will the police accept it? Even if a case is filed, will the police arrest the offenders or do they have the courage to do so? Most importantly, will there be a fair trial in this matter? This question is significant because those who vandalized and set fire to the Jatiya Party office are effectively part of the government. They were at the forefront of the recent popular uprising, and interim government chief advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus stated in his address to the nation that students are their primary employers. Therefore, even if the Jatiya Party seeks justice from the government, will the government take any action against its own "employers"?

When two coordinators announced on social media that there would be an attack on a major political party's office in a key area of the capital, did the police, military, or intelligence agencies not notice? Could they not have prevented the arson if they wanted to? Since the vandalism and arson were announced and there was no initiative from law enforcement to stop it, does that imply their support for the incident? Or did they fear that intervening would lead to clashes with the student movement's leaders and want to avoid such conflict? Many such questions linger in the public's mind. Answers may not come immediately, but this incident will serve as an example of the vindictive behavior of those in power or their partners towards dissenting opinions and opposing political parties in Bangladeshi politics.

Through this, we can question what kind of treatment will be meted out to candidates and supporters of parties outside the government-supported or ruling coalition in the upcoming national elections under the interim government. If this is indeed the case, the public expectation and desire for inclusive politics that leads the country toward positive change will ultimately remain unfulfilled.

At the same time, it is now time for the Jatiya Party to engage in self-reflection: has their peculiar "culture" of being both in government and in opposition weakened them as a party? Has it created a distance between them and the public? As a recent partner in power with the outgoing Awami League, do they bear some responsibility for the Awami League's misdeeds? If so, what will they say to the people regarding this?

While the party's chairman claims that they do not support any of the Awami League's wrongdoings and are not allies of theirs, the credibility of this statement is low. So, will they apologize to the public for their actions?

The internal strife within the Jatiya Party regarding leadership following the death of its chief, Hossain Muhammad Ershad, has further weakened the party. Therefore, how they overcome this weakness and whether they can perform well in areas beyond greater Rangpur in the upcoming national elections are also important considerations. They now face a significant challenge in organizing the party. It is crucial for them to realize that while opportunism may provide temporary benefits, it comes at a steep price in the long run.

Amin Al Rasheed: Journalist and Writer