Take TIB’s statement on ‘occupation and extortion’ seriously

After the mass uprising, some leaders and activists of a few political parties, along with a section of emerging young leaders, seem to think that all power has now fallen into their hands. As a result, they have launched into widespread occupation and extortion. Their behaviour and activities give the impression that occupation and extortion are the very essence of politics.

At first, we witnessed their excesses in isolated incidents; more recently we saw them working together in the looting of white stones at Bholaganj. Seeing this, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said that such behaviour is an ominous sign for the new political settlement created after the fall of authoritarianism.

These remarks came in a TIB press release issued on Sunday. In it, the organisation’s Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said that in the year since the fall of authoritarianism, the activities of a section of leaders and activists of the political party considered most influential mirror the misuse of state power and the unhealthy, self-serving practices of the former ruling party.

After the mass uprising there was talk of a new political settlement. The people expected that such a settlement would mark the end of authoritarian rule. But now that hope appears dashed. Immediately after the fall of the Awami League’s authoritarian government, a new authoritarian posturing is visible. Across the country, multidimensional factionalism, extortion, land grabbing, looting of state resources, trade in lawsuits, arrests and bail, tag-based business, and violence centring on partisan dominance have begun. This is an ominous sign for the so-called ‘new Bangladesh’ or new political settlement. TIB’s statement says that it is now time for soul-searching on what should be done to establish democratic practices, ethics and accountability within political parties.

But are we seeing any such soul-searching in any political party? The major political parties seem to think that they already hold power. Occupation and extortion are going on unchecked. They rarely criticise their own activists’ coercive behaviour. Often, when incidents come to light, the central committee merely announces that the accused has been expelled from the party; but it is frequently seen later that the expelled leader or activist has found their way back into the party. Beyond expulsion, there is no other form of punishment.

Direct and, in some cases, collusive involvement of a section of power-hungry and influential party leaders and activists has again normalised criminalised political activities. In many cases, fallen political forces are also involved. Traditional factionalism, land grabbing and trading of posts have even created rare instances of violent party feuds leading to the declaration of local-level strikes. According to TIB, alongside the use of force to press demands, some religion-based parties and isolated ultra-empowered forces have, under the mask of so-called ‘mob rule’, perpetrated gross violations of the rights of minorities, gender groups, indigenous and marginalised communities, launched vicious attacks on women’s rights efforts, and committed brutal assaults on traditions and cultural activities. Citizens have had to witness these.

Since independence, it has been a familiar feature of Bangladesh politics that, whichever party is in power, the malpractice of occupation and extortion remains their mainstay. The general public have therefore lost trust in politicians. But this depoliticisation mindset is not a blessing for the country either. After the mass uprising, people had expected an end to such politics and malpractice. In reality, this has not happened. Political parties are responsible for this, but so is the current government. The interim government has failed to translate the hopes of the mass uprising into reality.

They have clearly failed to stop occupation and extortion. With the upcoming election, fears are growing that after the polls—whichever party comes to power—this occupation and extortion will only increase. Politicians must also remember that the public will not tolerate this. People are now much more aware. By practising politics of occupation and extortion, no one can cling to power in Bangladesh for long. However, in its reform policies and in the pledge to build a new Bangladesh, the current interim government must play a more proactive role. Otherwise, the mistrust of the people towards the interim government will only deepen. And as a result, sooner or later, the interim government will have to face the people directly. So, there may still be time: take TIB’s statement on occupation and extortion seriously.