Bangladesh was again in the world news last week, albeit for a brief period, to be overtaken by the more shocking news of al-Qaeda surprise attack in the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killing 10 journalists and cartoonists and 2 policemen, wounding 10 more on the spot, to avenge blasphemous ridicule of Islam, Prophet Muhammad and of Islamic State leader Baghdadi.

The brief mention of Bangladesh in world news, though not as shocking as the bloody massacre of cartoonists offending the faithful, was surprising enough to raise eye-brows of the liberal democratic crowd of the world community.

The essence of the world report was that from January 3 evening former prime minister and leader of the 20-party opposition alliance Khaleda Zia was in “lockdown” by Bangladesh police under the orders of Sheikh Hasina’s impugned government, and the capital city was put under virtual siege by heavy security presence, truckloads of sand standing across roads leading to Khaleda’s office, and inter-district road communications suspended for passenger traffic on January 4, only to prevent Khaleda from addressing a public meeting she had convened on January 5. BBC world reported on TV:

BBC report
“Security forces in Bangladesh have stopped opposition leader Khaleda Zia from leaving her party offices and banned all protests in the capital. Police said the ban, which began in Dhaka at 17:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Sunday (January 4), was to prevent violence. Both Ms Zia’s party and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party had planned to hold rival demonstrations on Monday. Bangladesh has long been dominated by Ms Hasina’s rivalry with Ms Zia, who led the country from 1996 to 2001. Monday is the first anniversary of an election that was boycotted by Ms Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who said it would be rigged. Ms Zia was due to lead a mass BNP demonstration against the government in Dhaka but was prevented from leaving her offices on Saturday evening. ‘She has been confined in her office. Police have cordoned off the area and barricaded [the] road. She wanted to see a sick party colleague around midnight, but they did not let her out,’ an aide told the AFP news agency.

Police were reported to have locked the doors of the opposition headquarters, with Ms Zia forced to spend the night in her office.

There were protests nearby, with a bus being set alight close to the offices, and local TV said police had detained several people. Police Inspector Firoz Kabir denied that Ms Zia was being forcibly detained, telling reporters: ‘We’ve not detained her, only her security has been enhanced. She is not leaving her office.’ On Sunday, there was said to be a huge security presence at the BNP headquarters and police trucks were pictured blocking the streets. The move comes after Ms Zia demanded new elections in the country last week and called on Ms Hasina to release political prisoners. Dozens of BNP workers have disappeared since last year’s election, with human rights groups blaming the government - although it denies this.”

Indefinite counter-siege
In protest, Khaleda declared from her confinement in office an action programme of countrywide counter-siege “for an indefinite period”. In mofussil districts violence and resistance to police patrols had already begun with the news of Khaleda Zia’s confinement by police padlocks on her office gate.

The countrywide siege programme is witnessing clashes, deaths under police firing, mass arrests, and largely effective disruption of all communications to the capital city excepting railway traffic. An opposition movement that was designed to gradually lead to a countrywide confrontation with the ruling party and the government over the demand for fresh elections under non-party caretaker government has thus been jumpstarted by excesses of repressive measures by the ruling party.

In the foreign print media, the Guardian, for instance reported on January 6: “Zia has been confined to her offices in Dhaka since Saturday night, her compound padlocked and police posted outside. On Monday she called for a nationwide transport blockade in an effort to topple the government, a year on from Hasina’s re-election.

On Tuesday, a private television network was forced off air and its chairman arrested after broadcasting a speech from London by Khaleda Zia’s exiled son. Police said the detention of the ETV chairman was prompted by the channel’s airing of pornographic material, but a senior editor dismissed the official explanation as a smokescreen.”

The intelligence unit of the Economist in an on-line report dated 6 January updated 7 January suggested that the impugned Awami League administration in Bangladesh is facing a tough test from the extra-parliamentary capacity of BNP to organise destructive street protests and attempts to wrench power from the regime, which may be assuming that BNP is a “spent force” without even one seat in the National Assembly.

In the words of the newspaper: “Aided by the support of the military, the government is likely to withstand several challenges in the coming year.”

Indian media report
But within Bangladesh, some commentators in TV talk shows have already expressed doubts whether the military may come forward to intervene in support of Sheikh Hasina or otherwise in case of widespread unrest and violence disrupting the already ailing national economy. International community as a whole has for long been uneasy, if not openly critical like the West, about Sheikh Hasina’s wilful dictations, exclusive policy and non-governance. Her staunch external supporter so far, the hegemonic power India, seems also to be weighing the pros and cons of “unbalanced policy” of propping up dynastic regime of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. As The Times of India reports on January 7, quoting an interview with a top BNP leader:
“Bangladesh is going through a major crisis now with violent clashes between BNP and ruling Awami League (AL) activists and supporters in the midst of a nation-wide shutdown called by the BNP.

“The BNP is demanding fresh parliamentary polls in the country under a neutral caretaker government and in the presence of international monitors. It boycotted the 10th parliamentary polls held on January 5 last year and had decided to observe January 5 this year as a black day through nationwide protests. But the AL government cracked down on BNP leaders, arresting thousands of them, ahead of the planned protests. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with nearly 70 of her close aides, has been kept confined at her office at Gulshan in Dhaka since Saturday (January 3) evening.

“BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told Times of India over phone from Dhaka that democracy was facing a serious threat in his country. ‘Failure of democracy in Bangladesh will push this country towards extremism,’ he said. Rise of extremism in Bangladesh would have serious security implications for India.

‘India as a neighbor and a friendly country should stand by the people of Bangladesh to restore democracy. India is a mature democracy and Bangladesh also aspires to be a truly democratic country. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy,’ said Khan. He said that his party has announced a peaceful and democratic agitation to mark the first anniversary of last year’s controversial elections as a ‘Black day for democracy’.

2000 arrested, 4 killed
‘But the government, using brute force, is trying to thwart our movement for restoration of democracy. Armed goons of the ruling party, under the protection of the police, are attacking our party members and supporters and torching our party offices. Over 2000 of our party members have been arrested, 4 killed and more than 500 injured in attacks on them by police and Awami League goons,’ Khan told TOI.

The BNP and other major opposition parties boycotted last year’s polls after the incumbent Awami League government refused to honour a previous Constitutional provision that mandates an incumbent government to handover power to a neutral caretaker government to conduct free and fair parliamentary polls.

The AL govt. changed that provision by amending the Constitution when it came to power. The international community had denounced the polls that gave the Awami League a walkover. Since then, the BNP has been demanding that the controversial polls be countermanded and fresh elections held under a neutral nonparty administration.

The Awami League, Nazrul Islam Khan added, is maligning India’s name by claiming that it had New Delhi’s full support in cracking down on opposition forces. ‘The Awami League government has been claiming that the earlier (UPA) government as well as the present (NDA) government is firmly behind it and that’s why it feels emboldened to go ahead with its brutal crackdown on our peaceful and democratic movement. India is getting a bad name because of this and we hope that India will try to realize the sentiment of our people and will act accordingly,’ he added.

The two-storey building at Gulshan that houses Begum Zia’s office has been ringed by armed police and barricaded with trucks laden with bricks and sand. ‘There are around 70 of us in this building and we are not being allowed to move out of here.

This is blatant dictatorship. The authorities have cut of power and water supply and food supply is scarce,’ BNP chairperson’s special Assistant Shamsur Rahman ‘Shimul’ Biswas said over phone from the besieged office. Biswas and other senior party functionaries who attempted to walk out of the office late Monday (January 5) afternoon along with Begum Zia were injured when police hurled tear gas and pepper spray on them.”

(Holiday)