Dhaka: In the film “Hirak Rajar Deshe”, there is a famous line by Hirak Raja:” Aj Theke Pathshala bondho..ara joto besi pore toto besi jane toto com mane..”
“From today, schools are closed. The more they study, the more they know, and the less they obey.”
Through this statement, he wanted to convey that educated people might question the oppression of the king (Hirak Raja), and therefore he wished to shut down education.
This statement still feels relevant today, because it clearly reflects the nature of authoritarian rule. Hirak Raja viewed education and knowledge as dangerous. He did not want education in his kingdom. Instead, he hired poets to brainwash people throughout their lives with verses crafted to suit his own desires.
The people’s President Ziaur Rahman
In Bangladesh, for a long time now, the “school of democratic practice” has effectively been shut down, and the practice of multiparty politics is also heading toward extinction. For years, the BNP has been fighting and struggling on the streets to establish multiparty democracy. Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and countless leaders and activists have been imprisoned, tortured, and forced to leave their homes. Tarique Zia was pushed into exile because he demanded the establishment of multiparty democracy.
In a national daily of Bangladesh, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman expressed concern, saying: “Questions are being raised from certain quarters about whether it is even possible for the interim government to hold an election. This can no longer be viewed as an isolated statement. Democratic political parties must remain vigilant about whether anyone is trying to delay the national election process.”
After the fall of the Hasina government, BNP proposed that the Yunus government hold a free, fair, neutral, and acceptable election. However, through various tactics, he has distanced himself from elections and is pushing the country toward darkness. Does this mean that, for now, they do not want elections in Bangladesh? All citizens of the state want governance through a government elected by the people’s vote.
To reflect the will of the people, the country must move toward the light.
Tarique Zia does not want an election held in darkness. What he seeks is the restoration of democracy and the return of the fundamental rights of the people. After all, his father Ziaur Rahman is revered by the people of Bangladesh as the proclaimer of independence, the proponent of Bangladeshi nationalism, and the founder of multiparty democracy.
A defining feature of Ziaur Rahman’s life was his ability to respond to national crises repeatedly as a multifaceted leader and a supporter of the masses. It was under his leadership that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was established. He therefore confidently stated:
“If language is one flower, religion is another. The bouquet I have created—made up of flowers of religion, language, literature and culture, history, geography, economics, and the Liberation War—is Bangladeshi nationalism.”
If any anti-democratic force attempts to block the path of Ziaur Rahman’s multiparty democracy, destroy the electoral system, and govern the state through undemocratic means, there is no doubt that their fate will be tragic and unexpected. History shows that no such force has ever lasted.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has announced that the next national parliamentary election of Bangladesh will be held on any one day in the first half of April 2026. Following this announcement, serious questions have arisen: how prepared is the Election Commission to conduct an election within this timeframe? Representatives of civil society have also expressed doubts regarding the election.
What does this imply? That an election will be hastily arranged at a time of his choosing in order to install his preferred party in state power?
An interim government exists to hold a neutral and credible election and then transfer power to a government elected by the people’s vote. However, the current government has begun working on a wide range of agendas, none of which can realistically be completed within a short period.
In this context, I would like to recall two lines from an immortal African song, “Muhogo wa Jang’ombe,” whose verses are deeply instructive and philosophically political:
“Kenda mbele na nyuma”—which in Bangla means:
“If we become excessively busy in life and try to grasp everything at once, we end up doing nothing properly. A person who is always rushing never finds the right path.”
Therefore, it is essential to restore democracy fully by applying political wisdom, prudence, and foresight.
Washington wants democracy in Bangladesh to be institutionally strengthened. As a large democratic organization, BNP remains hopeful that Washington will support the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh, because democracy cannot be built through fragmented leadership—it requires a well-organized political force.
In December 2021, at the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, the Summit for Democracy was held. Bangladesh’s name was not included in the official list of participating countries.
According to the 2020 Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Bangladesh falls under the category of a “hybrid regime.” Generally, countries classified as hybrid regimes have some democratic practices, but despite holding regular elections, political repression continues. In other words, these countries operate under authoritarian systems.
Is this the kind of system for which we fought the Liberation War? There is no hesitation in saying that under the Yunus government, Bangladesh is currently experiencing authoritarian rule and is paving the way for its continuation in the future.
The uprising of 2024 shook the country’s political structure, but it does not appear to have brought genuine political change.
Instead, the country seems to be moving toward one-party or single-person rule. This could have been the beginning of a new chapter in Bangladesh’s politics. However, without an inclusive election involving all parties to ensure long-term political stability, the country risks falling into a political vacuum—and if everything ultimately backfires, there will be nothing left to say.
Author: Industrial entrepreneur, cultural activist, and political analyst.
