Bangladesh's bruised democracy: the harvest of the sins of August 15 and August 21

Imdadul Haque Sohag: The red sun of Bengal's independence that set with the defeat of the last independent Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula at Palashir Amrakan in 1757, in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the thousand-year-old Bengali nation, united the divided nation in the mantra of independence like the flute of Bashiwala Hamilion. Through 9 months of bloody liberation war under divine leadership, in exchange for the honor and glory of 30 lakh martyrs and 2 lakh mothers and sisters, he freed the Bengali nation from the chains of subjugation and brought the setting red sun to light up the freedom of our dreams. When the father of the nation was reorganizing a newly independent state with his own hands and moving towards economic, social and cultural emancipation, the defeated forces of independence killed the father Mujib and returned Bengal, bought with the blood of 30 lakh martyrs, back to Pakistani ideology and transformed independent Bengal into West Pakistan. From August 15, 1975, a series of despicable attempts to nullify the leadership of the Bangladesh Awami League can be observed among the pro-Pakistan domestic criminals. Otherwise, on August 15, all the members of three families would not have been killed together, even in the history of the world, four national leaders were killed by entering the prison. Such an unprecedented event is not organized. On the black night of August 15, 1975, through the killing of father Mujib in his family, Bangladesh was not only destroyed by Bangabandhu, but it was transformed into a country of strange exploitation and rule without talent, without knowledge, without culture. Where power could be seized by force of arms, parties could be formed by using the money of the state treasury sitting in the highest power of the nation, a newly formed party without connection with the people could be installed in the parliament of power by using the maximum power of the political apparatus through yes/no vote. Bangabandhu's daughter, who survived that dark night by chance, after her return to her country, started the politics of establishing people's right to vote and rice instead of the politics of taking power by force of arms after 75. Bangabandhu's daughter today's Prime Minister Deshratna Sheikh Hasina became the target of the killers of the anti-spirituality of the liberation war. At least eleven more attempts were made to kill Bangabandhu's daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before the grenade attack on August 1st, 2004. Although she narrowly survived these attacks, 39 party leaders and activists were killed. While Hasina was giving a speech, 23 leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman, wife of the late President Zillur Rahman and Awami League's women affairs secretary, were killed in this sudden attack. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina survived by the grace of God. Besides, 400 others were injured in this attack. Many of the injured are permanently crippled. Some of them never regained their normal lives. The incident of 21st August was actually a despicable attempt to successfully conclude the unfinished drama of 15th August 1975. August 15th and August 21st are the dark chapters of Bangladesh's democracy based on the same formula. These two black chapters are the biggest rulers of the politics of this country. Until the terrorist leaders identified on 15th August and 21st August do not apologize to the nation unconditionally for their sins, until they realize that politics in this country has to be systematic and illegal. Attempting to wipe out someone through the streets and conspiracies cannot really be the norm of democratic politics, till then the politics of this country will be really divided and we will have to move through the bruised democracy instead of the institutionalized democratic structure. Author: Imdadul Haque Sohag Lecturer, Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology.