A Few Cocktail Bomb Blasts Won’t Destabilise the Government

The war in the Middle East has pushed world energy security, regional and global economies and world politics into a deep crisis. At home, the Ms. Sheikh Hasina regime ruled by plunder for one and a half decades. It took 234 billion dollars out of the country and left the banking sector and the economy on the edge of a deep pit.

In this situation, Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman took office with a promise to restore economic discipline, bring new investment and create jobs. He wants to turn the country into a trillion dollar economy by the next decade, whatever the obstacles. He has already started to rein in political thuggery. He has raised strong hopes that political stability will bring investment, jobs and new speed to the economy.

His first foreign trips as Prime Minister, to Malaysia and China, were very important. He is moving ahead with new proposals on investment, labour markets, development and security with partners such as China, Malaysia, the Middle East and Japan. The allies of the fallen autocrat and anti state forces cannot accept this. They want to make the country unstable and spoil every chance. For this, Indian agents and banned Awami terrorists have begun acts of sabotage across the country.

During fifteen years of Awami rule under Indian influence, they placed their own people in every sector and made everything in the state partisan. The Hasina regime fell in the July uprising. Identified Awami League leaders and activists fled the country or went into hiding. Even so, the allies of the fallen autocrat and Indian agents are still active in the police force and other sectors.

Money looted by Awami mafias, along with shelter and intelligence help from India, is fuelling false boasts about Ms. Sheikh Hasina’s return. It is also fuelling terrorist acts and sabotage. This raises many questions about the role of the relevant government departments and law enforcers. The allies of the fallen autocrat and known terrorists are burning buses and setting off cocktail blasts in many places at the same time. They are announcing that they still exist.

Still, hit and run attacks and sabotage cannot change or weaken a people friendly government that has won an absolute majority. It is fair to assume their aim is not to change the government. They want to put the country under pressure through instability, so that the return and political comeback of the fallen autocrat and his allies becomes easier.

Fugitive terrorists enter the country freely through various points in border districts. They carry out guerrilla style attacks in different places and then flee across the border or go into hiding. BGB and law enforcement officers cannot escape blame for this. During the previous government, BGB played a weak role. Its failures to stop border killings and the smuggling of illegal arms and drugs make a long list. At this turning point for the nation, its role again faces questions. Some people may make light of a few cocktail blasts. Even so, the finger of suspicion and blame also points at the Home Minister.

Since the July uprising, a group of leaders and activists who call themselves BNP members have been seen in a secret deal with the allies of the fallen autocrat. Signs of this deal show up in local politics, the police administration, the bureaucracy and the courts. Members of banned organisations whom police arrest get bail easily in court. After release, they do not stay quiet. They go back to their activities with great energy, on the orders of leaders abroad.

A group of lawyers who use the ruling party’s name stand up for these anti state forces in return for large sums of money. Yet in the earlier Awami fascist period, getting bail was much harder, even in false cases. A report in Inqilab yesterday says 73 percent of banned Awami League terrorists whom police arrested recently have been released on bail. Serious criminals, murder suspects and even people sentenced to death are plotting against the country with state backing and shelter from India. When their supporters, leaders and activists get relief in court, laxity among law enforcers and court officials can create a grave crisis.

If the government cannot identify and act against the touts and allies of the autocrat hiding in the police, BGB, intelligence agencies and courts, it will be very hard to get past the situation. The government must find and act against those who backed the illegal meeting of former Awami MP Mr. Ranjit Sarkar in Sylhet. It must not take lightly the joint terror and sabotage by the banned Awami League and Indian agents. It must look into the role of BGB officers at the borders where Awami criminals enter the country and flee safely.

The country needs national unity, like the July uprising, against sabotage, instability and chaos. People strongly support Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman. Foreign friends and development partners have also offered full trust and help to him. In any crisis, the people have always stood for national unity.

A group of BNP leaders and activists have made deals with Awami terrorists for money. This helps to make the country restless. If needed, the party must identify them and expel them. The government must increase intelligence watch in these cases.