Competition to Rehabilitate Awami League Leaders

On September 5, NCP leader Nasiruddin Patwari used a Prado vehicle during the Dhaka-to-Chattogram Long March. At a roadside rally during the programme organised by the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, several young people surrounded Patwari’s expensive vehicle. One of them asked whether he had bought the shiny black vehicle or whether it belonged to someone else.

In his usual mischievous smile, Nasiruddin Patwari replied, “If I tell you the name of the owner of the car, you will break it.” A video showing Nasiruddin Patwari travelling in the long march in the vehicle with its hood open went viral on social media. Later, a group of investigators tracked down the owner of the Prado. It was found that the vehicle belongs to Monirul Islam Tushar Bhuiyan, a former vice-chairman of Madaripur Sadar Upazila and an Awami League leader. Photos of Mr. Tushar with several leaders, including former minister Shahjahan Khan, have also gone viral.

Several videos of sermons by Jamaat MP from Kushtia-2, Amir Hamza, are circulating on social media. In one of them, he said, “My grandfather was a Union Parishad chairman for 25 years. My father was in the Awami League. My entire family has been involved in Awami League politics.”

Although the statements of these two NCP and Jamaat leaders have sparked debate on social media, the reality is that leaders of the ruling BNP, the opposition Jamaat and the NCP are competing to rehabilitate leaders and activists of the now-disbanded Awami League.

Ahead of the Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, municipality and city corporation elections, they are bringing grassroots Awami League leaders and members of the business community into their respective parties. Some are bringing Awami League leaders into their parties while using their assets on the condition that those assets will be protected. Others are taking care of their businesses.

As a result, an unwritten competition has also begun among grassroots leaders of the “fascist” Awami League to switch parties in order to protect their wealth and avoid lawsuits. Abu Hanif, spokesperson of the Gono Odhikar Parishad and one of the leaders of the July uprising, said in a Facebook post on September 7, “The car of Madaripur Awami League leader Mr. Tushar was used by NCP leader Nasiruddin Patwari during the long march. Not only that, Sarjis Alam and Akhtar Hossain took Tk 5 million from a major pro-Awami League businessman in Narayanganj.

Mr. Shamol, the general secretary of the Jubo League in Itna Upazila of Kishoreganj district, was brought into the NCP and a large amount of money was taken to run the party.” It is worth mentioning that reports are circulating within the NCP that several leaders of its central committee have received and are still receiving financial gifts, including vehicles, from pro-Awami League businessmen in the country.

Leaders of the ruling BNP, the opposition Jamaat in parliament and the NCP, which was formed in the spirit of the July uprising, make statements every day against India and demand the trial of Awami League leaders. They are also demanding that Sheikh Hasina be brought back to the country and that the death sentence against her be carried out. At the same time, they are demanding that the Awami League be banned by law.

The BNP, Jamaat and NCP have taken similar public positions against the Awami League. However, behind the scenes, all three political parties are bringing leaders of the “fascist” Awami League into their respective parties. These leaders are actively trying to bring grassroots Awami League leaders into their parties, attracted by their businesses, wealth and the upcoming local government elections.

For the past several months, reports have circulated that the husband and son of Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a former adviser to the caretaker government, have been looking after the garment and housing businesses of Nasrul Hamid, the former state minister for power and energy under the “fascist” Awami League government.

Currently, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed returned to the country from Shillong, India, after eight years and later travelled to Cox’s Bazar in a convoy of vehicles in a show of strength, allegedly after receiving financial benefits from the controversial business group S Alam. Former adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan is living in a flat belonging to an Awami League leader after allegedly taking possession of it at Rupayan Tower. These incidents are openly known.

However, while publicly demanding the trial of the Awami League, a competition is taking place behind the scenes to bring pro-Awami League businessmen, industrialists and wealthy district- and upazila-level leaders into the respective parties.

A few days ago, several senior NCP leaders held a meeting with former Chattogram mayor and Awami League leader Manjur Alam to make him the NCP’s mayoral candidate for the upcoming Chattogram City Corporation election. After being hosted to food by NCP leaders, Manjur Alam said, “Although I attended the meeting, I will not leave the Awami League and join the NCP; however, it would be a different matter if BNP calls me.”

A few days ago, NCP leaders Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam, Nasiruddin Patwari and Hasnat Abdullah visited Chattogram and spent the night at the homes of former MPs of the Awami League and Jatiya Party. This sparked a storm of debate on social media. At the time, NCP leaders said they did not know that the owners of the house were two brothers who had served as MPs from the Jatiya Party and Awami League.

According to political analysts, after former PM Sheikh Hasina fled the country and the interim government came to power, Jamaat and NCP leaders took positions in the administration, business establishments of Awami League leaders, media houses and various corporate houses. They allegedly provided shelter and support to Awami League leaders under their protection and benefited financially from them. After the February 12 election, BNP followed the same path. This is not merely a political strategy; rather, it is a game of financial gain and a form of political rehabilitation.

Ahead of the upcoming local government elections, BNP is targeting a large section of mid-level and grassroots Awami League leaders. Many MPs, former upazila chairmen, municipal chairmen and leaders of the “fascist” Awami League who are considered to have a clean image have already contacted the party. There are allegations that many leaders have sought or received shelter under the BNP umbrella in exchange for large sums of money. Similar allegations have been made against Jamaat and the NCP.

Several senior NCP leaders are allegedly using the “spirit of July” to take control of Awami League-affiliated businessmen. Some businessmen are allegedly seeking protection from NCP leaders in exchange for money to protect their wealth and avoid lawsuits. As a result, those NCP leaders who could not afford to travel by rickshaw before the July uprising are now travelling in Prado and Nissan Patrol vehicles. Those who previously lived in messes and halls are now living in rented apartments in the capital at high rents.

The rehabilitation of Awami League leaders by BNP and Jamaat, however, is different from that by the NCP. After Ms. Hasina fled, local BNP leaders filed cases against Awami League leaders across the country. As a result, there is a hostile relationship between most influential Awami League and BNP leaders at the district, upazila and union levels. Some BNP leaders at the district and upazila levels have allegedly engaged in “case trading”, but in most cases, conflicts with the Awami League remain.

Jamaat has taken advantage of this situation. The party has effectively reached out to those who were once its political opponents. At one time, political hostility between the two sides was at its peak. The Awami League government executed a dozen Jamaat leaders in war crimes cases. Three days before Hasina fled, Jamaat was banned. That same Jamaat is now, surprisingly, taking the initiative to bring leaders from the Awami League camp into its party for political advantage.

In Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Cumilla, Jamalpur, Sherpur and various other areas, Awami League and BNP leaders have joined Jamaat. Before the February 12 election, Jamaat achieved unexpected success in the Rangpur division by selling “tickets to heaven” and visiting homes to buy women’s votes. Jamaat has adopted the same strategy for the upcoming local elections. The party is adopting different strategies for rehabilitating Awami League leaders depending on the situation.

Meanwhile, BNP leaders have taken control of various leases, including markets, occupied properties, fields and grounds, bus stands, tempo stands and sand quarries. Meanwhile, on December 7 last year, 102 BNP and Awami League leaders and activists, who are followers of Mr. Lalon, formally joined Jamaat in Chuadanga. At the joining ceremony, district Jamaat Ameer Ruhul Amin said, “They joined Jamaat with the aim of establishing Allah’s law and building a peaceful society.”

During the campaign for the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Professor Latifur Rahman, a member of Jamaat’s Central Majlis-e-Shura and MP from the Chapainawabganj-3 constituency, called on Awami League members to join Jamaat. He said that if Awami League leaders joined Jamaat, they would take responsibility for them. He said they would handle everything, including the law and courts, police stations and police. At the same time, he also called on members of the Hindu community to join Jamaat.

Since then, the process of grassroots Awami League leaders and businessmen joining Jamaat has begun and is still continuing. At the same time, BNP and the NCP are bringing grassroots leaders of the “fascist” Awami League into their respective parties in their own ways. Yet, all three political parties continue to make statements against the Awami League publicly.

Political Blame Game

There is now widespread mutual mudslinging and a series of allegations and counter-allegations in the political arena among BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly formed NCP over attempts to rehabilitate the Awami League and compete for its vote bank.
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has alleged that the current administration and BNP are creating opportunities for the Awami League’s political rehabilitation through the appointment of senior officials and by taking a lenient stance.

NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud and convenor Nahid Islam have also warned that BNP itself will face a major crisis if it tries to rehabilitate the Awami League. On the other hand, the Prime Minister’s political aide, Md Rashed Khan, has alleged that Jamaat and the NCP are indirectly rehabilitating the Awami League for electoral gains. In various areas, grassroots Awami League leaders and activists are joining Jamaat and the NCP either to protect themselves or to expand their vote banks.