State Security Cannot Be Ensured Without Qualitative Change in Political Leadership

The rise of incompetent and criminalised politics is spreading instability and insecurity across society. Mob violence, juvenile gangs, online attacks and character assassination are symptoms of a wider political and social crisis.

The colonial-era slave trade and human trafficking have evolved into war-driven economic imperialism. Powerful nations seek to control global resources and political systems through military dominance. From the two World Wars to the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, wars have often been imposed by dominant powers to expand their influence.

This struggle for political and economic control is now reflected in neighbourhoods, educational institutions, local government offices and markets. Flattery, extortion, arrogance and violence are increasingly replacing merit and competence as routes to political advancement.

However, recognition of this problem has begun to emerge from within the country’s political establishment. In the past, the prime minister, parliament speaker, home minister, police chief, army chief and chief justice appeared to support an authoritarian system of political plunder. The situation has begun to change following the July uprising.

Recently, Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed described the country’s political reality, saying, “The worst people in society become MPs and ministers. The biggest corrupt individuals have become leaders of society.”

When leadership is determined by wealth rather than merit, decent people find it almost impossible to survive in politics or become elected representatives. Corrupt individuals promote those even worse than themselves, creating a cycle of political patronage.

Politics has become a highly profitable business requiring little investment. Unemployed and unqualified individuals become wealthy through extortion and manipulation of public contracts under the protection of senior leaders. They then secure positions in the ruling party and establish themselves as influential figures. In turn, they create a new generation of flatterers, extortionists and local strongmen who strengthen their patrons’ influence.

The global imbalance of capitalism, exploitation and aggression under the unipolar world order has affected political systems worldwide. Powerful nations often maintain democracy at home while supporting compliant authoritarian rulers, monarchies and military regimes in developing countries to protect their economic interests.

Western imperialist powers have pursued military strategies to control energy, food security and trade. The dismantling of the Ottoman Caliphate and the establishment of Israel on Palestinian land are part of a broader strategy to maintain dominance in the Middle East.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO’s military and economic expansion continued. Western powers have been concerned about losing influence in the Middle East, particularly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran ended the Shah’s rule and weakened British and American dominance.

Saddam Hussein was encouraged to wage an eight-year war against Iran and later given a green light to invade Kuwait before Western forces attacked Iraq. The subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the attempt to change the regime in Syria were part of a wider strategy to contain Iran.

Western powers have also sought to prevent political and economic unity among Muslim-majority countries. Israeli interests, Western corporations and the military-industrial complex remain major forces behind these strategies.

Iran and its regional allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have challenged these plans. Resistance to Israeli and American aggression has exposed the limits of Western military dominance and challenged the political and economic influence of the United States.

For decades, Washington has treated European countries as subordinate allies, while several Arab monarchies competed to demonstrate their loyalty to the United States. These governments signed huge arms and security agreements under the pretext of containing Iran’s nuclear threat.

Iran, however, has demonstrated that external powers cannot guarantee regional security and that an empire cannot survive through aggression and exploitation alone.

Muslims once emerged as a formidable global force through religious values, scientific knowledge and innovation. This stands in contrast to the use of scientific advancement to develop weapons and maintain global dominance. People now seek freedom from consumerism and intellectual stagnation.

As the world’s seventh most populous Muslim-majority country, Bangladesh could play an important role in regional and global politics. The spirit of resistance demonstrated by Iran also offers lessons for Bangladesh.

Indian dominance remains a major obstacle to Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty and political and economic aspirations. To safeguard its geopolitical position between India and China, Bangladesh needs capable political leadership and a corruption-free, equitable society.

History shows that authoritarian rulers, including Hitler, Mussolini, Mujib and Sheikh Hasina, came to power with public mandates. Blind nationalism, partisan loyalty and sycophancy help create dictatorships. Loyalist activists support leaders who undermine democratic institutions and later flee the country after ordering violence against their own people.

Groups allegedly acting under the direction of hostile foreign intelligence agencies to destabilise the country are a “fifth column” rather than legitimate political organisations. Such forces become successful when elected political parties are weakened by incompetent and unprincipled leadership.

The social and political decay highlighted by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is one of the greatest threats to Bangladesh’s security and future.

At this critical juncture, the country needs political leadership committed to integrity. Leaders must take an uncompromising stand against terrorism, extortion, land grabbing, sycophancy and corruption. State security cannot be ensured through enormous financial resources or hired soldiers alone.

Bangladesh and the wider world have much to learn from the contrast between the positions of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the resistance demonstrated by Iran and Yemen in the face of Israeli-American aggression.

People must reject uneducated and corrupt individuals who gain political positions through extortion, land grabbing and flattery, whether they seek to become ward members, councillors, local government chairmen, school headteachers or MPs.

Incompetent and unethical leadership poses a greater threat to society and the state than external enemies. Establishing a political leadership structure based on democratic values and responsible citizenship is essential to meeting the challenges ahead.