Confrontation over names brewing in Bangladesh
By IANSThursday, February 18, 2010
DHAKA - Bangladesh is to witness a confrontation between its two most important politicians, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, after the government decided to stamp out the name of Zia’s late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman from all establishments.
Provoked by the government’s decision to rename all institutions and places named after Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia announced her move Wednesday to hold mass movements in national interest and for the sake of the people.
Having just ended a ten-month boycott of parliament, she accused Hasina of failing to cooperate and to create conditions conducive to opposition’s participation.
Wednesday also saw the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance and its different associated organisations announcing a campaign demanding a ban on religion-based politics in the country.
The targets of the ruling alliance were Zia’s political allies, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its various front organisations, particularly the student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Activists of the Shibir and the Bangladesh Chhatra League of the ruling party clashed in Rajshahi University earlier this week following which hundreds of Jamaat and Shibir workers across the country were detained.
AL leaders will also soon start their own countrywide tours where they will formally demand banning of religion-based politics.
State Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku told The Daily Star: “If the demand comes from all segments of the society, it will be easier for the government to concede.”
Awami Jubo League, youth front of AL, at its central executive committee meeting Wednesday demanded that the government ban the Jamaat-Shibir.
Claiming that Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat, and Shibir have plans to destabilise the country, the meeting decided to hold a series of countrywide protest programmes Feb 23 to March 3.
“We have taken up programmes to protest the government’s decision to change the name of ZIA (Zia International Airport),” senior BNP joint secretary general Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir told bdnews24.com Thursday.
The government’s decision to rename ZIA has fuelled opposition anger as also adverse media comments.
In a front page commentary, The Daily Star termed the decision as small, mean and vindictive.
Even granting that the Khaleda Zia government had in the past renamed places and institutions named after the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the newspaper reminded Hasina of her pledge to usher in politics of change and to aim at a digital Bangladesh.
Haven’t we learnt that this ‘name game’ is ephemeral and lasts only as long as the regime? the newspaper asked, urging the ruling leadership to aim at public welfare rather than settle scores with political rivals.
