Masum Billah
White colour is the symbol of peace universally. To stop a war white fag is shown. We know the ‘red-shirt’ and ‘yellow shirt’ movement and demonstration of Thailand. But the rally or demonstration with ‘white flag’ is quite new in our country. The present political turmoil has given rise to this symbolic demonstration attaching its huge importance to our national life when the normal movement of citizens and the running of business, trade, commerce have been at stake. The whole national economy is on the verse of collapse though the government tends to say ‘law and order situation’ is under their control. It’s an irony indeed. And it is our irony of fate that we experience many times worse situation as a nation than one which is run by a colonial power or a foreign ruler. You are not sure when you will be attacked with a ‘petrol bomb, or ‘cocktail’ or something like this. Worse than that is law enforcers’ disturbance and arrest fear. Police stands at the upper steps of the corruption ladder. This is known to all. You cannot take a handbag with you to office as you are to be halted by law enforces at many places. If you forget to take your job identity card with – countless people don’t have the card as they are not in service – you can be caught by any time and its horrible result is not unknown to us. You can be arrested or you can face the attack of the picketers or unknown persons. No transport is safe, no time is safe, no place is safe. Countless questions come to our mind. Are we in Afghanistan or Somalia or Palestine? Who we will ask for solution? Who will we blame? We just blame ourselves and our bad luck.
In the backdrop of this unprecedented scenario, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers and Commerce and Industries organised a ‘white flag remonstration’ on 15 December to protest the damage of trade and industrial infrastructure due to frequent hartal and blockade. FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said this program has been arranged to send message to country’s two major political parties. He said, “We just want to say that business people want peace in the country and sympathy of all parties. If politicians fail to restore peace, the business community will be compelled to announce tougher programs. The ongoing political deadlock is putting the country’s trade and commerce and with those the national economy in jeopardy.’ Dear business leaders, does it mean anything to the politicians? Of course, not! We suffer, we face, we digest and again we give taxes for all the ills of the country. Can you get a business license without giving ‘hush money’ to our government? Then how can you expect that government will save your business?
The business leaders said ‘We are observing with great dismay that the ongoing blockades and hartal programs have become violent and created panic among general people.’ So what? General people! Why do they live in this country? Is it their country? The country is for the two parties? We should understand it! In the name of peaceful hartal and blockade, political party activists snapped the communication system and set fire to vehicles. Because, they have the license of doing politics. Businessmen brothers, do you have such kind of license? ‘We want a business-friendly environment’. Why? The government feels that they have ensured business friendly environment for you. ‘If politicians fail to resolve the ongoing political impasse, they will have to hand over the leadership to the people of the country. Dear business leaders, they are not doing politics for that reason. So, you never can expect it.
They said in the rally, ‘The businessmen only formed a human chain in a peaceful manner today but they will take to the streets if the politicians fail to resolve the ongoing crisis. ‘O my dear leaders, if you plan to do so, then why so many law enforcers? Will they take tea if you try to take to the streets? They become so much active and patriotic when people dissent. Don’t you see what happens to those who try to dissent? Former president FBCCI Mir Nasir Hussain said, the country has turned into a virtual battle field. Because the political parties have different agenda which you or we cannot understand or explain. The immediate past FBCCI president AK Azad said the country’s bank, insurance and readymade garment industries are on the verge of collapse. So what? They will impose exorbitant tax on the people and maintain the government expenditure. Ways are known to them. Why do you shout? And the opposition! They need to come to power. They know they don’t have any value whatever position the opposition has in the parliament.’ So, it is our duty to create panic among the people to send them to power so that they can show the same behavior as the government does today. But we, the general people, don’t try to understand this fact as we are fools!
Anisul Huq, former FBCCI president said, “After the Liberation War of 1971, we had a dream of building industries here. But the ongoing political violence has shattered the dream. Our politicians also have dream. Whose dream will get preference? Yours or theirs!
This kind of politics must stop. Why? We achieved independence to do politics. Why do you want to stop it? Dead bodies are piling up everywhere and everyday. Don’t you know that the more dead bodies, the more our leaders become happy as their so-called movement gets momentum? You said, ‘The political leaders have turned the country into a land of corpses.’ Yes, they have that potential. Do you have that? Then! A K Azad said, you do not feed us or clothe us but kill us. “Yes, they have the right to kill you, kill us as they are our leaders, they are our bosses. How dare you say so?” A country of huge potential has reached the verge of destruction due to unhealthy politics. ‘Yes, my dear business leaders. You understand this, we, the writers, also understand this. But our understanding does not matter at all where muscle power prevails.
(Masum Billah is manager, BRAC Education Programme and vice-president: Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association ( BELTA) Email: masumbillah65@gmail.com)
