After the ill-fated 1/11 coup, many cheerleaders of that misadventure engaged in a rather sexist and simplistic rhetoric to the effect that all our problems are due to two quarrelsome ladies. Like much else about the post-1/11 rhetoric, this allegation had a kernel of truth that was embellished to ridiculous proportion. The truth is that our political divisions have many complex causes, and replacing the two party chiefs with other individuals wouldn’t have solved them. And in any case, fortunately the coup has failed, so minus-2 1/11-styles is now a thing of the past.
However, it is also an unfortunate truth that the two party chiefs — Mrs Hasina Wajed and Mrs Khaleda Zia — did have a less than civil or cordial personal relationships, and that lack of civility has affected our politics over the past two decades.
This bitter relationship probably started with the AL chief’s infamous TV speech in February 1991, where she launched a vicious ad hominem attack on the husband of the BNP chief. It definitely increased when the BNP chief chose to celebrate her birthday on 15 August, a day of irreparable personal loss for her rival. It saw a new dimension when assassination attempts on the AL chief was ridiculed as ’stage managed’ by senior BNP leaders in the presence of their leader. This bitterness was visible on 21 Nov 2006, when the two leaders sat within yards of each other, and refused to make eye contacts. One cannot but help feel that had they been on speaking terms then, 1/11 might have been avoided.
One also hoped the election of Dec 2008 would have ended that bitterness. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case. No, this is not about the rhetorics of Paltan meetings — that kind of language ‘you presided over unprecedented corruption’ vs ‘you are a failure’ is part and parcel of politics. This is about the government’s attempt to force Mrs Zia out of her house, an attempt that started with a partisan intellectual suggesting it in a very uncivil language in the presence of the AL chief.
The AL chief suffered a personal tragedy on 9 May. Within hours, the BNP chief was by her side, embracing and consoling her. Perhaps the BNP chief remembered that Dr Wazed stood by her in a time of personal need years before either of the ladies joined politics. Perhaps it was a realisation on the BNP chief’s part that this personal bitterness doesn’t help anyone other than the enemies of democracy — after all, it was their joint action that foiled 1/11.
Whatever it is, let’s hope that this is a new beginning. Let’s hope that the AL chief reciprocates by stopping the eviction procedures against her rival. And independent of that, let’s hope that the BNP chief marks her birthday this August not with an outlandish cake, but with a milad mehfil where all our national tragedies, from the martyrs of various movements to the Sheikh family’s brutal assassination to the Pilkhana massacre, are mourned.
There is no shortage of things that the two leaders can throw at each other. High prices, corruption, misuse of power, militancy — failures of the last BNP government is huge. Law and order, electricity, Pilkhana — AL’s failures are already rising. The leaders can use these issues, they don’t need to be nasty to each other.
May 11, 2009 at 7:51 pm
No problem to hope for the best.But vindictive hasina will not refrain from evicting khaleda from cantonment as hasina was once barred from entering cantonment during khaleda’s last tenure.
And i think minus two failed mainly for khaleda.Hasina accepted minus 2 and went to America.As Moeen failed to push out khaleda, he had to allow hasina to come in.
May 12, 2009 at 12:28 am
Off course yes, I man we never have a problem to at least hope for the best.
Dr. Wazed Miah went away on 4:25PM. A special working committee for the BNP human chain was already in a meeting inside the party HQ at 28/1 New Paltan. They went on with their meeting and we got the note that still the human chain will take place on the day after. Many of us got disappointed at it.
That evening Begum Khaleda Zia made it to Shudha Shadan where she was welcomed by Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Begum Matia Chowdhury. Begum Zia was accompanied by Khandaker Mosharraf Hussain, Nazrul Islam Khan, M.K. Anwar, Khandoker Delwar Hussain, Selima Rahman, Abdus Salam and few other leaders who took at least 5 vehicles. Later Sadek Hussain Khoka with a couple of Dhaka based BNP leaders joined the BNP team at Shudha Shadan.
However we got greatly relieved after Begum Zia came out of Shudha Shadan with the media saying that Sheikh Hasina embraced her with tears as she saw her coming upstairs with Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Begum Matia Chowdhury. But media had no clips over this because they were allowed up to 1st floor where the coffin of Wazed Miah was, and Sheikh Hasina with her relatives were on the 2nd floor where Begum Zia saw her. After the visit at Shudha Shadan, Begum Zia met a Buddhist delegation who were to see her due to Holy Buddha Purnima that day. In that meeting Begum Zia announced that the BNP human chain had been postponed due to the demise of the brilliant nuclear scientist and husband of the Prime Minister, Dr. Wazed Miah. Ultimately it was this announcement which made us get relieved.
I ain’t really optimistic that this will be a new beginning. But it’s a fact that this kind of socializations between them can abate the counter-aggressiveness of these two big shots.
May 12, 2009 at 10:50 am
Both ladies lost their husbands in the month of May.Is there any lesson in it?
May 12, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I love the attempt at neutrality. Describing a political attack on TV during a tough election campaign when you believe the opposition is in cahouts with fundamentalists and war criminals vs celebrating your birthday on the date that is not only a date of loss of one loved one but the unnatural removal of a whole family and idealogy. Kisher shongey ki …
May 17, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I think the beginning will be still born. IN 1990, right after the fall of dictator Ershad, we saw many pictures of Hasina and Khaleda embracing, shaking hands, sitting on sofa lauhing with each other etc. But within weeks it was back to business as normal.
I wonder what ulterior motives were behind both Khaleda’s visit to Sudha Sadan and Hasina’s receiving of her (don’t forget, she turned Khaleda away afeter Aug 21 attack). It’s too sinplistic to say this was spontaneous feeling by both. Everything is done for a reason.
I do hope, when Khaleda was gazing at Dr Wazed’s body, or when Hasina was seeing KHaleda, etc both realized that at some point soon, their own mortality will catch up with them like it does with us all. I hope that is not the means of our nation escaping this bitter cycle, it will be better to escape through positive.