Two Bangladesh
Editors Paying For Writing the Truth
By
Shiraj Uddin Shopon
"KAFFARA" in Arabic language is an extra payment for
the sins of a person. In a recent episode, we have seen the payment
of Kaffara made by two so-called erudite self-styled pundits and
editors of Bangladesh, Mahfuz Anam and Motiur Rahman.
These
two journalists were in the forefront while criticizing Awami
League and supporting BNP before the election of 2001 conducted
by the conspiring trio Shahab-Latif-Syed.
The
self-declared Pundit Mr. Mahfuz Anam congratulated BNP and Khaleda
Zia for winning a landslide victory, no matter if through a conspiracy.
He wrote editorials vociferously in the Daily Star to
give his full support to the party of the Muslim Leaguers called
BNP. Never
ever, he criticized BNP's sharing power with the hardline Jamaat-i-Islami.
He
is the son of the veteran Awami Leaguer and one time minister
late Abul Mansur Ahmed. It is a disgrace to see the son of Abul
Mansur Ahmed supporting the Neo-Muslim League BNP and the fundamentalist
Jamaat-i-Islami axis.
Barrister Moinul Hussain, a son of a veteran Awami League supporter
Tofazzal Hussain Manik Mia, also writes and acts like a Jamaat-i-Islami
fundo. Late Manik Mia must be rolling in his grave seeing such
activism of his eldest son.
Mr.
Motiur Rahman was once a Bangladeshi left-wing politician. This
gentleman pretends like an intellectual left-wing editor. Like
Mr. Mahfuz Anam, he passed sleepless nights to find faults in
Awami League government before 2001 election.
These
pundit editors never considered the limitations of Awami League
and Sheikh Hasina. They had their harsh criticism reserved for
Sheikh Hasina and Awami League for almost anything. They wanted
perfection in everything. Many a time I saw them writing a series
of advices for Sheikh Hasina. They sounded like her big brothers.
Nonetheless,
their tone of writing was harsh and acerbic. All together, these
self-declared pundits created a negative image of Sheikh Hasina
and Awami League government even though Bangladesh was progressing
in almost all sectors from 1996 through 2001.
Eventually,
they succeeded and brought their lovable Madam Khaleda Zia back
into the hot seat. She knows how to keep the big brothers within
a limit. A police suppository can treat unnecessary advices or
criticisms. She has her obedient musclemen of various types. The
BNP-Jamaat musclemen are in police, army and throughout Bangladesh.
After
the arrest, no one will know where the victim will be taken for
interrogation. The musclemen will be there to apply the suppository
therapy. The experiences of Mohiuddin Khan Alamghir, Muntasir
Mamun, Enamul Haque Chowdhury are already well known.
The self-declared pundit editors Mahfuz Anam and Motiur Rahman
were close to experiencing a taste of the Khaleda Zia therapy.
These two editors criticized the government for nominating a thug
by the name of Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury aka Saqa Chowdhury
for the post of Secretary General of OIC.
The
Khaleda government did not waste a moment to issue warrants of
arrest against these two editors. Somehow, they were lucky as
they went into hiding in the night to got inside the High Court
in the early morning hours and applied for bail before arrests.
However, they got the message on how to write on Khaleda and her
advisors.
It
was not like criticizing the Feni thug Joynal Hazari in every
issue of Daily Star and Prothom Alo. Thousands
of Joynal Hazaris work for Saqa Chowdhury. He is the godfather
of Bangladeshi terror world. He killed minority Hindus and his
opponents in the years since the days of Pakistan. During 1971,
he butchered many innocent people in Chittagong.
Khaleda
wanted this butcher to work for her as an advisor. She is ruling
Bangladesh with the help of the military and the advice of the
men like Saqa Chowdhury. The criticism of her advisor for butchery
infuriated her. She took action immediately to give lessons to
the pundit editors.
Delaying action against her critics is not her habit. A doctor
turned politician by the name B. Chowdhury behaved a bit independently
and Khaleda ordered her musclemen MPs to throw him out of Bangabhaban.
They threatened him and the doctor got the message of Bangladeshi
strong woman Khaleda. He now lives a quiet life. He gave the ultimate
"Kaffara" for working for the military strongman Ziaur
Rahman and her able strong wife Khaleda.
The number of such "Kaffara payers" for bringing Khaleda
and her fundamentalist butchers into power is large. The two ultra-enthusiastic
editors were close to pay "Kaffara". They have now been
tamed. Their editorials are now docile, their voices silenced.
Khaleda Zia has turned this nation of 130 million impoverished
people into a garrison state. Bangladesh is now under dark clouds,
thanks to critics of Awami League like these two editors.
The writer is a free lance contributor, based in New York
