Are we to rejoice, or stand bemused? Jatiya Party (Ershad) quits the grand alliance in style and immediately joins the all-party government. The immediate reaction is that of “no ripples created.” All and sundry knew that the ruling alliance was going ahead with its plan to make convenient provisions under a new garb (all-party government). But all were least bothered about what HM Ershad had to say or do.
Look at what Ershad has been doing. He has been telling the nation that he wants to quit the grand alliance sooner or later. At various meets and forums he creates unnecessary controversies and makes fun of the people and even his own party men. He cares less. Even a few weeks back, JP was about to part with the grand alliance.
He visits Allama Shafi and seeks his blessings, for what we really don’t understand! Allama Shafi requests him to help implement the demands of Hefazat. What a joke! If Allama Shafi is blessing Ershad, what has he left for the BNP and other Islamic parties?
Only a few days back, Ershad declared that at the fag end of his career he didn’t want to die as a traitor. He emphatically held the position that his party was not participating in any polls without participation of all-party, meaning the BNP. And the next day, he says, he preferred to join the poll-time government to save democracy, even if he is looked seen as a double agent.
And at last he quits the alliance to join the AL led all-party government. Now watch. Ever since he was deposed from power, Ershad has always been an AL ally. There was no reason to think (or dream) that he would someday stand up as a self-determining person and lead a genuine third party.
He was never inside politics, nor was he outside it. He has been only “with” politics. Mere survival was his aim! For he knew he was bankrupt from the day he ceased to remain president.
Is there anything tangible to gossip about regarding the new government? The best way to define the government is the age old maxim, “old wine in a new bottle.” In other words it is the grand alliance’s characters taking up new roles in new attires. Since we don’t have representations from all parties of the country, it is best not called an all- party cabinet.
Eight ministers have taken oaths. Interestingly, all the new ministers are lawmakers from the constituents of the Awami League-led grand alliance. They are: Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed (Awami League), Rashed Khan Menon (Workers Party), and Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ruhul Amin Hawlader and Rawshan Ershad (Jatiya Party). The state ministers are: Mujibul Haque Chunnu and Salma Islam (Jatiya Party).
The BNP and its allies gave no reaction. They will think hard about any statement whatsoever. For them, fighting Tareks’s cases is one big preoccupation, and meeting the government’s offensive is another front they have to confront. So BNP is unlikely react fast.
One thing is for sure: The government had planned things well. They created situations (the phone call and dialogue issues) that tempted the opposition to take up street agitations and strikes, making things more convenient for the ruling party to chalk out their plans and implement those.
Government forces nabbed senior opposition leaders, dragged them to courts, awarded them with police remands, and later transported them to prison cells. They have been gifted with numerous cases to fight against.
By any standards, this is not a welcome sign. This is authoritarianism. That we are hugely gifted in creating bewildering situations and making a mess of things is once more evident from the recent constitutional calisthenics.
We pride ourselves with astonishing smugness. We dilly-dally with serious state matters and documents and strangely we feel proud to exhibit our arrogance and unawareness.
For now, the ruling party has gained an ephemeral victory by playing the wrong cards. But it’s also instigating the opposition and the other half of the populace to strike back any time to bring down this government, for all is not going well for the country.