How far will the Rohingya goodwill carry the Awami League?

Ruling party members believe the widespread acclaim given to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over her support for the Rohingya will translate into votes at the next parliamentary election. The Awami League top brass feel their party has won immense support from different quarters at home and abroad, even though they have several times pointed out that they are not looking to take advantage of the crisis to win the polls, which are due by early 2019. “The international community and the country’s people have praised the prime minister and Awami League for our stance on the Rohingya people,” Abdur Rahman, the party’s joint general secretary, told the Dhaka Tribune. “It will help Awami League in the next election.” The Relief and Social Welfare Secretary, Sujit Roy Nandi, has frequently visited Rohingya camps and distributed relief on behalf of the party. He said people from all walks of life in Bangladesh have taken the Awami League’s position on the Rohingya “very positively”. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League’s stance on the Rohingya people has impressed the world,” he said. “The prime minister is now being praised as the ‘mother of humanity’. It has boosted Awami League’s popularity (and) people will keep this in mind while casting votes in the next election.” As part of its diplomatic manoeuvres to resolve the protracted crisis, the Awami League government has reinforced its ties with leaders of such countries as China, India and Russia. Some senior Awami League leaders have also claimed that Bangladesh was instrumental in persuading India into changing its stance on the issue. “Sheikh Hasina’s stance on the Rohingya crisis has improved Bangladesh’s image around the world,” Awami League presidium member Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya said. Though Awami League leaders are apparently thrilled with the development, political analysts said it is too early to comment on how the Rohingya issue will help the Awami League in the next polls. “The election is one year away (and) we don’t know what will happen by then,” Veteran journalist and political commentator, Afsan Chowdhury, said. “If the problem deteriorates, there would be some negative effects on the Awami League. However, it’s too early to say how the crisis will impact the polls.” Dhaka University teacher Shantanu Majumder said that despite appearing “confused” in its response at the beginning, the Awami League was later able to pursue a “strict and clear” position over the crisis. “The decision of the party to stand beside the Rohingya Muslims has been a resounding success because it left no scope for religion-based parties to use the crisis to whip up religious frenzy for their own political interest,” he said. “That deserves praise (but) I don’t know to what extent the policy Awami League pursues will benefit it during the polls.” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the Awami League is playing politics with the Rohingya people. “AL does not sympathise with the Rohingya people. They are trying to use them for their political interest. As part of this politicisation, the AL barred BNP from providing relief to the Rohingya people,” he said. However, Muhammad Zamir, a former ambassador who is also an Awami League advisor, said there was nothing political in the ruling party’s position on the Rohingya issue. “The Rohingya crisis is entirely a humanitarian issue (and) humanity should come first,” he said. “Bangladesh and the Awami League government took the crisis as an issue of humanity and lent their support to the Rohingya accordingly.” People on the streets appear to concur. Mamun, a tea seller, said he had been impressed by PM Hasina’s “humane position” on the humanitarian catastrophe that unfolded on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. “No one loves the Rohingya refugees like Sheikh Hasina does. She loves them like her children,” the tea seller said, adding that it was this compassionate attitude that made him decide that he and his family will vote for Sheikh Hasina in the next polls. Mintu, a rickshaw puller from Rangpur, also poured praise on the prime minister, expressing his interest in casting his ballot in favour of the boat, the ruling party’s elections symbol.