Around 7am on August 15, some middle-aged men and women gathered in front of Bangabandhu's newly burned-out residence at Dhanmondi 32 to pay their respects on the day of the massacre of practically the great man's entire family in 1975. Some of them were progeny of martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War; people I've known for years.
As soon as they left their means of transport, a belligerent group of young people confronted them. They started abusing them using profane language and even slapped them on their faces. They were tied down with ropes like animals; some of them beaten with sticks. At least one person was hit on the head so hard that blood spouted out of his wounds and drenched his face. They were continually physically and verbally tortured in this manner for the next two and a half hours.
Their cell phones were taken away and they were made to disclose their passwords. The perpetrators went through their phones and abused them further if they found references to or images of Bangabandhu, the Liberation War or, interestingly, Rabindranath Tagore. They were pacified somewhat when they saw a photo of Kazi Nazrul Islam in the phone of someone I spoke with afterwards. If only these benighted fools knew what Nazrul stood for.
Mixed in with the terrible language, they were also called “Shahbagis” and “nastiks” (atheists). After about 150 of the longest minutes of these poor people's lives, the ones that did fight or talk back, and therefore were not too badly injured, were untied and let go.
I have been sent photos of these trussed-up and battered people. My hands shake with rage as I type this.
Weren't the students who brought about an almost impossible revolution howling with outrage at their phones being unlawfully checked by the police just the other day? Weren't they foaming at the mouth about fascism, injustice, repression? Wasn't it them we saw shouting about freedom -- from fear, from violence, from suppression of thought and expression -- a few short days ago?
Where are they now? Where are the law enforcement authorities? The army? Where is the civil society? Why isn't the media screaming blue murder over this?
I think the cancelling of the national holiday on August 15, and thereby sending the message that it is no longer a day of mourning, was a tragic mistake. This was the perfect opportunity to reclaim Bangabandhu, “Joy Bangla,” and the nebulous spirit of the Liberation War from an Awami League that had made itself morally defunct. The interim government's failure to see this has emboldened the bigots and fanatics and handed Awami League the opportunity to commodify 1971 all over again.
I implore the interim government and the students, especially the students: There is still time for course correction. We understand that, after all the violence, anarchy, and trauma of the last few weeks, it takes time for sanity to be restored. Yet, it is when you win that you can afford to be magnanimous. To show grace. To really demonstrate that you represent the will of all of your fellow citizens, not just those around you.
To paraphrase Nietzsche, this is your time to show you haven't gazed so long into the abyss that the abyss has also gazed into you.
Tanvir Haider Chaudhury has spent most of his career as a banker and is now running a food and beverage company.
