According to the Gregorian calendar, August comes across the globe in the same way. But in Bangladesh, it comes every year differently with grief. Architect of Bangladesh and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed by some traitors on August 15, 1975. After the assassination of Bangabandhu, Nobel Peace Prize winner West German leader Willy Brandt said, “We can’t believe the Bangalees anymore after the killing of Mujib. Those who can murder Sheikh Mujib can do any kind of horrible job.”   

Bangabandhu had sacrificed his personal life and relaxation for the Bangalees. He cared for his family as second responsibility. He served in jail year after year for the freedom of the people of Bangla. He was ready to hang in prison for the country. Bangabandhu never thought that Bangalees can kill him. But killers and their nexus never acknowledged the country’s liberation led by Bangabandhu. They started a conspiracy against Bangabandhu after the Liberation War.   

Bangabandhu killing and the reverse journey of the country happened and the world experienced many political killings from the past. Many eminent political leaders have been killed across the globe. But there is no example of killing the whole family brutally alongside murdering an architect of the country. A child of Father of the Nation was also killed for political reasons which is rare in world history. Bangabandhu's two daughters escaped the planned assassination as they were visiting Germany at that time. If they were at home that day, wouldn't they have been killed? Killers and their associates were searching for a scope to take revenge on Bangabandhu as he liberated the country by leading the Liberation War. They have taken revenge by conducting the August 15 carnage. Establishing an exploitation-free socialist society was the lifelong dream of Bangabandhu. Killers and their nexus had wanted to swab his philosophy of freedom to ensure political, economic, and social equality. That’s why perpetrators killed all successors of Bangabandhu including his child son Sheikh Russel.   

Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are inextricably correlated. One would get affected if another is being hit. The Times, a British daily national newspaper based in London, published an article after the assassination of Father of the Nation on August 16, 1975, the day after the heinous killing. The article reads, “Sheikh Mujib would be recalled all the time because there is no real existence of Bangladesh without him.” The Times understood and uttered the truth 48 years ago. Killers also murdered four national leaders, who led the Mujibnagar Government during the Liberation War in cold blood at prison to make Bangladesh leaderless. They also promulgated an indemnity ordinance and introduced a barbaric culture of impunity. The dark side of the country’s politics was started by the killing of the leaders and the country’s Liberation War. This painful scenario is still visible in the state and its politics. A culture of politics has started by burning hundreds of people. Communalism has come back with its ugly face in non-communal Bangladesh. Incidents of assaulting minority communities have increased alarmingly pre and post-election period. Militancy has arisen from state patronization. Some political parties have taken the decision in principle to eliminate Awali League, the party which led the Liberation War. Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and Israeli intelligence agency Mossad have become active controllers in the politics of Bangladesh.             

BNP would not have been born if the killings of Bangabandhu and four national leaders occur. If BNP was not born, the anti-liberation force Jamaat couldn’t rehabilitate in politics and couldn’t become a partner of the state power. Killers of Bangabandhu couldn’t shame the Parliament by becoming lawmakers by forming the Freedom Party. Some Western countries couldn’t intervene in the sovereignty of Bangladesh. Overall collapse of the politics couldn’t happen. Our seniors used to say that Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Muhammad Mansur Ali, A H M Quamruzzaman practised the real politics. They didn’t think about other issues but the welfare of the country and the people. They were ready for any kind of sacrifice. They don’t think about personal gain. They never dreamed to become a millionaire and spend luxurious life. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani lived in a hut of Santosh in Tangail. Bangabandhu built his Dhanmondi’s house taking assistance from friends and a loan from the House Building Finance Corporation. Bangabandhu family had no own land or house in Dhaka. Many Dhaka dwellers would not give their house rent to Bangabandhu fearing Pakistani rulers. In this situation, Bangamata took the initiative to build a house at Dhanmondi-32 on the allotted land of PWD. Bangabandhu couldn’t pay the full debt of House Building Finance Corporation. His daughter Sheikh Hasina paid the rest amount of the loan in 1981.    

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy used to finance his party by earning from his law profession. Many Awami League leaders used to lead a simple life. They ride rickshaws, not cars. Many of them faced hassle from the law-enforcement agencies due to lack of personal cars because rickshaws are banned in the Parliament area. All these things sound like fiction. There is no way to deny that our political culture has lost its old glory and turned into an ugly face. Many said the politics word would be disrespected if the current situation is called politics.    

Once, joining politics was a prestigious matter and politicians were respectable to all. The main theme of the politics was patriotism and people’s welfare. Sacrifice was an important element of politics. But people bore with the current politics. People often use slang words to politicians for their behaviours.   

How the respectable politics become indecent and spoiled? The field of ill politics was prepared in 1975 by killing the best part of politics. Awami League was forcefully bound to go sideline from mainstream politics after the killing of Bangabandhu and four national leaders. After assuming state power, Ziaur Rahman introduced terrible multi-party democracy. He along with some opportunists formed BNP. The era of buying and selling politicians started then. Politics became dirty. Political mischief has been launched by the hands of some greedy politicians. Money and moneymen started to control politics. Telling about politics, BNP founder Ziaur Rahman said, ‘Money is no problem. I will make politics difficult for the politicians.’ Since then, politics becomes tough for real politicians. The number of self-abnegating politicians has been declining regularly. When ‘Money is no problem’ becomes the main controller of politics, there is no need for other factors to turn a country into a safe place of corruption.   

The rise of new riches and their rehabilitation in politics happened during Zia’s regime. Businessmen, retired military officials, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and retired bureaucrats started doing politics. All of them came into politics inspired by Zia’s words ‘Money is no problem.’ Most of them become successful. They not only corrupted politics but also stigmatized their profession. A businessman is becoming an ideal example of the success of wealth after joining politics. Other businesses are following them. The whole country including politics becomes corrupt at the hands of these businessmen, retired military officials, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and retired bureaucrats. They are buying political posts for money. Hybrid politicians are leading the political field.   

Such political mischief can’t be continued. The principles of the Liberation War should be upheld. The politics, philosophy, and spirit of Bangabandhu should be practised. This philosophy and spirit is to establish an exploitation-free society through equality, human dignity and justice. The country is in danger of political mischief and the informal aggression of the United States. All pro-liberation forces should come forward to resist these forces. Strong solidarity should be created like in 1971. Otherwise, the country and its politics would continue to go dark. Freedom of Bangladesh and Bangalees from that dark would be very difficult. 

* The writer is a professor at the Department of Law, University of Chittagong. He can be reached at [email protected]

@ The article was published in print and online versions of the daily Kaler Kantho on 1 August 2023 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.