My heart is bleeding seeing so many losses of lives, fire and destructions. It seems really intolerable to me. Seeing the ruins on both sides of the main streets of the cities, feeling of living in a war-torn country came into my mind. The number of people died in the movement was more than 150. Many common people in addition to the students were also died. In the march of death, there are also Awami League activists, police and ansar members. One of the Awami League activists was killed and hung on publicly in Uttara, while other in Jatrabari in the capital.

Three journalists died in this movement, Hundreds were injured. Journalists were attacked on sight. Cars and motorcycles carrying them were burnt. Cars carrying newspapers were not spared. Condolences for those killed in the movement. I protest against all destructive activities. We did not want to see this Bangladesh. I can say with certainty that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not fight for this kind of Bangladesh what we are seeing now. The brave freedom fighters of 1971 did not fight to see such terrible sabotages.

Students took to the field demanding quota reforms. The parents supported the students' demands. Nothing was a problem. The problem has arisen after the start of hideous politics by keeping the students in ahead and utilize them. A simple student movement was turned into anarchy, horrifying violence, and chaos by the conspirators. The students' movement went to the non-students. Opportunists put on masks to burn assets! State buildings were burned. It is the government's responsibility to find out the identity of the participants in the destructive activities.

 Bangladesh is standing today with a terrible wound inside the chest. I have seen all the cruel faces surrounding the quota movement. I saw a suddenly changed person. Two metrorail stations, the toll plaza of the elevated expressway are now a devastation like that in Gaza of Palestine. Disaster management building, forest building are destroyed in such a mmanner that its painful for eyes to watch. Setu Bhawan, BRTA Bhawan are now only ruins. Important buildings, government vehicles have been burnt in most of the district cities across the country. Gunpowder was used in Dhaka fire. BTV was attacked in a planned way. BTV occupied for 9 hours and the miscreants burnt valuable national resources. All that were done by going to the transmission room.

There was no such thing as law and order in most districts of the country including Narayanganj, Narsingdi. Dhaka residents were insecure. Former mayor of Gazipur Jahangir was brutally attacked. An Awami League worker who was with him was killed and hanged. Who did this? Many more terrible incidents have happened outside Dhaka. The internal dilapidation of Awami League politics has come out. I heard CRI, ICT Ministry has 2 lakh cyber warriors. In reality even the two of them were visible. On the contrary, the institutions that got the work of the ICT Ministry like 'Eso English Sikhi' were in a provocative role. A blessed 60 percent of institutions were busy campaigning to overthrow the government. Don't know whether action will be taken against them or not. In two years, thousands of pages of BNP-Jamaat genre worked to form public opinion against Awami League and Sheikh Hasina through social media. No one noticed. There is a great lack of accountability everywhere.

Awami League is going through a difficult time. There are more leaders who walk around and talk to people. Flatterers, liars in 'Awami League during their tenure being in power are seen everywhere. People runs after ‘posts and positions’ are also ahead in the party and allied organizations looking for money. Those with origin in Jamaat, BNP, Freedom Party are now the leader of Awami League, Chhatra League, Jubo League! If you give money, the world will match. Nothing to say! There is a precedent of having three committees in an upazila in a year under the patronage of the organizing secretary. A few years ago I saw even silly people claims to be part of Awami League. Sarcastic heroines, singers stand in selfie line to get nominations. Where were they in this difficult time? Many wrote against the government on social media. Now again wiping everything.

Many weaknesses of the government and the party have come out. There is no denying the harsh reality. In the time of arrogant people walking with arrogance, I remember one name— Syed Ashraful Islam— at this hard time. He was the General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. There was no demand in his personal life. He didn't get involved in tactics or witty words. He was an outspoken man. He used to do politics with transparency. He held the ideals and principles of the party. He was involved in politics since his student life. Father Syed Nazrul Islam was a political companion of Bangabandhu. Following his father's path, he was also a Chhatra League leader. There was no arrogance in him and he used to get along with everyone. Lust could not touch him. He kept himself away from greed of money. Life was simple for him. He kept his relatives away from his ministry and did not accept personal lobbying. He did not pretend to be the hero of the journey while giving his speech. He kept the spine straight. He did not fall in love with selfie-takers on social media. He did not amazed seeing the actresses and singers. Flatterers did not get a chance to be surrounded. White was called white, black was called black by him.

A politician has to keep up with the times. You have to talk about the reality. Syed Ashraf knew when to say what and what to do. There was no shortage of loyalty from him to the party and the leader. He rarely went to the party office. He did the work of the ministry sitting at home. However, there was no distance with the workers. He did not unnecessarily push workers into danger with unbridled speeches. He did not endanger the affiliated organizations by exaggerating while in custody. He spoke to the media after one-Eleven which tells his resilience during tough times. There was no debate. No one turned off the TV after seeing his face. After the 14-party alliance meeting on the day of the incident at Shapla Square by Hefazat, he did not pull the microphone unnecessarily in front of the coordinator, neither talked unnecessarily. He never had been surrounded by an addressless spoon. He stood beside the workers in times of danger, gave necessary instructions. He did not listen to anyone's wrongdoing, did not go to post selfies on Facebook. He did not laugh at the women workers. Syed Ashraf of Awami League was an exception!

Syed Ashraf had his own style. He wore white pajama-Punjabi. He earned the respect of the staff when he moved around. Everyone respected him. His personality was very high. No one would create controversy in front of him. He did not like flattery. He saw everything with honesty and did politics with honesty. At the time of 1/11, he ignored the army-fear and accelerated the movement for the release of the party leader. He strengthened the staff. He had a commitment to the daughters of Bangabandhu. After Abdul Jalil went to jail, Mukul Bose first became the Acting General Secretary. When Mukul Bose's contradictory statements left the workers frustrated and angry, the responsibility was assigned to Syed Ashraful Islam. In every moment after 1/11, he had fulfilled that duty, rising above the temptations and threats. Awami League president was in jail at that time. He worked as an efficient general secretary under acting president Zillur Rahman in the absence of the leader. During the polling in 2008, he was in the field as per the instructions of the leader. He did not hesitate. He did not reveal any kind of arrogance.

Activists are hurt by the thought of incompetent leadership. Desperation comes to their mind with difficulty - why the political office of a party like Awami League which is in power should be guarded by law and order forces. How many district-upzilla Awami League offices have been burned, can you tell me? Bureaucrats, flatterers, hybrids, who got a post in exchange for money, none were seen during the fire terror. Honorable MP of Dhanmondi area was also not in the field. He did not sit in the office of the party. Mayors of Dhaka were in their homes. The councilors were hiding onto the trenches. Jubo League is now a dead organization, the chairman is traveling abroad. Most of the party and government money earners have flown. No one was found to arrange foods for the activists at the party office at noon. The neglected underprivileged went to the party office with a sad heart. I know the beneficiaries will tell stories of many things to do. Tell stories to prove yourself. There is no point in exaggeration. Organizational weakness cannot be prevented by establishing sand dams. In order to bounce back, the party and the government must start a purification campaign. Otherwise it will be difficult to deal with in the future. Then it will not be useful to mourn the mourning of Muharram., because the thief knows how to cut the house fence.

I can't imagine what would have happened if the curfew had not been imposed that night. Be self-critical. Provocative preparations to destabilize the situation have been going on for a long time. Everything changed in just a few days from July 15 to 19. Opportunists tried to turn Bangladesh into Afghanistan and Syria by using students. The enormity of the situation can be felt by seeing the rampage which was burnt with gunpowder. The plan is understandable. We did not want to see this Bangladesh. In the last 15 years, Sheikh Hasina has taken Bangladesh to a new height. She gave the country a new status to the world. Today, that dignity has been destroyed by terrible vandalism.

Awami League seems to be a helpless party this time. The leaders and activists of the allied organizations have moved around in search of safe shelter. Please no one be pretentious anymore. Think about the future. Act with humility like Syed Ashraf. Remembering the 2016 conference! The atmosphere was different in Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital that day. Syed Ashraf came on stage as the general secretary of the party to give a speech. The written statement should be read according to the custom. He did not read the written statement. He requested everyone to read the written statement. Then he said, “Dear brothers and sisters, I am a child of Awami League, I was born in the house of Awami League. If Awami League gets pain, I also get chest pain. If any activist of Awami League feels pain, I also feel pain in my heart. Awami League is Awami League, it is not a party, it is the name of a feeling for me! The blood of thousands of friends, the blood of the father of the nation and the four leaders, the blood of the language movement - Awami League was born out of this feeling.'” Ashraf said emotionally, “Our blood is pure. Our blood is tested. I am an Awami League, forever Awami League.”

On May 5, 2013, the atmosphere of Dhaka was different. The whole country was tense. What is happening, what will happen was the discussion. Hefazat Islam took possession at Shapla Square in Motijheel. Syed Ashraf as the general secretary of the party kept in touch with Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina all the time. He held a meeting with the party leaders to implement the instructions of the leader and talked to law enforcement agencies. Then he came in front of the media. There was no shadow of tension in his movements. He warned against custody by setting a few hours. He said, “Leave Dhaka. There will be a raid against the chaos.'' There was firmness in the voice. For once he did not pull the party and the affiliates in the matter. Not a single provocative word was said.

This is Syed Ashraf! He is not compared to anyone else. Awami League leaders and activists have felt the lack of one Syed Ashraful Islam beside the party president. Many wrote on social media, spoke in conversation. There is a great lack of visionary leaders in our political parties. Awami League needed a Syed Ashraf for the party, for the party leader, for the activists in this time of their several terms of remaining in power.

(The writer is the Editor of The Bangladesh Pratidin)