Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, in a pre-iftar speech on July 18, 2013, said that she would ‘run a government of a new nature if voted to power'. Subsequently, Tareq Rahman, her son, in another iftar gathering held in London on July 25, 2013, apparently presented a partial election manifesto of BNP providing policy proposals in the areas of agriculture, industry, education, information technology and governance. After the BNP's victory in five city corporation elections, the discussion of a new type of government has created such an atmosphere that many see BNP will form next government, provided that there is an election - whether it is held under a neutral non-partisan government or not. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina dismissed Khaleda Zia's pledge to run a government of a new nature as a new way of corruption and violence. And as an alternative to Tareq Zia, she brought her son Sajib Wajed Joy for the Awami League's election campaign.

 

What the Muslims of Bangladesh need to realize is that unless they uproot the present system and establish Islam in ruling they will continue to be deceived with new slogans and faces. The sons of the Awami-BNP leaders will not provide them any better life than their mothers have. As long as the rulers rule by capitalism and democracy, there will be no shortage of corruption, violence, instability, crisis after crisis, and imperialist control and intervention in the country. These rulers will never be able to solve the country's problems, any problem for that matter. Our Prophet (saw) warned us against these shallow rulers and politicians:

"سَيَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ سَنَوَاتٌ خَدَّاعَاتُ يُصَدَّقُ فِيهَا الْكَاذِبُ وَيُكَذَّبُ فِيهَا الصَّادِقُ وَيُؤْتَمَنُ فِيهَا الْخَائِنُ وَيُخَوَّنُ فِيهَا الْأَمِينُ وَيَنْطِقُ فِيهَا الرُّوَيْبِضَةُ قِيلَ وَمَا الرُّوَيْبِضَةُ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ التَّافِهُ فِي أَمْرِ الْعَامَّةِ"

"Deceiving years will come when the people would believe the liar and not believe the trustworthy, and the traitor would be trusted and the honest would be distrusted. In those years the Ruwaybidah will speak." He was asked, "And who are the Ruwaybidah?" He (saw) said, "The shallow man who speaks about the affairs of the people."

 

Allah (swt), the Creator and Provider, has given us a ruling system i.e. the Khilafah "Caliphate". In the Islamic ruling system, the Khaleefah is obligated and responsible to rule the people according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, which are the sources of legislation instead of the whims and desires of zalim rulers. The Khaleefah will be assisted by his deputies and executive assistants. There will not be any legislative assembly; rather there will be a Majlis al Ummah where peoples' representative will give advice to the Khaleefah.

 

Islamic sources of legislation provide necessary policies to govern the people. For example in the field of agriculture, farmers have to be provided with all necessary inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, water, electricity, and diesel on time. Major problems in the agricultural sector such as syndication, hoarding, cheating and extortions must be stopped in order to benefit both the farmers and consumers. Our Prophet (saw) said, "...مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي" "Whoever cheats is not one of us."

 

He (saw) also said, "مَنْ احْتَكَرَ فَهُوَ خَاطِئٌ" "Whoever monopolizes is a wrongdoer."

 

As another example, the aim of education in the Islamic state is to produce the Islamic personalities and to provide people with the knowledge to lead in life's affairs. Since the Islamic Aqeedah will be the basis of the state's education policy, curriculum must be chosen on this basis. The purpose of education cannot simply be to train people to work for Western companies and earn more remittance.

 

There is no doubt that we will see more empty promises and wrong solutions in the coming days unless we stop these corrupt rulers. We must reject them and their rhetoric. It is an obligation on us to remove these ruling elites who have lied and oppressed us for decades and establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashidah. Khilafah "Caliphate" will rule us with Islam, which is the only guarantee for peace, security, prosperity, honour and victory.

 

Muhammad Raiyan Hasan

Member of Hizb ut Tahrir in Bangladesh