The Leaders of the Ulema in Bangladesh Must Challenge Hasina’s Politics of Treachery and not be a part of it

By: Imadul Amin*

People in Bangladesh are helplessly observing that ahead of the looming National Election in Bangladesh, Hasina government is acting with desperation to get support from the neighboring India to get into the power once again. In a very short period of time, treacherous anti-state treaties were done one after another by Hasina regime, from allowing India to use Mongla and Chittagong ports of Bangladesh as her transit points to access her north-eastern states for trade to yielding our strategic energy resources to her by purchasing 500 MW electricity from her as part of Indian plan to invest $9 billion in Bangladeshi energy sector which will leave the country highly vulnerable to security threats by the sworn enemy of Muslims - India. All these treaties are paving ways for India to deeply anchor itself in the strategic sectors of Bangladesh as part of its plan to penetrate every strata of our country. It is obvious that the so-called democratic politics has lost its credibility in Bangladesh as people have already come to realize that it is not them that these Awami-BNP politicians really care for, but rather the imperialists and their regional ally India are the real source of authority for these lackeys, and our enemies are using this opportunity to capitalize on our geo-political position for their regional dominance and control over our strategic resources and locations for their own economic and political benefit.

In this situation, we see certain sections with vested interests are fawning over Hasina’s regime as they are also reaping the benefits of the regime’s looting and corruption which is taking place in the guise of mega construction projects. These groups are very few in number and they naturally do not represent the aspiration and interests of the mass people of the country who beyond a shadow of a doubt believe that these type of anti-state treaties and understandings with India before the upcoming election are signs of political bankruptcy and also feel that the government has already lost their support and trust because of its endless tyranny, corruption and oppression.

So, we should not be amazed to see certain leaders of the Ulema (Islamic scholars) validating Hasina’s politics of treachery as they also do not represent the entire Ulema section of Bangladesh. They are rather a small number benefiting from the corruption of the government and also trying to be associated with the regime for the sake of political expediency. Thus we saw in the name of ‘gratitude gathering’ over tyrant Hasina’s recognition of top Qawmi madrasa degree as equivalent to Master’s in Islamic studies and Arabic, these so-called leaders of the Ulema have helped her take advantage of the ample opportunity of asking for votes from the Ulema in election politics, and to show the general people the Ulema’s support for her. Whereas the entire nation including the sincere majority of the Ulema are well aware of the fact that this Machiavellian tactic of Hasina’s recognition to Qawmi degree was not from the responsibility towards the Ulema, but rather to erase her label of “Ulema killer” for the 2013 ‘Shapla Chattar Massacre’ and use the support of the Ulema to get to power again. And thus letting tyrannical Hasina to exploit this recognition by arranging an election rally of the Ulema and calling it ‘Shokrana Mahfil’ (gratitude gathering) was in fact an act of betrayal of trust of the thousands of Qawmi madrasa activists who suffered fatal injuries and many others were martyred by the regime’s thugs. Instead of the gathering to demand Hasina’s punishment for killing their brothers, these leaders of the Ulema thought of showing her gratitude and seeking her patronage! The leaders of the Ulema must challenge Hasina’s politics of treachery and not be a part of it.

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾

“As for those who sell for a small price the covenant and faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the hereafter. Nor will Allah speak to them or look at them on the day of judgment, nor will He cleanse them; they shall have a grievous torment, a painful doom.” [Surah Aal-i-Imraan: 77]

* Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Bangladesh

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 208