The conspiracy to topple the Awami League government is by no means a novelty. As the nationalist force acting in the interest of Bangladesh, the custodian of Bengali nationalism, and the vanguard of secularism—this remains the historic destiny of the Awami League. Anti-state factions and proxies of foreign powers have conspired in the past, and they shall continue to do so in the future. For as long as the nation does not join the ranks of developed countries, and until the entire political spectrum aligns itself with the spirit of the Liberation War, incidents of this nature will inevitably persist.
We shall mourn this, lodge our grievances with the public, and demand justice at both national and international levels—we shall do it all. Yet, as political activists, this cannot be our sole preoccupation. Far more critical is the imperative to stage a comeback, to consolidate our social standing once again, and to re-establish our politics among the masses… before advancing towards ultimate victory shoulder-to-shoulder with the people.
This is only attainable if we remain strong as a party. A strong party does not merely imply the strength of our Leader, Sheikh Hasina. A strong party demands that leadership at every single tier—from the central executive and districts down to the grassroots wards—is robust, deeply connected with the public, and commands the highest level of popular acceptability. The common man must be able to depend on local leaders and activists for their well-being, trusting them implicitly through both prosperity and adversity. That cannot be the sole burden of Sheikh Hasina’s individual leadership; rather, it is the duty of every leader in every unit, and it constitutes the very essence of real politics.
Can we truthfully claim, with our hands on our hearts, that over the past fifteen years, every one of us has fulfilled this duty from our respective positions? If we have failed to do so, then we are a liability to the Awami League. In these trying times, we are nothing but an encumbrance upon the party. Only if we have discharged our duties faithfully can we be deemed a resource—an asset—to the Awami League. Only then shall we be of any service to the party in this hour of crisis.
Let us, for once, hold a mirror to ourselves. Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League government has delivered monumental development. It was her administration that formulated the blueprint for equitable progress. It was the central government that determined the scale and nature of the infrastructure to be built in your constituency or mine; as a local leader, you had virtually no hand in these infrastructural triumphs (save for lobbying for a few major projects). It was the government that allocated various welfare allowances in your area; apart from ensuring their proper distribution, you made no distinct contribution. What, then, is your actual legacy as a leader?
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Tell Us, for Once, What Exactly Have You Contributed to the Party in the Last Fifteen Years?
Your responsibility was to systematically elevate and consolidate your position, and that of the Awami League, within your area or tier. What did you achieve to that end?
- What measures did you employ to enlist new voters for the Awami League? Outside of state-sponsored initiatives, what personal endeavors did you undertake that made the recruitment of new voters possible?
- What did you do to retain the allegiance of traditional Awami League supporters? What programmes did you initiate to deepen their affection for the party?
- If you held organizational responsibilities, how did you strengthen the party apparatus? How many new activists did you groom, and what role did you play in their training? What initiatives did you spearhead to make them financially self-reliant and ideologically grounded?
- The youth are naturally anti-establishment and rebellious by temperament. Retaining their allegiance requires persistent, deliberate effort. What did you do to sustain the support of the younger generation? What programmes did you offer to make yourself and the party appealing to them?
- Bengali culture is our ultimate shield. What was your contribution to its proliferation? What did you do to retain the backing of cultural activists? How many new initiatives did you launch to ensure they could conduct their activities smoothly and inspire a new generation of cultural practitioners?
- Religious bigotry is the primary adversary of the Awami League. What counter-measures did you introduce? What actions did you take against those who exploit religion for commerce, and how did you enlighten the public on the truth?
- The Awami League has perpetually been barraged by disinformation and malicious propaganda. What steps did you take to disseminate accurate information and build credibility? In how many forums did you campaign, or how many pieces did you write?
- The public naturally casts a critical eye upon the activists of a ruling party. Consequently, one must work doubly hard to earn their acceptance. What steps did you take toward this? What did you do to polish your own image?
Now, Contrast That with the Disservice You Have Rendered to the Party:
How many loyal supporters and ordinary citizens were alienated by your sheer arrogance, or that of your family and sycophants, alongside your vulgar, ostentatious expenditures and newly acquired pretension? The entire burden of the resentment you generated ultimately fell squarely upon the shoulders of the Awami League.
How many incompetent, alienated relatives or lackeys did you infiltrate into various committees of the Awami League? Alternatively, how many names did you endorse in exchange for financial kickbacks? How many dedicated activists did you deny a place on committees simply because they refused to join your personal faction? How many good workers did you systematically drive out of the party through malicious conspiracies?
How many constructive initiatives launched by well-meaning party workers did you deliberately stifle? I, for one, was prevented from organizing a free eye-surgery camp on the occasion of the 15th of August. How many similar noble efforts did you obstruct? You failed to suppress me because I possessed both the tenacity and the resources; thus, I chartered buses to transport the people of Kumarkhali all the way to Khulna for their surgeries. But because not everyone possesses that resolve, countless excellent initiatives were strangled solely because of you.
How many cultural endeavours did you shut down? How many cultural initiatives or organisations did you paralyze simply because they did not cater to your whims or belong to your faction? In their stead, how many religious assemblies did you patronize featuring fundamentalist speakers, which in turn bred an anti-Awami League mindset?
In how many local arbitrations did you accept bribes to distort verdicts? From that very day, the victims of your injustice turned against the Awami League in their hearts.
From how many individuals did you extort money under the pretext of securing them employment? How many did you swindle by promising party nominations? How many party workers did you ‘discipline’ with fabricated lawsuits, or how many ordinary citizens did you subject to intimidation?
The very day you committed these misdeeds, your victims—even those who were traditional Awami League loyalists—secretly prayed for your downfall. In the final analysis, the blame for your corruption defaulted to the Awami League.
Observe one telling phenomenon: those who did not sycophantically flatter the regime prior to the 5th of August, nor penned a single line in support of the party, yet are fiercely vocal in its defense today—every single one of them was a victim of the misdeeds of leaders and activists like you. Witnessing the existential peril of the Awami League today, they have risen to action. Yet, these very individuals had been rendered completely inactive before the 5th of August, alienated entirely by your conduct.
Therefore, as a dedicated activist of the Awami League, let me be perfectly clear: if you are a liability to this party, do not show your face. The sight of you will only drive many currently active individuals back into silence. The Awami League does not suffer from a scarcity of leadership. With the sole exception of our Leader, Sheikh Hasina, absolutely no one is indispensable to this party. Stay at home, and when the elections arrive, cast your vote; but your days of leadership are over.
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