August 5 was a historic day for Bangladesh for more reasons than one. The Awami League (AL), the party whose cause was a cornerstone in Bangladesh's history, was ousted by the masses.

Since independence, political turmoil has been part of narratives closely related to Bangladesh. One of the factors which worked in the AL's favour, from the time the party assumed responsibility in 2009, was that it was regarded as the most progressive and liberal party to have gained power following liberation. At that point in time, AL's values struck a chord with the secular middle-class Bangladeshi. The preceding regimes association with elements such as the military, fundamentalism, and state-centric politics aided in this regard.

Fast forward to 2024, and one finds that the AL-led 14-party alliance's rule is being labelled "fascist."

The AL regime has been somewhat of a conundrum. The Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2041 (PP 2041), which was published in 2020, envisioned to build on economic advancements and enhance the lives of people. The AL accommodated more public-private partnerships within the media world than any other party before and oversaw the widespread introductions of leading social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Indeed, the regime looked outwards and allowed creative media productions to be released, which did not always comply with the more conservative National Broadcast Policy of 2014. Accordingly, the party is largely responsible for digitalising a new generation of Bangladeshis, many of whom have smartphones and global aspirations today and took to the streets during the recent protests. Student coordinators such as Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud are surely part of that generation and are, in fact, products of "Digital Bangladesh."

"Digital Bangladesh" was a pillar that supported the party's return to the centre in 2009 and represented its defiance of right-wing politics. AL's reformist approaches resonated with the masses in the context of globalisation and the interrelatedness of international networks in the 21st century. Their alliance with left-wing parties enabled the AL to stay in power and inspire many in the country. But, as it has transpired, the 14-party alliance seems to have paved the way for more dreams than stairs to reach those ambitions.

The recent movement portrayed the angst and frustration of the people from various sectors in Bangladesh, including journalism. The protests that began in the first week of July should be credited for capturing on-the-ground reactions. The mass killings, detentions, disappearances and violence against unarmed protestors that took place during this movement truly called into question the ethos of AL's political mandate. Over 400 people have lost their lives during the quota reform movement between July 16 and August 4, with some claiming that the number may well be understated. It has also been put forward that hospital records have been tampered with and bodies hidden, further putting into question just how many people have sacrificed their lives to bring an end to AL's rule.

Students have always been integral to the political narrative of Bangladesh. The fall of the Ershad regime was not brought about only by workers, but students as well, who endeavoured to take the nation forward on the path of democracy. Students again played their part in 2008 and 2013, when the Shahbagh Protests signalled their support for secular and not communal politics. In 2024, students took a stance once against the fascist practices of the Awami regime.

The tragic reality is that the AL committed to preserving democracy in the country, but backed the said promise by fascist means. The quota reform movement, which eventually led to the AL government's end, stemmed from opposition to fascist practices which often granted AL supporters, activists, and leaders the license to terrorise communities around the country. Throughout its rule, the former ruling party publicly branded opposition parties, such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies as being fundamentalist and in conflict with the progressive agenda of the party.

While AL's statement may well be true when considering the realities of grassroots politics and the history of BNP and its allies, the Awami League's ideology also correlated with its globalist persuasions. The AL attained success in this sphere and was able to, for a period since 2009, be the flagbearer of the identity of the modern Bangladeshi. But, at present the premise of AL is being questioned and it remains to be seen how that plays out.

In essence, what the masses including the youths of Bangladesh have conveyed through this movement is that they are averse to right-wing politics in general, and both AL and BNP are considered part of that category today. This is very important to consider as we eventually transition to political-administrative rule again. Only time will tell whether progressive politics really do see the light of day in Bangladesh and who will be the leading stakeholders of the future. Meanwhile, the appointment of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus as the chief of the interim government seems to be a step in the right direction.        

Nihad Nowsher works in business development.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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The Election Commission yesterday decided to hold re-elections in three polling centres of Brahmanbaria-2 on January 9, as the polls there were suspended on Sunday.

In a notice, signed by EC Joint Secretary Forhad Ahammad Khan, the commission said that elections in three of the 76 polling centres were suspended following deterioration of law and order during Sunday's national election.

The centres were at Jatrapur Governmnet Primary School, Bahadurpur Governmnet Primary School and Sohagpur Governmnet Primary School.

During voting hours on Sunday, supporters of two candidates were locked in a heated argument after which voting was suspended in the three centres. The incident occurred around 11:00am.

EC officials said that the BNP candidate Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan was leading the polls in the constituency with 82,723 votes while independent candidate Moyeen Uddin bagged 72,564 votes.

The number of voters of the three centres was 10, 572, while the total number of voters in the constituency was 214,039.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday termed the proposed national budget "anti-Bangladesh", saying it contains new schemes to facilitate the embezzlement of public money by the ruling party-backed looters.

"The government has become looters. The budget crafted by these looters seems to be aimed at further indulging in plundering. I believe that fresh plans have been devised in the budget for embezzlement (of public money)," he said.

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Budget falls short of what was needed

Talking to reporters on the budget in front of the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said the worst aspect of the proposed budget is the lack of any direction towards new job creation.

"The entire budget seems to be formulated for mega projects, mega theft, and corruption. So, I not only call this so-called budget anti-people but also anti-Bangladesh," he observed.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali placed a Tk 7,97,000 crore proposed national budget for 2024-25 in parliament.

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Budget unlikely to make dent in soaring inflation

Giving his party's initial reaction to the budget, Fakhrul said the proposed expenditure is much higher than the revenue collection target.

He warned that this imbalance will only intensify public suffering and increase their burden.

The BNP leader also feared that the government will cut public pockets to meet its expenditures.

Besides, he said the government will take loans or grant from abroad as well as from local banks to bridge the gap between expenditures and revenue earnings.

"In the end, it will be the people who bear the consequences. They are already grappling with the burden of unbearable increases in the prices of commodities, fuel, and utility services, including power," Fakhrul said.

He said the government plans to further increase the prices of utility services in the near future, leaving the country's people in a precarious situation. "Many individuals are returning to rural areas, leaving cities struggling to sustain their livelihoods."

Fakhrul said the government has no focus on resolving the problems faced by the people amidst the gradual increase in inflation.

About the provision for whitening black money with a payment of 15 percent tax, he said it is unjust to those who earn money through legal means.

Referring to recent media reports on the alleged corruption involving former IGP Benazir Ahmed and former army chief Aziz Ahmed, Fakhrul questioned how government officials could accumulate such vast amounts of wealth.

The BNP leader also said the budget was presented in a parliament where all MPs, elected through what he referred to as a "dummy election," are affiliated with the ruling party, even though they are seated separately on both the treasury and opposition benches.

He also alleged that burning issues concerning public interests are now cannot be discussed in parliament, as the ruling party MPs only like to engage in praising the government.

Fakhrul also mentioned an instance where an MP attempted to initiate a discussion on the corruption allegations against Benazir but was interrupted and stopped.

Ruling Awami League activists in Cumilla today flexed their muscles to release a party man from the custody of local police just two days ahead of election.

Over a hundred men of the party surrounded a local police station to free one of the supporters after the latter was detained, our local correspondent reports.

Awami League activist Syed Raihan was detained around 2:00pm by Cumilla Kotwali Police for reasons not ascertained, according to local police sources.

Awami League activist Syed Raihan. Photo: Collected

AKM Bahauddin, current lawmaker from Awami League for Cumilla-6 and a candidate of the seat in the election, went to the police station hearing the news.

Bahauddin went inside and talked with the officer-in-charge, and after a short while, Raihan was released without further ado.

Asked about it, Abu Salam Mia, officer-in-charge of the police station, told The Daily Star: “The detention was made out of a misunderstanding. He did nothing wrong.”

AL supporters took positions on both sides of the police station road. Photo: Star

Seeking anonymity, some local Awami League activists told The Daily Star that Raihan was a member of a rival group of the party, but switched sides recently to work for MP Bahauddin.

Tariqur Rahman Jewel, general secretary of Cumilla Sadar Awami League, told The Daily Star: “Since there were no cases against him, our lawmaker went to the police station to get him out so that he is not harassed without reason.”

BNP candidates for Manikganj-1 Khondaker Akter Hamid Dablu allegedly came under attack today.

Dablu claimed that criminals fired gunshots at his car twice in Ghior upazila town and Mohadevpur area of Shivalaua upzila while he was returning home from Daulatpur upazila nirbahi officer’s office this afternoon.

However, the two bullets missed his car, he said adding that he informed Manikganj police superintendent about the attacks.

Contacted, Rifat Rahman Shamim, superintendent of police in Manikganj, said that after investigation, police couldn't find any evidence of such incident.