Amir in the morning becomes Fakir in the afternoon?

Exactly 10 years ago. I went to Faridpur to attend a workshop. Suddenly in the middle of Faridpur city, police stopped the car. Not only ours. All the vehicles around were stopped. The police were very busy. I got out of the car a little annoyed. I asked what is the matter. The police whispered, VIP Movement. I was a little curious to know, so I asked, who? The answer came, Babar sir. I was very annoyed this time. But Babar is in jail, I said. This time the little police officer got very angry with me. This is the first time he looked at me. The look is such that he would swallow me right now. He almost rebuked and said, get out of here. I have been researching politics for so long but I do not know Babar sir! I was upset. Not knowing him felt like a crime to me. While having tea before starting the workshop in Faridpur, I asked a couple of journalists. They were also shocked. Asking who is Babar, was like committing a crime. Seeing the discomfort in the faces of the journalists increased my guilt. After the lunch break at noon, the young journalist who organized the workshop dragged me away. He said, ‘Brother, it is better not to talk about Babar Sir in Faridpur. You have come to attend the workshop, do it and leave.’ The young journalist also told me, ‘Babar Sir is the younger brother of Engineer Mosharraf Hossain. He is the one who actually runs Faridpur. His words are the last word in Faridpur.’ I returned to Dhaka from Faridpur and called Pijush Da. I had a close relationship with Pijush Bandyopadhyay for some work. He was an actor but his main identity was that he was a freedom fighter. His home was in Faridpur. He often told various stories of Faridpur. Piyush Da was the one who first told me the real picture of Faridpur. He said, ‘Babar is the younger brother of the minister, he used to a BNP leader. Now the Awami League is his everything. Those who took the helm in Faridpur during the hard times of Awami are now the opposition party. Those who used to be BNP-Jamaat are now Awami League. Piyush Dar's words broke my mistake. Why did the police threaten me, why did the journalists avoid answering the question of who is Babar? I got answers to all such questions. Then a decade passed. On the morning of March 8, I saw on the television scroll that Khandaker Mohtesham Hossain Babar had been arrested from Dhaka. I saw his picture in the newspaper. One tired and defeated man. Suddenly I remembered that line of Kazi Nazrul Islam's song- 'Sakalbela Amir Re Bhai, Fakir Sandhyabela'. Did Babur know that this would be the consequence? In 2012, no vehicles were allowed on his way to Faridpur. And now there is handcuffs on his hands. The news about Babar has been circulating in the media for the last few days. How he became the owner of thousands of crores Tk. He used to take 15 percent commission in all tenders in Faridpur. No one would get a job without his words. He is accused of money laundering of Tk 2,535 crore. The allegations against Babar will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies, the court said. But after Babar's arrest, I saw a joyous festival in Faridpur. Sweets are being distributed. The real court for politicians of any level is the people's court. The fate of politicians is determined by the verdict of the people's court rather than the judicial court. Babar is guilty in the people's court. He was in power for 10 years. He did whatever he pleased. He has made a lot of money but he has not been able to win the love of the people. People are waiting in disgust to see the fate of Babar today.

In politics, the transition from Rich to Fakir happens when there is a change of power. For politicians, the distance between the seat of power and the prison is like the back of a coin. But that is not the case for Khandaker Mohtesham Hossain. Babar became an ‘Amir’ during Awami League’s time, which is in power right now. But yet Babur's empire fell. For this, Sheikh Hasina's fierce critics can only give her a small thank you. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given many messages through this one incident. Through this arrest, the Prime Minister proved once again that she is not a person who gives any concessions on the matter of policy and ideology. I would like to take this opportunity to clear our vague memories. After winning the 2018 elections, the Awami League president adopted a zero tolerance policy against corruption. Sheikh Hasina had clearly declared, "No concession will be given to the corrupt. Strict action will be taken against them." One by one, the casino traders were arrested. She has brought many miscreants of the party under the law. Babar is the latest example of this purification campaign. In this regard, Sheikh Hasina is fearless and courageous. She did not see the identity of the villain. She did not see the identity of the villain. I do not know of any other party leader in Bangladesh who has taken such action against non-creators within his own party. I know many will disagree with me. But has anyone ever wondered, what an indomitable brave culture Sheikh Hasina has introduced. In the last three years, she has brought at least 2,000 leaders and activists of his party under the law. Chhatra League president-general secretary has resigned. The popularity of the emperor Ismail Chowdhury in the politics of Dhaka is unquestionable. He did many sacrifice for the organization. Worked for the team in hard times. But so what? Whenever he has crossed the line, he has been brought under the law. Is it possible to get a license to do wrong only by playing a courageous role in difficult times? Those in the Awami League who do not understand even after seeing all this, may have failed to understand the signal of Sheikh Hasina. Just a matter of time. Today those who are corrupt are floating in comfort. Those who think that I have done a lot for Awami League, let's have a little fun now- they should understand that Sheikh Hasina is aware of everyone's secret. She will decide when to take action against whom. Those who used to exercise their power even a few days ago are now voluntarily confined to their homes due to unknown fears. Today those who consider themselves extremely influential, those who blow their dirty noses on everything, I will request all those to have a listen to the song- shokal bela amir re bhai… privately, in a cool head, with the lights off. Because nothing is essential to the Awami League president except ideology and policy. I think the Prime Minister observes everything, sees and then gives a chance to get better. She also warns. Then takes action. Of course, those who are ambitious, hybrid, intruder, they care little about principles and ideals. That is why they do not understand what Sheikh Hasina wants, what her thoughts and philosophies are. They think that power is a fair of looting. If they had the talent to understand the message of Sheikh Hasina, they would not be so shameless. I have seen that the Awami League government, which is in power for 3 consecutive terms, has about two dozen bigots. Those who are committing various misdeeds using the identity of Awami League. Everyone knows them. In a political party like Awami League, crores of leaders and workers are honest. Bangabandhu daughter is in power, the murder of the father of the nation has been tried, Razakars have no power- most of the leaders and workers of Awami League are happy about this. Most of the Awami League workers run their families by working hard. They wait for soybean oil on the TCB line for hours. Honest workers are discredited because of a handful of opportunists and wrongdoers. Because of them the reputation of the whole Awami League and the government is ruined. Lately, some people like ‘Fool to others to himself a sage’ have been seen in the center of power. They think that they are the masters of everything. I feel very sorry for them. Because they do not know that they are not worth even a penny without Sheikh Hasina. If Sheikh Hasina turns her back on them, the fate of each of them will be like that of Babar. They are actually like the moon. They have no light of their own, they are illuminated by the light of Sheikh Hasina. Seeing the condition of Babar, will they be a little restrained? Whether they are restrained or not, I can swear that they will not survive in Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. I have a huge hobby of watching the consequences of them like Babar. I am sure that the Awami League president will bring these unscrupulous miscreants under the law.

Babars are lucky. Whether he is jailed or released without a court order, his name is Khandaker Mohtesham Hossain. Sheikh Hasina has assured Babar and other miscreants to keep their identities intact. But think about Harish Chowdhury once. He did not even die in his own identity. Like BNP politics, his identity is false, voter card and passport is fake, even the latest death certificate is also fake. Respected journalist Matiur Rahman Chowdhury is fresh and lively even at this age. Still tireless in the intoxication of news. On March 6, he showed once again what investigative journalism is all about. His investigative report titled 'Not Harish Chowdhury but Mahmudur Rahman is Dead' is shocking, extraordinary. In this report, Matiur Rahman Chowdhury has found out the beginning and end of Harish Chowdhury's identity change. Harish Chowdhury's self-concealment in Panthapath, holding a new name is all like a thriller. Even after that many people have doubts, and mistrust about it. Seeing and hearing the whole incident reminded me of Rabindranath Tagore's short story 'Living and Dead'. Everyone knows the story of this short story. One of its sentences is widely used and discussed. The sentence is, ‘Kadambini died and proved that he is not dead.’ If Harish Chowdhury doesn't really die in the name of Mahmudur Rahman, then he has to save his identity by committing suicide like Kadambini. "He must die to prove he is not dead." If he really dies, he will continue to be discussed in history as a cowardly, corrupt political figure.

The incidents of Babar and Harish Chowdhury are two seemingly isolated but intertwined. The consequences of injustice and arbitrariness in the identity of politics are terrible. Harish Chowdhury Was infinitely powerful from 2001 to 2006. Even kings do not have as much power as this man had. I would like to give an example of Harish Chowdhury's arbitrariness. The events of 2003. One evening a call came to a businessman who had achieved prosperity in the health sector. From the other end, it was said, "Harish Chowdhury, the political secretary to the prime minister, will speak." The business gentleman is not in politics. People with a little introverted nature. He hung up the phone. Then call came again, again .... Annoyed, the gentleman turned off the phone. After a while he left his institution for home. Going a little farther, two cars stopped his car from front and also from behind. Some people got out of the two cars and surrounded the car. Before they knew it, armed men got out of the car. The businessman was blindfolded and was taken to a house and brutally tortured. At one stage he lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, he was still blindfolded. When his eyes were open he saw Harish Chowdhury standing in front of him. Innocent gentleman survived that time by giving 10 crore Tk. No lawsuit was filed. Did not dare to tell anyone. He said these words only once in public during One-Eleven. Then when he was asked to file a case, he went abroad. After a long time, I asked him why he did not file a case. He said, Harish Chowdhury is terrible. If they ever come to power again they will kill me. Is it imaginable that the glorious Harish Chowdhury has lived a miserable life for 14 years? Then why so much greed, why so much lust for power. What will happen with these? Khandaker Mohtesham Hossain had the same condition. In Faridpur he was called 'Chhota Raja'. Has smuggled more than two and a half thousand crore Tk. But now what?

If we all thought about the consequences of injustice, would there be so much injustice, corruption, looting? But the reality is that no one thinks of consequences when it comes to arbitrariness, transgression. Think they are immortal, eternal. But why is it so difficult for some people to understand that there is a lot of peace in the life of a simple honest person rather than becoming an amir in the morning and becoming a beggar in the afternoon? Now that there are so many new Harish or Babars in the society, will they learn anything by watching these?   

Author: Executive Director, Poriprekkhit

Email : poriprekkhit@yahoo.com

Source: Bangladesh Pratidin