Ershad’s agenda behind the long march

Ershad’s agenda behind the long march

Jatiya Party President is up to his tricks again, this time ostensibly opposing India’s Tipaimukh Dam project

And now Ershad has called for a ‘long march’ programme, using the Tipaimukh Dam issue as catalyst to promulgate several other political agendas. He is, after all, a member of the Awami League-led mahajote or grand alliance. On top of that, only recently he paid a visit to New Delhi. So it is only natural that eyebrows have been raised over this sudden anti-Indian and anti-government stance of former President Hussain Mohammed Ershad. Many suspect that this wily old politician is actual playing a game in favour of both India and the government. Analysts call him the governments B Team.

BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia has called upon the people to remain alert about various issues national interest and stand up against the government on the issues of transit, trade imbalance, possible environmental harm by the power plant under construction in India’s Rampal and the Tipaimukh Dam project. The people have responded to this call and it has given a new impetus to the opposition political movement.

The people have taken offence at the manner in which the ministers and advisors of the government have been concealing information about the Tipaimukh Dam, failing to keep their commitments and barefacedly promoting Indian interests. The people’s reaction has political significance. This gave speed and strength to BNP’s anti-government movement, lending it considerable public support. This was evident in the impressive turnout at the party public meetings held in the divisional towns recently.

Taken aback by the growing strength and influence of the BNP camp, the government side has decided to divert public attention so that they may not channel their anger and frustration to rally behind BNP and boost its popularity. And it is part of this strategy, political observers maintain, that Ershad has ostensibly launched his movement.

When Ershad began the march on December 10, stopping at Shaistaganj in Habiganj and the next day at Zakiganj to address public meetings, he spewed out speeches like a parrot, calling for all parties to come together on one platform in order to find a resolution to the problems. He even extended this call to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It is obvious he is trying to generalize BNP’s movement. In doing so, he wants to rob BNP of its sole initiative against Tipaimukh and divert public attention away from movement.

Meanwhile, the buzz in political circles is that the government is planning to run the next general election sans the Zia family. The ultimate goal is to remain at the top and in power. In that case, Ershad will lead the opposition and his Tipaimukh movement will render him all the more ready for the role. At his public meetings, he has been saying, “I have decided to contest alone in the next election, not as part of any alliance.”

As part of this plan, analysts say, Ershad may even withdraw from the mahajote and form the opposition. The long march programme is just a stepping stone to his plan to lead the opposition in the House after the next election. Analysts are convinced that the government has sent Ershad forth in order to ensure that BNP doesn’t get the upper hand in the opposition movement.

Ershad still thinks he is a popular leader. At his public meetings he has been saying, “I have launched myself into this movement and will bring Jatiya Party back to power. I want to see how popular I am. The time for me to return to power has drawn near.” But the outcome of his rallies proves that he is now more or less a political dead horse. However, he is also undoubtedly still a cunning politician, as indicated by his long march strategy.

When Ershad’s long march started up from Banani last Saturday, there were about 60 to 70 cars in the entourage. By the time it reached Narayanganj, there were 200 vehicles in the rally. Another 100 or so joined after Habiganj. So when the march finally reached Sylhet, there were about 400 cars in all.

During the long march, the rally stopped for some time at Ashuganj’s Nirapad Inn, a highway restaurant belongs to local Jatiya Party leader Rintu Anwar. One of the journalists covering the march noted that the serial number tag on the first car was 1001, but when he actually counted the cars, he saw there were only 203.

Ershad addressed seven street meetings on his way to Sylhet, as part of the long march programme. He stopped at Narsingdi’s Panchdona, Jailkhana Mor,  Baroicha bus stand, the Biswa Road intersection at Sarail in Ashuganj, Shaistganj Bridge in Habiganj, Aushkandi and Sherpur. Not more than a thousand or so people attended each of these public meetings. In the first few meetings Ershad spoke from the vehicle.

At four-fifteen in the afternoon, Ershad joined the Jatiya Party public meeting organized at the Aliya Madrassa grounds in Sylhet. Ershad and 14 members of the party’s presidium addressed the meeting for 45 minutes in total. So on average each person got to speak just over three minute. Speaking at the meeting were Kazi Zafar Ahmed, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Dr. Fazle Rabbi, Secretary General Ruhul Amin Howladar, Salma Islam MP, Nure Hasna Lily Chowdhury and others.

At the meeting, Ershad criticized Sheikh Hasina’s government, saying, “The government has failed to stop the construction of Tipaimukh dam. That is why we have taken up this long march programme despite being a part of the mahajote.” About six to seven thousand people gathered at this meeting. Whether they believed Ershad’s words against the government or not is a meter of debate, because the fact remains that he is an ally of the government. His younger brother GM Kader is a member of the cabinet.

At 10.30 the next morning, Ershad continued his long march to Zakiganj. On his way, he held meetings at Chowmuhoni and Charkhaibazar. They finally reached Zakiganj at two-fifteen in the afternoon. Their last meeting was at the Zakiganj Government Boys High School grounds. However, the long march by then had lost its initial character and had become more of an election campaign. He introduced the local upazila chairman of Zakiganj Shabbir Ahmed and Mohammed Selim Uddin of Gopalganj as the Jatiya Party candidates for the next election. Convenor of the long march programme and the party’s senior leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed addressed Ershad at the public meeting, saying, “You have called the Prime Minister for a national consensus. If she does not respond, just kick the mahajote to one side and leave it. The people are with you.” The public meeting at Zakiganj was bigger than the other meetings and it was learnt that this had been arranged by the two aspiring MP candidates Shabbir Ahmed and Selim.

A screen had also been raised in a clever manner behind the dais so that when news of the rally was aired on TV, no empty spot in the field could be seen. It would give the look of a mammoth meeting.

At the Zakiganj meeting, Ershad criticized Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He said, “You did not keep your work. We have taken to the streets and will not allow Tipaimukh dam to be constructed as long as I live.”

Ershad only recently visited Delhi. Did he issue the same warning to the Indian Prime Minister there? Did he have the gumption to do so?

Will the people fall for the Ershad act? The fact remains, nevertheless, that he will likely be a factor in the coming days of politics. It is now to be seen whatever tricks he has up his sleeve to materialise his agenda.