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Beneath tHe surface

Kibria's death and devil's days

Abdul Bayes
***With the untimely death of SAMS Kibria, the nation lost a pure politician -- highly educated, cultured, logical and committed to the cause of the people. Such type of politicians are very rare in present day Bangladesh. But the way things are moving and the way government is failing to contain terrorism, I fear, such politicians would be on an extinct very soon.***
LIKE millions in the country, I mourn over the brutal murder of SAMS Kibria, MP. Any nation should be proud of producing a personality like Kibria -- one of the most brilliant, highly cultured, mild mannered and internationally reputed diplomat. He marked his presence in language movement, became a freedom fighter and, at the fag end of his fine career, joined politics to serve the country that he fought for. I had personal contacts with him. I was blessed with his love and regard for me. Off and on, we had discussions on the socio-economic and political situation in the country.
As a finance minister, I found him fond of hearing from others, rather than unilaterally delivering his options. Sound, soft-spoken and sensible -- he had the typical traits of Monmohan Singh of India. I must note that during his tenure as a finance minister, Bangladesh reached an economic growth rate of 5 per cent plus for consecutive years -- still an unbroken record. The then Awami League government pursued a path of growth with social justice -- a vision that he vehemently carried to his colleagues.
People of the country at that time were relatively more in peace and prosperity. Kibria had never had his knee down to donors.
Deaths are destined with births and therefore expected to visit every one of us today or tomorrow. But some deaths are unacceptable, as they are unbecoming, especially, in a civilized society. And I would like to deny the death of SAMS Kibria. He was killed in a grenade attack while holding a public meeting in a remote area called Baidder
Bazar under Hobiganj district. After the end of his speech, while descending from the dias, reportedly, assassin's grenade blasted to claim 5 lives including Kibria's and many others are still groaning with injuries.
The most pertinent question at the moment in my mind, nay in many minds is: what is happening in the country? Where Bangladesh is heading? It seems that, one by one, Awami League leaders and workers are being killed to eliminate the spirit of secularism from the soil. It also seen that grenade attacks or bomb blasts are mostly targeted to that party. Had it been a random incident -- not planned and purposive -- we would possibly
witness such deaths of leaders and workers of other political parties also.
Our government claims to be elected and democratic. What kind of democracy it is where opposition leaders and workers are killed in a series of attacks? I was listening to Mr Abdul Mannan Bhuya who termed the killing as an act of 'anti-state" and "anti-democracy" people. We are told that the President of the country and the Prime Minister also held the same view. Is it
so, Sirs?
If yes, then we are surprised to see that the so-called anti-state and anti-democracy elements are growingly assuming enormous power. These criminals and terrorists are up to negate the government and the state that the party in power claims to have been mandated to look after. Just recall the 21 August incident. A series of grenades were thrown to kill Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition. Luckily she escaped death but a score lost lives including Ivy Rahman. Some top leaders of Awami League were seriously wounded. What was the role of the government in catching the criminals? As an eyewash -- so
runs the notion -- the government set up an enquiry commission headed by a justice -- allegedly with political lenience to the party in power -- to send the report, as it seems, to the cold storage.
Initially, the reactions from the government were sensible but soon turned out to be seriously grievous when the blame started to be put on Awami League's shoulder! Even when the so-called enquiry was 'in progress', astonishingly, some top leaders of the ruling party argued that
Sheikh Hasina might have garnered the grenade attack to raise public sympathy! All such suspicious of the ruling alliance, we presume, went as shelter for the criminals. The most barbaric incident could hardly get a berth through discussions in the parliament about the deteriorating law and order situation in the country. While the government or the party in power might not be directly involved in such heinous acts -- and I hope so -- its dillydallying in bringing the criminals to the book and illogical arguments to cover its inability or inefficiency tend to go a long way to establish the contrary.
We fail to understand why the government failed to bring SMAS
Kibria by a helicopter from Hobigonj. Mr. Kibria was not an ordinary man. Beside, his extraordinary antecedents was a member of the parliament and a former finance minister. The news of the blasts and the injuries would not have taken much time to take actions. Maybe, a timely treatment could save this valuable life.
By any standard of judgment, the law and order situation in the country is at its lowest ebb. The overall efficiency of the government is also in serious question.
The Principal Secretary of the PM has been prized with an extension for the fourth time. This is rare and ridiculous too. It seems that the administration is void of talents. Allegedly, party loyalists -- even if corrupt or inefficient -- are getting extensions and promotions while the competent ones are being guillotined. If it's muscles replacing merits then it's a sign of substantial sickness for a society stepped into modern management.
On the other hand, allegedly, RAB had been raising score in the name of containing terror. They are not only catching criminals but also killing them in 'cross fire'. Crossfire is a random action where both the sides are suscepti-
ble to be victim but in this case, we find it a one sided affair. Besides the point, such act appears to be a violation of human rights, and the addition RAB could hardly improve the overall situation as proven by Kibria's killing.
The opposition called a 60-hour non-stop haratal -- the first of its kind after the government assumed power. Even the ardent critics of hartal would, perhaps, maintain a mum on the decision this time. The image lost due to hartal is not as bad as the image lost due to the alleged growth of a state of terrorism. The brutal murder of SAMS Kibria and the following 60-hour hartal should serve as a wake up call to the ruling alliance. Things are getting out of control and history tells us that no matter how much oppression is on, people rise on their toes to cause a revolution and then the words tend to beat the guns.
With the untimely death of SAMS Kibria, the nation lost a pure politician -- highly educated, cultured, logical and committed to the cause of the people. Such type of politicians are very rare in present day Bangladesh. But the way things are moving and the way government is failing to contain terrorism, I fear, such politicians would be on an extinct very soon. And then none would be spared, not even those at the pinnacle of power.
I once again mourn the irreparable loss of SAMS Kibria. May his soul rest in peace. In a country where an undisputed personality like him could be killed, it seems, only devils are to live. Let God save us.
Abdul Bayes is a Professor of Economics, Jahangirnagar University.