‘Yunus was behind Hasina’s ouster…It was a well-planned conspiracy…Process to East Pakistan has begun’

It’s seven months since the uprising.Law and order is in a shambles. Even the army chief has warned about the dangerous situation after the attack on air force base at Cox’s Bazar. Since Aug 5, 2024, human rights stand severely violated.What happened on Aug 5 was termed a revolution, when it was a counter-revolutionary movement. A conspiracy hatched by insiders and global players, using terrorists, ousted a constitutional govt. Yunus, the brains behind it, has acknowledged as much when he introduced students at the Clinton Global Initiative’s meeting in New York last Sep, and admitted that Hasina’s ouster was a well-planned “design and conspiracy”. He said it was “meticulously designed. It did not come suddenly. Very well-designed.”There’s news of army getting active in Bangladesh.We are watching…army is a reliable and responsible national institution. We have no inside information, but it appears army chief is talking of holding elections by Dec. But the illegitimate Yunus govt even on Tuesday spoke of a Jan to June timeline for polls. People are questioning this.Meanwhile, new political parties like Jatiyo Nagarik Party have made statements attacking, threatening, dishonouring army – it’s a new target. These parties realise they’re failing to win popular support while army is trying to foster a climate for elections.Will Awami League be banned?If they move onto elections without Awami League, which at least 40% of people support, polls won’t have credibility. On paper it can be banned, but the party can’t be banned from people’s minds. They talk of an Awami League without Hasina, but she remains our leader. The party is united under her leadership. Demolition of Mujibur Rahman’s Dhanmondi house was a big blow. That attack on Bangladesh founding father’s house was a message to delegitimise our independence, an act of revenge by Pakistan defeated by Bengalis. Apart from JeI etc, ISI is making its presence felt in Dhaka, which had been minimised by Hasina’s regime. We never imagined they’d reappear. Terrorists, fundamentalists, radical elements head the forces who don’t believe in an independent Bangladesh. Properties including temples, mazhars, Mukti Joddha (freedom fighters) memorials are being targeted. After Dhanmondi house, Mujib’s Samadhi Soudha (memorial) at his ancestral home in Tungipara, is likely the next target. We’ve learnt preparations are on.How will Awami League counter this?Cadres are severely stressed…in fear…many are in hiding, many are in prison. But Awami League is a constitutional organisation, a democratic party. We don’t want to use force and conspiracy. We want public support. There’s no political space for us at present. At least 40% people who consistently support Awami have no voice in Bangladesh today. But since people are our main strength, we believe people will reject the Yunus camp.We’ve started planning processions, leaflet distribution, etc, as public media will not publish our messages. People realise they made a mistake supporting the jihadi-orchestrated movement. They understand communal forces have taken over. When the storm comes, often one must take cover, wait for it to pass. We have to take strategic cover.How did govt fail to read signs of the uprising?A section within the govt played a role in the protests, was involved in the conspiracy. They kept govt in the dark…that was the problem – the meticulous design. After Hasina’s fourth term, the diminishing ISI presence in Bangladesh was also getting desperate to strike.Given the political crisis, can Awami League and BNP work together?If big parties, democratic forces join hands there is no problem…they should come forward…the only condition for any alliance of democratic forces should be that they are against unconstitutional ways and fundamentalism (moulabad), with complete clarity.Yunus’s regime is upset with India for sheltering Hasina.Yunus is bound to create anti-India propaganda to stay in power for a while. Let us see if they celebrate Bengali New Year on Poila Baishakh…they’re capable of bringing down Shahid Minar...the bulldozers they used to pull down Sheikh Mujib’s house belonged to govt, not to any private entity.Can Bangladesh return to becoming East Pakistan?The process has already started. Very little time is left for a turn back to democratic normalcy. After 53 years, a ship from Karachi came straight into a Bangladeshi port.Will people accept that?We’re still waiting for our equation with Pakistan to be worked out, accounts of killings to be settled. They’ve not yet apologised for the genocide…Bangladesh cannot be turned into a terrorist safe haven…India is also a target…their (current power centres) main source of strength is fundamentalists and ISI backing.