Mancha’s conditional invitation to Khaleda

The organisers of Shagbagh’s Ganajagaran Mancha are hopeful that Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia will eventually ‘understand the feelings of the youth’, even though she has dubbed them ‘atheists’.

At a discussion organised by bdnews24.com at its office on Saturday, the organisers of the movement, seeking death penalty for all war criminals and a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami, clarified their take on the BNP.

”We want the pro-liberation forces as both the government and the opposition,” said Maroof Rasool of the Bloggers and Online Activists Network, which initiated the movement on Feb 5.

News portal’s Chief Editor Toufique Imrose Khalidi moderated the discussion where 10 organisers came together for the first time since the demonstration kicked off.

The discussion highlighted inception of the Shahbagh civil uprising and the role of the information technology-based social networking sites in making the movement vibrant.

Participating leaders from Shahbagh agitation included Arif Jebtik, Omi Rahman Pial, Shimu Naser, Pinaki Bhattacharya, Baki Billah, Rezwana Sharmeen, Afsana Kishowar and Nahid Sultana.

The programme was streamed online live on bdnews24.com and private TV station Channel 71.

Asked about Manch’s take on the opposition BNP, blogger Mahmudul Haque Munsi, who moderated several Ganajagaran rallies, spoke about how the party had changed its stance towards the movement.

“I think, they (BNP) were unable to decide their stance on such a massive movement as they shifted from their previous stand (on the movement),” he said.

Munsi said Khaleda was still welcome to join the movement although she had called the demonstrators ‘atheists’. “But Khaleda will have to apologise and leave Jamaat first.”

“The BNP says it is a large political party with many freedom fighters... Even the party chief is herself wife of a freedom fighter.”

Earlier, the discussion kicked off with a question to Nahid Sultana about where the campaign stood after almost a month-and-a-half.

“In terms of spirit, I am exactly where I was on Feb 5,” said the professional lawyer who likes to call herself a social activist rather an online activist.

Among the first protesters to take a stand at Shahbagh from the very beginning, she said, “Every individual still nurtures the same spirit...the spirit hasn’t died, not at all.”

Afsana Kishowar, however, said she did not expect that the BNP would part ways with its key ally.

She talked about how former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam had returned to Bangladesh from Pakistan when then President Ziaur Rahman, also the BNP founder, was in the office, and how Azam was given Bangladeshi passport during the tenure of Khaleda.

But Arif Jebtik, another senior spokesperson who appears on TV shows, and Pinaki Bhattacharya, who was vocal during the anti-autocrat movement in the 90s, were optimistic of the BNP joining their cause.

”Khaleda Zila will have to side with freedom fighters as she has become a ‘Deshnetri’ through various movements...,” he said.

Jebtik also talked about tortures on the leaders and activists of the BNP by the activists of Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat’s student affiliate, in the past.

He referred to the assault on Rajshahi University Central Students Union (RUCSU)’s former Vice President Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, currently the BNP’s Joint Secretary General.

Bhattacharya said, “I believe the BNP will leave the Jamaat to join youths as its student wing Chhatra Dal and we demonstrated together in the 90s.”

After the Shahbagh movement kicked off, the BNP welcomed it after observing it for a few days. But later, it changed its stance. Its chief Khaleda demanded the Ganajagaran Mancha be shut down and described the demonstrators as ‘atheists.’

Asked about BNP’s such behaviour, Baki Billah, a prominent blogger and a former Left-wing student activist said, “The BNP is actually a party which has no policy.”

‘Propagandas to confuse people’

Leaders of the now 47-day-old Shahbagh protests, dubbed ‘Bangla Spring’ by some international media outlets, also said that confusion was being created among the masses by spreading ‘false propaganda’ about the mass movement.

They also blamed some mainstream media houses for spreading the canard.

Addressing the issue, Pinaki Bhattacharya said a certain quarter opened a fake Facebook account using the names of Omi Rahman Pial and posted anti-Islam write-ups there. ”Such propagandas were being run against Rajib after he was killed.”

He said the movement initiated by the Shahbagh protesters was not against Islam and no anti-Islam speeches were made over the last 47 days of their protest.

Jebtik alleged those using religion as a means of business were spreading rumours as they feared wipe-out.

The Ganajagaran Mancha has been demanding stern action against dailies Amar Desh, Naya Diganta and Dainik Sangram and private TV channel Naya Diganta for running negative propaganda against it.

Hefajat-e-Islam, along with some other so-called Islamist organisations, has also been describing the Shahbagh protestors as ‘anti-Islamic’ people.

Shimu Naser, another active on social media and a former Senior Sub-Editor of bdnews24.com, opined that people using Internet should become aware of such propagandas.

Asked about recent statements by columnist Forhad Mazhar criticising the movement of Shahbagh, Jebtik said, “We have come here to seek justice. We are not demonstrating from a neutral point of view...we all are victims.”

“You will have to accept if any movement is waged peacefully in a democratic way,” he said.

“He (Mazhar) said he has known youths through cultural movements, and we are learning about him every moment,” said Maroof Rasool.

‘Keep off businesses of war criminals’

The Mancha has been urging people to boycott institutions like Islami Bank saying those were being financed by the Jamaat-e-Islami.

On the issue, Munsi said, “We are trying to boycott Jamaat-oriented institutions socially through self awareness.”

The demonstrators also asked for nationalisation of those institutions.

Bhattacharya alleged the Jamaat had been financing terrorism.

The movement

Nahid Sultana, one of the first ones who began the protest on Feb 5 at Shahbagh, said, “Our position is still the same from where we had started on Feb 5.”

The programme of a small group of bloggers and online activists protesting just a life sentence to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla has turned into a mass protest and spread across the country like raging fire over the last one-and-half-months.

Various student and cultural organisations and people from the broad spectrum of the society also supported them and joined the agitation.

Asked whether the movement had been somewhat tamed, Nahid said, “There are differences in programmes, but our spirit is same as before.”

Asked what the movement had achieved so far, she said, “The law has been amended because of the movement. Now the door to opportunities has opened.”

“The major achievement is that the Jamaat has been broken morally...their backbone has been broken.”

The Jamaat has been alleging that the movement was influencing the court.

To this, Nahid, who is a lawyer by profession, said, “Never, we did not stand against the tribunal (International Crimes Tribunal).”

“As the people are a part, and we are the people, we can voice our opinion that the verdict was not what we expected.”

On how long the movement would last, Omi Rahman Pial stressed, “We will not return to home until both Jamaat and Shibir are banned.”

But the organisers have no plan to give this movement an organisational structure, Munsi added.

Rasool said, “Any movement takes place spontaneously, it does not necessarily have an organisational structure.”

Jebtik opined, “This is a platform, not an organisation.”

They also ruled out chances of any major differences among the movement organisers.

Explaining the matter, Jebtik said, “There is room for different opinions, but the decisions have been made based on opinion of the majority.”

Afsana Kishowar said, “This movement is on a national issue. The unity will never be lost.”