Bangladesh Strikes in Response to Bomb Blast
Bangladesh doesn't turn up in the American media much, and when it does, it is usually in response to some
disaster, as if the nation is still in need of a George Harrison benefit concert. Instead, the country is one of
the only functioning democracies in the Muslim world, and may provide a model for others if it doesn't
succumb to sectarian violence. Be that as it may, there was a two-day general strike underway Tuesday and
Wednesday to protest a terrorist bombing that killed 19 and wounded around 150 more. Among the dead
was Ivy Rahman the head of the Awami League's women's wing (the Awami League being the secular party
that gained Bangladeshi independence from Pakistan and currently in opposition). The opposition blamed
Islamic fundamentalists attached to the four-party ruling coalition, while the government blamed those who
wish to destabilize Bangladesh. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Despite its democratic traditions, Bangladesh also has a streak of violence in its body politic. East Pakistan,
as it then was, won its independence from West Pakistan by force of arms in 1971. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and Ziaur Rahman, both independence leaders in 1971, were killed in 1975 and 1981 respectively. And the
bombing that has sparked the strike was a grenade attack during a speech by Sheikh Hasina, former prime
minister and president of the Awami League.
In a nation of 141 million (yes, 14 million more than Japan) it would not come as a shock to discover that there
are a handful of Al-Qaeda supporters. Nor would it be a surprise to discover that a junior minister in the
government and member of one of the Muslim parties is related by marriage to a fellow who used to room
with a man whose aunt when to high school with a cousin of Usama bin Laden's gardener's uncle. Any
closer association might require genuine proof.
However, the general strike against the government came with demands to "Punish the Bombers," as one
sign said in English. The four-party coalition of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia now needs to act. At present, it
is dealing with the strike and the related protests more than it seems to be trying to catch the grenadiers. In
violence since the bomb went off on Saturday, more than 160 people have been injured by police using tear
gas and rubber bullets. Not that the protesters were completely innocent -- they did attack railway stations
and removed tracks to keep the trains from moving.
In a Reuters interview, Foreign Minister Morshed Khan "If we can avoid the blame game, all parties should
put their heads together, take stock of the situation and identify the culprits." Hear, hear. He also said, "In a
matter of months Bangladesh will be again resilient and, Inshallah (God willing), we hope we will be able to
take the culprits to task." His deadline is unfortunately lenient. One wonders if Bangladesh has that much
time.
© Copyright 2004 by
The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without
written consent.
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