Bangladesh on the boil

At a time when one regional problem seemed solved, namely the Nepal crisis, another has assumed worrying proportions. The army has been called out in Bangladesh to keep law and order as a result of a confrontation between the government of Khaleda Zia and the opposition Awami League of Sheikh Hasina. The genesis of the trouble was the installation of President Iajuddin Ahmed as the caretaker administrator of the interim government pending elections. Ahmed was put in place, according to detractors of the government, in order to overlook improprieties that could take place during the elections.

Sheikh Hasina, a bitter rival of Khaleda Zia, has announced her intention of bringing the country to a halt through a series of bandhs unless the chief election commissioner and other election officers resign. The political violence has become so severe that trains, buses and other public properties have been set on fire.

To veteran Bangladesh watchers, there is nothing surprising about these developments. The battle between the two political parties has been the bane of democracy in Bangladesh. But time and again, this polarisation has led to an impasse in the country. It also threatens to stunt the 6 percent growth the country has seen in recent years, since Bangladesh is dependent on sectors like garment exports, which get affected by strikes.

While the Begums have been fighting it out, Islamic fundamentalism has taken strong root. Bangladesh today, according to South Asia watchers, poses an enormous threat not just to the region but to the world, with its growth of madrassas preaching a rigid brand of Wahabi Islam. The lack of a stable democratic system has led to both political parties pandering to the mullahs who have used extreme Islamic organisations to further their own ends.

The turmoil and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism offer an opportunity to extremists to hit out at India. There have also been reports of terrorist groups in Bangladesh backed by Pakistani elements. This again is dangerous for India.

The current situation bears close watching, because the country’s past has shown that democracy can get derailed in that country. India must, along with the world, encourage the democratic process in Bangladesh and see that the chaos does not descend into a long-term crisis.