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The recent 36 hours strike that ended yesterday, 7th Feb., once again exposed the chaos that exists in the political system of Bangladesh. This was the 12th strike call given by the main capitalist opposition party AWAMI LEAGUE headed by Begum Hasina wajid, the ex prime minister and daughter of the deceased leader and father of the nation, Sheikh Majaib u Rehman.The power struggle between two largest capitalist parties have not only weakened the political system but also increased the violence and torture in the politics. The main stream politics is bitterly divided among these parties. Both parties have no differences on the economic policies, because both follows the dictations of IMF and World Bank. The ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) headed by Prime minister Khalida Zia, the widow of ex military dictator General Zia-u-Rehman.This personal and Political enmity started in 1974 when General Zia-u-Rehman imposed the martial law just three years after getting independence from Pakistan in 1971.The general killed the Sheikh Majib-u-Rehman, and founded his own party BNP.After 33years of independence, the dreams of prosperity, stable democracy, and political stability are still not fulfilled. Both these capitalist parties are split on the basis of pro India and pro Pakistan, Awami League considered pro India and BNP is pro Pakistan. The Bnp is more reactionary right wing party than Awami League, which is more liberal and secular.

The Economic and Social Conditions

The ruling classes have miserably failed to solve any fundamental problem that exist in Bangladesh and faced by working class. Poverty, unemployeement, price hike, backwardness, illiteracy and other social and economic evils are hurting the lives of working masses. The free market economic policies of successive governments has made the situation worst. Many Jute mills and other industries have been closed down as the result of these policies, dictated by IMF and World Bank.

Bangladesh stands at 145 Th in UN, s human development index, in which 173 poor countries are listed. Per capita income is 390 us dollars annually. Out of total population of 140 million,25% earn less than a dollar per day. 30% earn just one dollar. Five million children are working as child labour, which are 12% of total work force. Government is spending just 1.7% on health and 2.2% on education in the annual buget.According to WHO report, the diseases like malaria, tuber closes, asthma and common diseases killing thousands of people every year. 80million people are living in shanty towns without any drinking clean water, sanitation and toilets. Only 11.2 % living in concrete houses. More than 70 % are living without proper houses.
Agriculture is in tatters. Agriculture is just contributing three percent to the GDP but its share must be at least 30 % of the GDP, according to the size of workforce employed in this sector of the economy.10 % big land lords owned 50% land and 40% small farmers owned just 2% land. Majority of these farmers have pledged their lands to the local money lenders. This situation has made the life of these poor farmers miserable. Unemployeement has increased significantly in last few years. According to the leading economist dr.Barkat , who is teaching in Dhaka university has pointed out, that 1.5 million women workers are employed in garments industry, they are paid half, what male workers are paid for same work. They are forced to work longer than male workers. No right of social security and other basic rights. One female garment worker said, those women who are working as prostitutes are lucky than to garment workers. The working conditions are so bad that many workers have lost their lives in work place incidents.

In last month 20 women garment workers lost their lives and burnet alive in a garment factory, when fire Brock out in this factory. Women garment workers are protesting against these sorts of incidents and poor working conditions. These workers are facing super exploitation from greedy capitalists. But according to Dr.Barkat most of these super exploited will lost their jobs after abolition of quotas in textiles under WTO. Bangladeshi women’s are trafficking to Pakistan, India, and Middle East. They smuggled to Pakistan and selled.Normally they are sold to sex industry, but in 20 thousand rupees (350 us dollars) any one can buy them. These are the conditions faced by working masses in Bangladesh after 33 years of independence. These horrible scenes are result of the failure of capitalism. According to the official figures, Poverty increased 22% from 1985 to 1999, in this same period military expenditure increased 70% and foreign loans increased 130% in the same period.

The Rise of Political Islam

Bangladesh has seen a rapid growth of political Islam. The main religious political party is Jamat-e-Islami (which is sister organization of Jamat-e-Islami Pakistani). This party has long history of violence against left political workers. This party was responsible of killing hundreds of left wing activists during the civil war in1971. This party is openly pro Pakistan. Till 1990s Bangladesh was a liberal society, but that changes quite rapidly. In last general elections held in 2002, this party won the 22 seats in the parliament with the help of BNP.They are part of the government and using their position to spread the ideas of Islamic fundamentalism. SMP on many occasion raised this point that Bangladesh has become the new fortress for religious fanatics. Now this has been confirmed by the international media. According to the recent report appeared in the The New York Times on January 23th.According to that report 10 thousand Islamists had regrouped, under the banner of Jagrata Muslim Janata (JMJ), in the northern Bangladesh. This group want to make several provinces under Islamic laws. This group has so far killed 22 left wing activists in this area. Bangladesh has become the center of activities carried out by the Islamic Fundamentalists. Different religious groups are involved in violence against Minorities.

According to that report the communists are not just one target of Islamic militant groups in Bangladesh. Most attacks have been carried out against either members of religious minorities, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, or moderate Muslims considered out of step with the doctrines espoused at the militant madrassas (religious schools). According to the leading Journalist Enayetullah khan editor New Age, The most important group among many has been the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), which tried to kill the famous poet Shamsur Rehman in 1999. The attack led to the arrest of 44 members of HUJI. Two men one Pakistani and one South African, claimed they have been sent to Bangladesh by Osama Bin Laden with more than $ 300000, which they distributed among 421 religious school.Hunderds of religious schools are working in different areas of the country. Same process was adopted in Pakistan in 1980s to strengthen the militants and fanatics under the state umbrella during the General Zia regime. Taliban’s were produced in these religious schools. Now there are 12000 religious schools working in Pakistan, in which more than two million students are
Enrolled. Now same is happing in Bangladesh .According to the Task Force against Torture, an NGO, we have found 500 cases of people being intimidated and tortured by these militant religious groups. The working class is the only force, who can decisively defeat the reactionary forces of religious extremism. It is only can be done on the basis of class unity and struggle to over through this rotten capitalist system.

The working class has a strong tradition of struggles. Two years ago Dock workers in Chitagang forced the Government to withdraw the planned privatization of the port. In recent years many workers struggles erupted. But trade union leadership is playing dirty rule to hold back workers struggles. Left is week and divided, and not in position to provide alternate to the working class. Left is dominated by Stalinists and Maoists, which still believes in two stage theory and talked about democratic revolutions? They always support the one section or the other of the ruling elite. Communist Party lost the opportunity to develop as mass party of working class, because they followed the policies of class collaboration instead of taking independent class position. It very important question faced by the working class, that they need their own political party. To defend their own political interest. A mass party of the working class is need to be established, and advance layers of the workers will have to play an important role in this regard. Working class needs their own revolutionary party to over through the capitalism and feudalism , and to establish workers government to carry through the revolutionary programme.

That party needs correct programme, tactics and stratdgy to transform the society on socialist lines. Socialist planned economy under the workers government will end all sort of exploitation and repression.The Nationalisation of all the main industry,banks.trade and services under the democratic control of workers will provide the basis to end the poverty, hunger, unemployeement and other basic problems.

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