Parliamentary Fascism Has Begun around Parliament, Mia Golam Parwar Warns BNP
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has criticised the BNP, saying the politics the party has begun after coming to power has created fears that the path of democracy will be blocked again. He said parliamentary fascism has begun centred on parliament.
He made the remarks on Wednesday (28 October) afternoon as chief guest at a discussion titled '28 October 2006: Awami Brutality and the Rise of Fascism' at the Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium of the National Press Club in the capital.
At the event, he described the Awami League as a 'club of terrorists and fascists' and said the party has no right to do politics. In his words, democracy and the Awami League cannot go together. Out of power, the party sheds crocodile tears for democracy, and in power it throttles democracy itself.
Golam Parwar said Bangladesh lost the path of democracy through the bloody killings of 28 October 2006. Although the martyrs' sacrifice created an expectation of bringing the country back to the path of democracy, the BNP, after coming to power, is breaking the pledges it made to the nation.
He said this path is the path of fascism, the path of killing democracy. No one will exist except them, and everyone will have to say what they say — that is what fascism is.
Calling on the BNP to learn from the Awami League, he said the Awami League did not allow the dream of a democratic Bangladesh, seen in exchange for the blood of the 28 October martyrs, to be realised. Instead, the party brought about the rise of fascism in the country.
Criticising the past actions of Awami League governments, Golam Parwar said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established Baksal by introducing a bill in parliament on 25 January 1975. During Sheikh Hasina's rule as well, democracy was killed through the Paltan tragedy, the Pilkhana killings, the Shapla Chattar killings, and the hanging of Jamaat leaders in the name of trials for crimes against humanity.
He alleged that cruelty and human rights violations took place for 15 to 16 years during Sheikh Hasina's rule. At one stage, people were killed by firing from helicopters and the bodies of the dead were burned.
Golam Parwar said the Awami League government abolished the caretaker government system and closed the path of democracy through one-sided elections. Both Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina had to leave power in abnormal circumstances.
