7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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Bangladesh's PM rejects claims ofrepression: 'I do politics for the

people'Exclusive: Sheikh Hasina a!ed re"u#s claims cur"s on opposition

activists and the media are turning Bangladesh into a one$part% state

Bangladesh&s prime minister has dismissed accusations that democrac% and rule of la are

"eing undermined "% her increasingl% authoritarian "ehaviour and "% extensive human rights

a"uses "% the police and securit% forces(

Simon Tisdall and Anna Ridout in Dhaka-Monda% )*Septem"er )+*,

In a ide$ranging intervie in -haka. Sheikh Hasina a!ed . Bangladesh&s

formida"le. long$serving head of government rejected claims that extra$

 judicial killings. numerous so$called /enforced disappearances0. mass

arrests of opposition activists and Islamists. and ne restrictions on media

and internet freedoms ere turning the orld&s third most populous Muslim

nation into a repressive. de facto one$part% state(

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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“M% jo" is to assist the common people.0 Hasina said( /I do politics for the

people. not for me ((( People are enjo%ing democrac% no( hat people

ant is their "asic needs( So I&m tr%ing to help people ensure their "asic

need. that means food securit%. healthcare. education. and jo" opportunit%

and a "etter life(

“B% )+)* Bangladesh ill "e a middle$income countr% and "%

)+1* Bangladeshill "e a developed countr% ((( 2ll the democratic

institutions are orking and people are satis3ed and people are enjo%ing it(

So the a% %ou sa% I am dominating. I am not dominating( I am serving

people(0

Hasina. in poer since )++4. is credited internationall% ith helping

Bangladesh achieve ke% 56 anti$povert% and development goals andappears to enjo% a high level of domestic support(

She 7atl% rejected claims that the securit% services. particularl% the feared.

paramilitar% 8apid 2ction Battalion 982B implicated in numerous so$called

/cross3re0 killings. ere "e%ond constitutional or parliamentar% control(

;n the issue of press freedom. Hasina said her ruling 2ami <eague 92<

government had alloed an unprecedented expansion in privatel%$

controlled television channels. nespapers and online media since the

*44+s(

“ho "rought the change= It is me( I opened it up.0 she said( /6o e have

1* private television channels >and? altogether nearl% @++ nespaper all

over the countr%( So the%&re riting and the%&re totall% free( 2nd 6A;s are

also orking according to the rules and la the% have(

Hasina said the "iggest opposition part%. the Bangladesh 6ationalist part%9B6P. from hom she took over poer in )++. had shot itself in the foot

"% "o%cotting last %ear&s national polls. hich the the 2< and its minor part%

allies su"seCuentl% on "% default( Dhe B6P and its controversial Islamist

part% all%. amaat$ e $Islami 9EI. have since launched sometimes violent

demonstrations and nationide strikes to tr% to force ne elections under

the supervision of a caretaker government. so far to no avail(

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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Fha

leda Gia. former Bangladesh prime minister. ithdre her Bangladesh 6ational part% from last %ear&s national

poll and is seeking ne elections( Photograph: Pavel 8ahman2P

 Dhe B6P is led "% Hasina&s long$time nemesis. Begum Fhaleda Gia . ido

of Giaur 8ahman . the militar% leader ho ousted Hasina&s father. Sheikh

Muji"ur 8ahman . in a coup in *4@,( Muji"ur as murdered along ith man%

other mem"ers of the famil%( Bad "lood has simmered ever since(

In her Auardian intervie. Hasina did nothing to end the feud( She said she

had telephoned Gia "efore the )+*1 elections. o#ering her ministries in an

interim. joint administration as a a% of overcoming B6P suspicions that

the poll might "e rigged( Gia refused. in furious tones. if Hasina is to "e

"elieved(

“>Gia? made a political mistake not to participate in the election.0 Hasina

said. accusing her opponent of supporting terrorism and launching killing

sprees across Bangladesh(

Hasina. ho has escaped several assassination attempts since entering

politics. is accused of using pu"lic fears a"out terrorism to smear political

opponents and justif% harsh action against them( ritics sa% that despite

her strong stance. she has failed to cur" an ongoing. nationide Islamist

revival linked to similar movements in Pakistan and the Middle East J and is

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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losing the /"attle of ideas0 ith militant Islam(

2rrests of political activists for pu"lic order o#ences are reported almost

ever% da%( <ast eek *K amaat$e$Islami leaders. including to former MPs.

ere remanded in custod% after "om"$making eCuipment as allegedl%

found in a 7at in -haka( Dhe B6P and EI sa% such cases are groundless and

t%picall% amount to deli"erate harassment(

 Dhe opposition parties also claim the government is exploiting the countr%&s

international crimes tri"unal 9ID investigating mass killings at the time of

Bangladesh&s *4@* ar of li"eration from Pakistan. and the *4@,

assassinations. to settle old scores( EI "acked Pakistan against the

independence 3ghters led "% Hasina&s murdered father( Several EI leaders

have "een sentenced to death or long prison terms since the ID processas launched "% Hasina in )++4(

2taur 8ahman. chairman of the independent Bangladesh Political Science

2ssociation. said the government&s high$handed "ehaviour as damaging

faith in democrac% in Bangladesh and risked provoking a popular "acklash(

“ Dhere is a groing authoritarian trend toards one$person rule( Dhe result

is that e are on the "rink of a loss of democrac%.0 8ahman said( /Most

government institutions. like the police and the judiciar%. are losing their

autonom%( Dhe civil service "ureaucrac% has lost is independence(0

“ivil societ% actors are also under pressure J the universities. the media.

people using social media( Dhere is an increasing trend toards self$

censorship( Lou can speak out. "ut %ou do so at %our peril( Dhe 6A;s are

also heavil% regulated no(0

Speaking on condition of anon%mit% J /people just disappear in the middleof the night and I don&t ant to "e one of them0 J a former general said

Hasina lacked a mandate to govern. due to the )+*1 electoral "o%cott. and

thus as forced to rel% on co$opting the /core machiner%0 of the state.

meaning the 82B. the police. "order guards. the civil service and. cruciall%.

the arm%(

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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 56

peacekeepers from Bangladesh in Ivor% oast in )++,( ontinued lucrative assignments ith the 56 are said

to "olster the Bangladesh militar%&s support for Hasina( Photograph: <uc Anago8euters

“ Dhe militar%&s top echelon support her. the top gu%s ere all appointed "%

her.0 the general said( /Dhe militar% has "een "ought o# ith salar%

increases and a "ig "udget( It is no Bangladesh&s "iggest "usiness( It

ons "anks. hotels. real estate. industries. even -haka taxis( 2nd its 56

peacekeeping role is ver% lucrative J it is the orld&s num"er one

contri"utor to international peacekeeping operations( 2nd Hasina has

"ought ne eapons s%stems to please them(0

But hile the 2< need not fear another arm% coup. at least for the time

"eing. no"od% could predict ho the militar%&s conservative middle and

loer ranks might react in future. the general said(

“ Dhere is a tipping point coming.0 said Iftekhar Gaman . directorof  Dransparenc% International Bangladesh( /hen it tips. and ho knos

hen "ut it ill. it ill "e ver% chaotic( It ill not "e good for Bangladesh or

for the international communit%. or the 5F.0 ith its large Bengali diaspora(

Mahfu! 2nam . editor of -haka&s "iggest$selling English$language

nespaper. the -ail% Star. said Bangladesh faced an unprecedented

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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situation here a press that as never entirel% free as no "eing activel%

persecuted "% the authorities( He cited ne catch$all internet and

"roadcasting legislation prohi"iting the expression of vies deemed

disrespectful to the state. plus arrests of journalists and the targeting of

anti$government D stations and live chat shos( In his opinion the media

as increasingl% operating in an /extremel% constrained0 environment that

often resulted in self$censorship(

“ Dhe government has vanCuished all its political rivals.0 2nam said( /6o

its focus is on media criticism. "ecause e are independent( e have "een

ver% strong on corruption and democratic values( Dhe% just on&t accept

an% dissenting vie(0

;ther critics point to the am"ivalent oNcial response to the recent spate ofmurders of atheist "loggers "% an extremist Islamist group. 2nsarullah

Bangla Deam( hile condemning the attacks. police spokesmen trotted out

Hasina&s mantra. reiterated on K Septem"er. that comments from an%

Cuarter that /hurt others& religious sentiments0 cannot "e tolerated(

Such pronouncements have "een taken to impl% the free$thinking "loggers

"rought the attacks on themselves. a distur"ing interpretation hose

tisted logic is challenged in a highl% critical preliminar% report "% the 56&s

special rapporteur on freedom of religion or "elief. Heiner Bielefeldt. ho

visited Bangladesh earlier this month(

-espite his misgivings. 2nam. like other critics. expressed grudging

admiration for Hasina ho he said had reached the peak of her poer after

a long personal and political struggle(

ith the econom% groing annuall% at a"out O. ith living standards

rising for most 9from an admittedl% lo "ase. and ith the countr%relativel% sta"le compared to the upheavals of the past. most Bangladeshis

appear content to have Hasina in charge( 2 recent poll "% 6ielsen$

Bangladesh. echoing previous surve%s. gave her an impressive O@

approval rate(

“She has hanged her father&s killers. she has vanCuished the opposition.

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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she is popular in the countr%. the arm% is under her thum". development is

a success stor%. and the constitution gives her unlimited poer.0 2nam

said(

“I think %ou have a phrase for the prime minister in the 5F= Qirst among

eCuals( Here it&s di#erent( Hasina is 3rst( 6o eCuals(0

8o"ert atkins. a senior 56 oNcial "ased in -haka does not foresee

trou"le( /I don&t think there ill "e an explosion( 2s long as the econom% is

improving. as long as people can come to -haka and get a jo". as long as

the government keeps people "us% and fed. the% ill "e less concerned

a"out democrac%(

“It&s not a top priorit% for most people( Dhe%&re not happ% ith the >)+*1?

election outcome( But getting on ith life is more important(0

Internationall%. Hasina seems to have the tacit support of the 5S and

Britain. hich recognise the importance of a rising poer ith an important

textile industr%( Both governments condemned the conduct of the )+*1

election and demanded ne polls( Both have since dropped pu"lic criticism(

“ Dhe% just seem to "e hoping there ill "e a "etter election in )+*4.0 a

estern oNcial commented( Hasina&s importance as a partner for the est

in 3ghting Islamist extremism trumped their concerns a"out the democratic

de3cit. the oNcial said(

India and hina. meanhile. are "oth supportive of the government. and

"oth are seeking to increase their "usiness and investment stake in the

countr%( 2sked a"out her future intentions. Hasina. ho ill turn O this

month. said she as happ% to carr% on inde3nitel%(

Her son. Sajee" a!ed. also knon as o% 9meaning victor%. is idel%

expected to succeed her as 2< chief. if and hen she retires(

 Dhe stark realit% in Hasina&s Bangladesh is that no one has the poer to

insist J and fe ould dare to disagree( 2s usual. Hasina has the last ord:

/In our countr% e practice democrac% like %our estminster t%pe of

7/17/2019 Bangladesh's PM Rejects Claims of Repression 'I Do Politics for the People'

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democrac%. so as long as people ant. I ill "e there( If the% do not. ;F.

3ne( hether I&m in poer or not. I&ll ork for the people. and I&m doing it(0

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