জাতীয় পার্টির চেয়ারম্যান, সাবেক ফল রাষ্ট্রপতি পল্লীবন্ধু হুসেইন মুহম্মদ এরশাদ ও জাতীয় পার্টি

The whole nation in a labyrinth- Hussain Muhammad Ershad M. P. After completing my usual daily morning core, on May 21 while glancing through the heap of news papers, a sub-editorial in The Daily Star “A General in his labyrinth” written by a well - known columnist whose writings I always read, caught my attention. Nowhere my name was mentioned but it was obvious that the writer pointed his finger at me. I had to leave for Singapore the next morning for treatment of my son and as such I couldn’t give a reply to the issues raised. Surely I am old but not too old nor unfit. No question has been raised in my Party as such. Death is inevitable anytime anywhere for anybody, old or young. That I am still alive after so much of mental torture in the jail for six years is in itself a miracle. I was denied of my basic rights of a first class prisoner in all possible manner. I had a severe jaundice with unusual high bill robin so much so that some doctors later told me that a man of my age could survive is simply a miracle. Even then I was not brought to the hospital for my treatment. This is just one example of what inhuman torture I had gone through. But Allah kept me alive and I am carrying on with my political activities which many people cannot even imagine moving around in the country from one end to the other by road day-in and day-out with no wink of sleep whole night many a time. I can bet a person 20 years younger to me would find it unbearable. The writer has alleged that due to my old age I am looking for a successor now. He should have checked up the circumstances under which I made some remarks. On my way to Rangpur I stopped for a while in Bogra where the journalists asked me the question of my successor and my reply was that it was a matter to be decided by the Party Council, as has been in my case over the past years clearly laid down in the Party constitution. I have given the responsibility of recasting the District committee of Rangpur to G. M. Quader within four months. It was not the forum where the decision of my successor could come up. There I said if anybody does not want G. M. Quader to organize the Party at Rangpur he may leave the Party. He is in politics for last 20 years, elected 3 times to the Parliament and now a Cabinet Minister in the present government with good reputation. From that point of view he is now a seasoned politician who can take the rein of Jatiyo Party if the council so desires. My wife, brother, brother-in-law and sister have been elected to the Parliament but G. M. Quader has so far proved himself to be the most efficient. Therefore, if the Council decides to make him my successor – what is wrong? How would this be considered as hereditary succession? If so, it will be by dint of his merit. He has proved himself a very successful parliamentarian with brilliant academic background. In my political life I proved that I have both mission and vision. Twenty years ago I introduced the upa-zila system and this is still considered a revolutionary step. Now I am talking of the Provincial system to decentralize the country with a vision of 50 years ahead. The country will not survive if this is not done. We must have to go for the Federal system. Dhaka cannot be Bangladesh and all powers cannot be centralized in one hand. Many of our neighbors have done so. Why can’t we? During my rule I shifted 6 High court Divisions to the doors of the people and the most meritorious local lawyers could practice there reducing the suffering of the people to come to Dhaka and spend money and time for seeking justice. In communication, constriction of Jamuna Bridge remained a dream for over a decade. World Bank and Japan backed out for its huge cost. I brought them back to work by promising half the expenditure by collecting levy from our own resources. Foundation Stone was laid by me on 1st February 1988. Northern parts of the country has been concerted with the rest of the country – a dream came true. Subsequently, after I handed over power the two consecutive governments laid new foundation stones, a mean culture that prevails nowhere in the world. From Dhaka people used to take 8-10 hours to reach Rangpur or Dinajpur. Crossing the bridge now takes exactly 3 minutes and staring early in the morning we can now have lunch at Rangpur, Dinajpur, Pabna, Rajshahi etc. Bangladesh- China Friendship Bridge over the river Buriganga was built to connect the southern districts reducing the distance by about 100 miles, During my time the country saw the widest road connection. Rail communication was modernized and 46 inter-city fast trains were introduced. For Dhaka city dwellers 7 Flyovers were planned. The government is waking up now. If the bye-passes were not built, to-day what the traffic congestion could be is anybody’s guess. I brought down the number of Ministries to 26 from 42 and the Autonomous bodies from 155 to 109 to avoid duplication of functional responsibilities. 5-tier administration was reduced to 3-tiers by converting the sub-divisions into districts for administrative expediency. In 1971 food production were 10 million tones which rose to about 20 million tones. Formulation of Drug Policy brought down 1707 medicines in place of 4000, many of them were banned in developed countries long before. It was hailed by WHO and many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America took it as a model. 460 Health Complexes were set up in the Upa-Zilas. Population growth at that time was 3.8 which I brought down to 2.3 and in recognition received the UN Population Award in 1987. A Land Reform policy was implemented in 1982 by which 800000 acres of fallow land were brought under government ownership and distributed among the landless poor around the country. To check artificial price-hike of rice and wheat by dishonest traders Rural Rationing was introduced in 4447 Unions and 14810 families reaped the benefit. To rehabilitee the landless floating population under a program “Operation Address” 12000 families were given land and homes in 460 Upa-Zilas. In 1986 a historic measure was taken waiving upto Tk. 10,000 agricultural credit interest by which millions of rural farmers were benefited. Women in Bangladesh are the worst oppressed. Family courts were set up in each Upa-Zila. Strict law was enacted to stop dowry. Death sentence was made the punishment for acid-throwing on women. Export of garment saw the golden era. Bangladesh achieved the 5th place in the world. Thousands of garment industries were set up providing employment to half a million women and men (ratio 80%-20%) and export of garment boosting from year to year. Board of Investment (BOI) was set up. During 1982-1986 permission was given to 9000 new industrial units. NGO Affairs Bureau was created to strictly control and monitor the NGOs. The unprecedented flood of the century in 1988 was handled in a manner which created a history. Relief operations saw a new dimension and attracted world conscience. An embankment in the western side of Dhaka city was built in record time to save the city from flooding. This embankment is new being used as a circular road which undoubtedly reduced the traffic jam. An Eastern Embankment was planned to protect Baridhara, Gulshan, and Banani etc. but till now it has not seen the light of the day. Nation Wide Direct Dialing system was introduced and ISD telephone facility extended to 120 foreign countries of the world with Bangladesh. Savar National Memorial was named in 1972 but not completed in the next one decade. To honour the millions of freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for liberation of the country, the memorial was completed. Half-done Bengali Language Martyrs’ Monument in memory of those who laid down their lives for their mother-tongue was completed during my time. Martyrs’ Memorial for the intellectuals of the country at Mirpur was completed. I first planned the Independence Memorial at Mujib Nagar where the first government was declared. I took the first initiative for sending armed forces and police personnel to UN Peace Keeping Missions. So far 112070 people have been sent to 45 missions in 30 countries of the world. Their performance has brought laurels to the country and they have earned immense economic benefit for themselves as well as to the country. The learned writer will do justice if he puts all my works in one side and the rest on another and see which side the scale tilts. He will get the answer. Well, if he has the pleasure to call me a dictator - have not the countrymen seen more than one autocrat in the last sixteen and half years. He is well aware with the name “Benevolent Dictator”. I leave it to his best judgment- who is better, an autocrat in the garb of democracy or a benevolent dictator who does hundreds of good work for the country. As a politician I have surely proved that I had both my mission and vision. Unless I had that far-sightedness I would not have laid my hands on so many good things the country is enjoying now after about two decades. What is better _ crying hoarse of democracy or doing good work for the welfare fare of the country? This country was a much better place to live in during my time. Everybody was happy − a businessman, an industrialist, a labourer, a farmer, a service-holder and so on so forth. Open up the news papers in the morning every day and see what hell we are living in – murder, mugging, rape, tendering by party people and what not. Name one country in the globe which earned the name of being called “most corrupt country in the world” consecutively for 5 years. What a shame! For all my pragmatic actions and hard work, I claim that I worked for the development of the country in all possible manners. I am 80 years old but not unfit physically or otherwise. But still I feel that time has come an able and efficient successor is to be found out whom the council can elect to take hold of the reins of Jatiyo Party as its Chairman. So long I am alive I can contribute with my experience and guidelines for the benefit of the Party. Hence I am not in a labyrinth. Let the countrymen judge whether the whole country is in a labyrinth and how long or for eternity! May Allah save us and our posterity so that they can have a better world to live in?