00:00As we draw closer to the elections in Bangladesh, the world is watching, even India.
00:07What is going to be the foreign policy of Bangladesh as new government swears in?
00:12What will be the priority of the Bangladeshi government?
00:16And how will they tackle the internal issues as it has been panning out for last almost one and a half years?
00:23To speak more on this, we are being joined by someone who has been in the Bangladesh power corridor for a long, long time.
00:31He has been one of the closest confidante of Sheikh Hasina and the former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Hassan Mahmood.
00:39Mr. Mahmood, welcome to India today.
00:44Sir, we'd like to start with the question that how do you read the election this time?
00:50Because perhaps for the first time, Awami League, the party that brought liberation to Bangladesh, have been barred from contesting elections.
00:59How does Awami League look into this situation?
01:02What is your personal opinion on this?
01:05In the name of the election, this is simply a farce, you know.
01:09And this is simply a farce and mockery.
01:13Because Awami League is the party that led independence movement, independence war.
01:19Awami League has served Bangladesh six times after independence.
01:25And Sheikh Hasina alone has served Bangladesh for five times.
01:30She was elected Prime Minister for five times.
01:32And Awami League has brought a lot of benefit to the people.
01:37Awami League has elevated Bangladesh from the least developed country to middle-income country.
01:42And Bangladesh, you master the economic tiger in the world arena under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
01:53And poverty rate was reduced from 41 percent to 18 percent.
01:57And extreme poverty was reduced from 14 or 15 percent to 5 percent only.
02:03Awami League has been enjoying a lot of support of the people of Bangladesh.
02:10If you look at the election results of the last few elections or the elections that has taken place after independence.
02:18I don't want to mention the election of 1970.
02:23But elections after our independence, Awami League's support never went below 35 percent, you know.
02:30In 1979, we had a lot of, I mean, after Bangabandhu's killing, Awami League faced a lot of problems.
02:39Our front-ranking leaders were killed.
02:41They were in jail.
02:42And Awami League was under tremendous pressure of the then regime.
02:47And even then, Bangladesh, Awami League got around 25 percent vote in 1979 Parliament election.
02:55And a 35 percent vote.
02:57So, you are, you have part, a party that has been enjoying constantly more than 40 percent support of the people.
03:08And today, if you ask the people of Bangladesh, people would say that, I mean, Bangladesh, Awami League is enjoying definitely more than 50 percent support of the people.
03:17And if you ask the people, in Bengali, people say,
03:21We are better in the past.
03:26And Sheikh Hasina was serving that country.
03:29And the approval rate of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League support more than 50 percent.
03:33And approval rate of Sheikh Hasina is more than 80 percent, 80 to 90 percent.
03:38So, you have barred a party from participating in the election.
03:43That has alleged independence war of Bangladesh.
03:48The independence movement of Bangladesh has served the country for more than six times after independence.
03:56So, this is simply a farce in the name of election.
03:59It's a mockery.
04:00It's an arranged election actually is going to take place.
04:04But, sir, given the situation, as allegations have been leveled against the top leadership of Awami League by the interim government,
04:11and several trials have also happened, even notices against you have also been issued in multiple locations.
04:17So, given a party which has been a major political party, barred to contest elections,
04:24how does Awami League now plans to come back, maybe post-election if possible?
04:29What is the roadmap ahead for Awami League or its future in Bangladesh politics?
04:34Awami League very much in the country, you know.
04:37Awami League is a party that has been enjoying huge support of the people of Bangladesh.
04:42In each village, not only in each village, in each house there is Awami League supporters.
04:48And you were talking that a few hundred Awami League leaders are in abroad to flee Bangladesh.
04:54But, thousands of Awami League leaders and workers, millions of Awami League leaders and workers are in Bangladesh.
05:01Awami League very much is in the country.
05:04You've been the foreign minister during Sheikh Hasina's regime.
05:17You know the foreign policy, how it works, how diplomacy works.
05:21But, given what we have seen in the last one year, especially the close proximity of the interim government with Pakistan,
05:28many say that somehow the interim government is playing in hands of ISI.
05:34Do you agree to that?
05:35And if yes, then what could be the possible fallout you feel as far as Bangladesh, the internal situations are concerned?
05:42Look, 5th August, I mean, happened by the people who actually don't believe in Bangladesh.
05:53If you look back, you'll see that even in 1970 election, when Bangabandhu had landslide victory,
06:02became majority party leader of the Pakistan national parliament,
06:06and owned all the seats in Dadaan, East Pakistan or Bangladesh,
06:12but only two, two but all the seats.
06:16Then, even then, 23% of people did not vote for vote, our symbol vote.
06:23So, the descendants of these people, of these supporters, are there, their children, grandchildren are there.
06:31And you see, after 5th August, Bangabandhu's house was burned, 32 Dhanmundi.
06:37Why? It was burned, and later, six months later, it was demolished.
06:41And after, I mean, demolishing the house, there was, first reaction came from Pakistan military intelligence.
06:49And it was said that this house was responsible for breaking Pakistan.
06:55You see, when they were demolishing number 32 house of Bangabandhu, historic house, that was a museum at the time.
07:05It was not a, I mean, property of anyone.
07:09Our leader, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and our sister, they have donated the house, this property.
07:22And when it was being demolished, there was ISI flag posted.
07:29ISIS, yes.
07:31Yeah, ISIS flag was hosted there.
07:34And also, there were slogans, you know, I mean, in favor of Pakistan, you see.
07:40So, this is obvious, I mean, 5th August, I mean, happened by the people who doesn't believe in Bangladesh, actually, you know.
07:51So, after that, this government is, I mean, controlled by the people who believe in Pakistan, actually.
08:00That's why the ties with Pakistan is increasing, and increasingly, this government, I mean, making a lot of deals with Pakistan,
08:09and Pakistani officials are visiting Bangladesh, Bangladesh officials are going there.
08:14So, this is because 5th August was, I mean, happened, I mean, 5th August took place by the people who doesn't believe in Bangladesh, actually.
08:25In recent times, we have seen that Jamaat-e-Islami was never a frontal political party as far as mainstream political parties concerned in Bangladesh.
08:35They are trying to vouch upon the power in Bangladesh.
08:39Now, they have been taking shots in different places.
08:42We have even got reports that not only Awami League, but also the BNP leaders were targeted in different districts across Bangladesh.
08:49Do you think that somehow a radical Islamist rule is being imposed in present-day Bangladesh, at least an attempt to do that?
09:01Because the foundation of Bangladesh, as we know, was culture and the secular fabric.
09:05That seems to be absolutely gone at the moment.
09:08So, definitely radicalization has been increased in Bangladesh.
09:13You know that hundreds of convicted militants who are in jail, they were released, you see, from the jail.
09:23And, in fact, now there is radical rule in Bangladesh, you see.
09:28So, and you see the NCP, I mean, the student leaders, the party, they have joined the alliance of Jamaat-e-Islami.
09:38And these NCP people led 5th August movement, you know.
09:41So, there is definitely increase of radicalization.
09:46Society, I mean, they want to bring the society more radical.
09:49They want to make the society more radical.
09:52And, indeed, this government is controlled by the radical people, you see.
09:58So, that's why, I mean, with Pakistan increasing ties, I mean, this government is making increasing ties to Pakistan.
10:06With Tariq Rahman coming back to country almost after 18 years, and now the movements that we had seen have started in different places than Kilab Manch.
10:16Now, the government have started crackdown on these student bodies in different places.
10:22And, having Jamaat and its outlook that we had seen in last one year, do you really think that, in one hand, the BNP, but, till now, Jamaat had not been a frontal political party.
10:36But, will they be a kingmaker this time around in forming a government in Bangladesh?
10:41Look, in this election, what would be the outcome, I don't know.
10:46Because, still, if you ask the people today, even in Bangladesh, whether the election will be held or not, many people would say, we don't know.
10:54They say, so, what would be the outcome, I don't know.
10:57But, I don't believe, still, I don't believe that Jamaat is tsunami, I don't know what would be the result.
11:04Because, I have been hearing a lot of noise from Bangladesh that could be election engineering, etc.
11:11So, we don't have any interest in the result of this election.
11:14Because, our league is barred to participate in the election.
11:19And, this is an arranged election.
11:21It's a farce in the name of election.
11:24So, we don't have any interest in this election.
11:27But, given the...
11:29The people, I would ask for you also to vote for the election.
11:33And, given the...
11:36What we have seen in the last few months, like Deepu Das' incident, it seems like that the entire...
11:43It's a mobocracy that have empowered in Bangladesh.
11:46Whenever anything goes wrong, we see that the minorities are getting targeted in multiple locations.
11:51And, the government says that they are trying to contain the situation, but the situation is only getting worse by the day.
11:57Will these be potent issues for common Bangladeshis as they go for casting their mandate?
12:04Look, not only the minority community, also Aomalik people.
12:10Yes.
12:11And, also media has been selectively targeted.
12:13Aomalik leaders have been killed in the jail.
12:20Thousands have been killed in the country.
12:23After, within the last one and a half year time.
12:26And, indeed, this government is, I mean, sponsoring the mobocracy.
12:33Have you seen, I mean, is there enough arrest or, I mean, investigation of Deepu Das' killing?
12:40Do you hear anything?
12:42But, you hear many things about Hadi killing, you know?
12:45Yes.
12:46Have you heard anything?
12:47Have you heard anything?
12:48Is there any proper investigation of the killing of a disabled chapter league leader who was general secretary of chapter league of Russia University?
12:59He was killed.
13:00And, he went to buy medicine for his 11 day old child.
13:07And, he was beaten to death by the mob violence, you know?
13:11Have you heard anything?
13:12Is there any arrest?
13:13Have you heard anything?
13:14I mean, a guy went to Dhaka University Hall for food.
13:19And, afterward, he was beaten to death.
13:22Is there any arrest?
13:23And, have you heard anything?
13:25Jahanginogar University Shatsalit leader went to buy some food in front of Jahanginogar University shops.
13:33And, he was beaten to death.
13:34Is there any arrest?
13:35Is there any investigation?
13:36So, what does it mean?
13:38The government is sponsoring mobocracy.
13:42You know?
13:43So, the mob went to the house of former chief election commissioner.
13:51And, he was, he was, how brutally he was handled, you know, by the mob.
13:58You know?
13:59How he was harassed by the mob.
14:01You know?
14:02And, is there any arrest?
14:03And, is there any arrest?
14:04Rather, he was arrested.
14:05But, the government, at times, also have alleged that, in several such incidents, the direct hand of a Wami League for, say, Usman Hadi's murder, the allegations were levelled against the Wami League.
14:16Do you buy that theory?
14:18You see?
14:19It's an orchestrated murder, you know?
14:20It's an orchestrated murder, you know?
14:21It's an orchestrated murder, you know?
14:22It's an orchestrated murder by the quarter who wanted to install a revolutionary government in the street of this government.
14:35You see, I mean, after Hadi's funeral prayer, a mob went towards Parliament House.
14:45So, it was, it was, Amalek is know-how related to this murder.
14:51Definitely, I condemn this murder.
14:53Any, any, any murder, I condemn.
14:55I condemn all the murders, you know, that, that has taken place in Bangladesh over the last one and a half year time.
15:03By the mob, and our leaders, and the workers' murder, and the murder of, in the community, minority community, all the murders.
15:11Also, I do condemn the murder of Smar Hadi.
15:15But, this was the murder, I mean, dammed by the quarter who wanted to install another government, they say, a revolutionary government, instead of this government.
15:31My last two questions before I let you go, Sam.
15:34What is the future of Sheikh Hasina, you see?
15:38I mean, you've been in touch with Sheikh Hasina in recent times.
15:40What do you make out, what's the political future like?
15:43Look, Sheikh Hasina is the most popular leader of Bangladesh today.
15:47If that's the people, the approval rate of Sheikh Hasina is 80 to 90%.
15:53So, that is the strength of Sheikh Hasina.
15:56Sheikh Hasina definitely will return to Bangladesh with the support and love of the people of Bangladesh.
16:02And my last question to you, sir, how do you think that Bangladesh can come out of this confrontational politics that we are witnessing for almost one and a half years?
16:12Well, I mean, I mean, politics of denial, politics of confrontation and politics of hatred is the main problem of Bangladesh politics.
16:23We have to come out from this political scenario, because if we cannot come out from this confrontational politics or politics of denial or politics of hatred, Bangladesh cannot proceed, you know.
16:40So, for that, I think it is important to have a national reconciliation.
16:46This is very important, I believe, because we have to abandon, anyhow, confrontational politics.
16:53And for that, I think the parties that believe in the independence of Bangladesh, that parties that believe in Bangladesh, we should work together.
17:05Thank you so much, sir, for speaking with India today.
17:07And we hope that we have a friendly neighbor as we had in yesteryears.
17:12And we hope that Bangladesh prospers in days to come.
17:15But at this moment, we'll have to wait for a few more hours after which the most awaited election in Bangladesh starts.
17:22Thank you so much.
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