Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Fourth Amendment of the constitution that paved the way for a one-party rule in Bangladesh under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Author and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad talks about the background and formation of BAKSAL in an exclusive interview with Priyam Paul of  The Daily Star.

In 1972, there were talks about forming a national government. By 1974, there was a national government called BAKSAL. What are your observations on this?

In 1972, many advocated for a national government comprising all political parties that participated in the Liberation War. However, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not agree, and instead aimed to establish a one-party government led by the Awami League. As successive crises hit the country, he struggled to manage them. Handling such crises proved impossible for a one-party government.

In 1975, he could have held a midterm election to seek a new mandate. Instead, he chose to form a one-party government called BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League). This decision was not made with everyone's consent. Members of parliament at the time were forced to join BAKSAL; they were told that their parliamentary membership would be cancelled if they did not join by April 15. This means it was made mandatory. As a result, two MPs from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), Moinuddin Manik and Abdullah Sarkar, lost their membership in parliament. Additionally, two Awami League members, Moinul Hossain and MAG Osmany, had already resigned from the party.

Activities of other parties were suspended and all daily newspapers, except four, were shut down. Of the four, two were government-owned: the Dainik Bangla and Bangladesh Observer. The other two were the Daily Ittefaq and Bangladesh Times. The constitution was amended in such a way that it was not exactly a one-party government; it became the government of one person. Everyone depended on him as he held absolute power over the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

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Was the Fourth Amendment to the constitution done to form BAKSAL?

One month after the amendment, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced that there would be a party called BAKSAL and he would be its chairman, while the central committee of Awami League would be known as the committee of BAKSAL. In June 1975, he announced the full committee of BAKSAL. Its affiliated organisations were Chhatra League, Sramik League, Krishak League, Mahila League, and Jubo League. Some members from the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and National Awami Party (NAP) were included in these committees, but there was none from other parties.

Was forming BAKSAL still necessary after the Fourth Amendment?

Sheikh Mujib wanted a one-party government and absolute power. He believed that with absolute control, he could manage everything. He couldn't tolerate any criticism or dissent. Due to disagreement on various issues, Tajuddin Ahmad had to leave the cabinet. These are well-known facts.

Some say BAKSAL was formed on CPB's advice. Is there any basis for this?

Moni Singh opposed it, while Mohammad Farhad supported it. Forming BAKSAL was Sheikh Mujib's sole decision.

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After a long career in the democratic movement, why did Sheikh Mujibur Rahman undergo this fundamental change after the Liberation War?

When Sheikh Mujib took sole control of Awami League, he did not allow anyone with differing opinions to remain in the party. He established absolute authority within the party, and since 1964, anyone who opposed him, such as Ataur Rahman Khan and Abul Mansur Ahmad, could not stay. They became his enemies, and the rest were either loyal to him or his subordinates. Therefore, there was never any democracy within the party, and there was no second leader besides Sheikh Mujib either; he was the only leader.

Could you describe the structure of BAKSAL?

BAKSAL had a 15-member executive committee, with Sheikh Mujib as chairman, as well as a secretary general, and three secretaries, including Sheikh Moni. Additionally, there was a 115-member central committee, which included only four members from CPB and NAP.

Did Sheikh Mujib follow any model for BAKSAL?

Sheikh Mujib never mentioned any specific model. It is believed that he came up with this idea on his own. I have detailed this in my book Bela-Obela. He mentioned Senegal and Slovenia, among others. He had the mentality of a morol (village chief), wanting to control everything. Out of the 300 seats in parliament, 293 were held by Awami League, so why was a one-party system necessary? It was because he could not tolerate any criticism, which some newspapers did. He wanted total control. I would say that he was always a dictator, but by forming BAKSAL, he became a fascist.

What was the outcome of BAKSAL?

A one-party rule was established, but Sheikh Mujib did not realise he had lost his popularity. He saw people chanting his name everywhere, but the ground had shifted beneath his feet, and people had turned against him. Constantly surrounded by sycophants, he assumed everyone would agree with him. He left no opportunity for a constitutional change of government. In a parliamentary democracy, elections were supposed to be held every five years. After the 1973 election, the next one was supposed to be held in 1978. However, he declared himself the chairman and president of BAKSAL for the next five years and would decide how many terms he would serve. This meant there was no scope for any change of power through elections. When there is no option to change a government, people either accept it or stage a coup. That is what happened. In August 1975, we witnessed a coup through which the regime changed. Sheikh Mujib had left no other options.

Awami League still believes that BAKSAL was a good initiative. After the 2008 election, Awami League followed a similar path. Although there was a facade of multi-party democracy, in reality, it was a one-person government under Sheikh Hasina's leadership. There are similarities between the two. I would say that this fascist tendency has been ingrained in Awami League's very essence.

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Responding to Hasnat Abdullah's explosive statement about the army chief's suggestion of rehabilitating a refined Awami League, the army has dismissed saying it is 'absolutely laughable' as reported by Netra News.

The Sweden-based news portal, confirmed that the meeting between a frontline NCP leader, Hasnat, and the army chief, Waker-uz-Zaman, did indeed take place. However, according to the statement given to Netra News, the July uprising leader turned politician was not at all pressured into accepting a deal to rehabilitate Awami League.

Netra further reports that Hasnat and Sarjis Alam, both of whom have been the most visible faces of the uprising, were not "summoned" to the cantonment. "Instead, it insisted, the meeting occurred at the request of Abdullah and another coordinator of his party, Sarjis Alam, who had long sought a 'courtesy meeting' with General Waker-uz-Zaman," reports Netra News quoting the army statement they have secured.

Currently appointed as the chief organiser of Bangladesh South of the National Citizen Party, Hasnat had posted on Facebook, around 2am on Friday that a conspiracy was afoot to rehabilitate the Awami League at the behest of India.

He said it has been suggested that the "refined" version of the party, would be led by former minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, former parliament speaker, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and former Dhaka mayor, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh who would publicly denounce Hasina's legacy. In exchange, Hasnat's post read, they were proposed "seat sharing agreements", most likely in the parliament.

The post went viral in Bangladesh, with hundreds of thousands of reactions, comments, and shares, garnering praise for the young activist for publicly challenging the military.

Netra News reports that the army statement said, "Sarjis Alam phoned the military adviser to the army chief to arrange the meeting, and was asked to come to army headquarters." Instead, the duo was said to have waited at Sena Bhaban, where the general met them after his official duties.

The army statement secured by Netra News states that the "chief had offered his opinion" that Awami League leaders not facing criminal charges should be included in the political process, noting that he regarded the young activists "like his sons."

"In reality, this is by no means a matter of summoning them and proposing or pressuring them about the rehabilitation of the Awami League," the statement said, as reported by Netra News.

The ISPR has yet to respond to The Daily Star's requests for comments on this matter.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman today said that the people will not accept the rehabilitation of the Awami League.

In a post on his verified Facebook account, the Jamaat chief made this remark.

At the same time, he urged people from all walks of life to remain restrained, vigilant, and united, rising above party affiliations to play a responsible role in the greater interest of the country.

Addressing the nation in a Facebook post, Shafiqur Rahman wrote that Bangladesh is passing through a critical juncture in its history.

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"After a long period of fascist rule, the nation received a new Bangladesh as a gift from Almighty Allah on July 36, 2024. For this, we offer countless thanks to our Lord."

He further claimed that the fallen fascists are engaged in various conspiracies both at home and abroad to destabilise the country.

In his post, Shafiqur Rahman wrote that the demand of Bangladesh's 18 crore oppressed people is the trial of those responsible for genocide, the rehabilitation of the families of the martyrs of 2024, proper medical treatment for the numerous injured, disabled students, youths, and freedom-seeking individuals, and fundamental reforms to clean up the mess created over the past 15 years to prepare for a fair election.

He also said that at this moment, the people want to see the trial of the genocide as a priority. There is no room to think about anything else beyond this.

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'If led by non-criminals, why can't Awami League be in politics?' asks Rizvi

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said the Awami League will not be allowed to demonstrate until it apologises and its leadership faces trial for the killings during the July uprising.

He made the comments yesterday, a day after the AL announced on Facebook that it would begin from February 1 a nine-day programme that includes hartals and blockades in protest at what it said were rising prices of essentials, deteriorating law and order, and killings of leaders and activists.

"Does any leader or worker of the Awami League regret committing genocide? Had they begged pardon? You saw 71 children get killed and shots fired at them from helicopters. Has anyone repented or apologised for this?" Shafiqul Alam told a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy.

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"Have Awami League men said, 'We do not support the killings carried out by Hasina'? We want leadership with a clean image. I don't see it. Rather, many are lying and spreading rumors and propaganda," he said.

Shafiqul also wrote on Facebook, "Unless AL apologises for these massacres, killings and blatant corruption and until its tainted leaders and activists submit to justice system and they are purged and tried over their crimes  -- and until AL separates itself from its current leadership and its Fascist ideology, there is no way it will be allowed to hold protests."

The interim government will not allow any attempt to push the country towards violence, he wrote.

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"Since it took over in early August, the Interim Government has not stopped or banned any lawful protests. We believe in freedom of assembly and freedom of association. One report this morning said at least 136 protests took place alone in Dhaka in the past five and a half months. Some of these protests triggered massive traffic congestion. Yet, the IG [inspector general of police] has never imposed any restrictions on the protests.

"But should we allow the Fascist Awami League party to hold protests? The video footage of July and August clearly show that AL party activists took part in the killings of peaceful protesters who included young students and minor children. The party leadership headed by Sheikh Hasina is responsible for the massacres, murders and mayhem during the July mass uprising."

He further said, Hasina established a kleptocracy and murderous regime. Under her watch, 234 billion dollars were siphoned off by her cronies, according to an independent panel. Her family is now being investigated for making billions of dollars from corrupt deals, he wrote.

He added that no country allowed a bunch of killers and corrupt gangs to make a comeback. "No country allows a reset without accountability. The interim government represents the will of the Bangladeshi people who will react to the protest by the killers. We will not allow any attempts to push the country into violence. Anyone [who] dares to hold illegal protests under the AL banner will face the full power of the law."