Imam's last sermon

MR. H.T. Imam thought he could surely speak his mind. After all, he was among a group of youth of his own clan. Clan in the sense that he and his audience at the TSC who assembled to listen to him shared common views about the genuineness of the January 5 national elections, about the positive contribution of the ruling party in ushering development in almost all fronts, about the destructive role that the political opposition is engaged in and the correctness of the use of brute force and litigation by the administration in facing such challenge, about their skepticism of civil society institutions who have been relentless in demanding transparent and accountable governance, and, most importantly, in their unflinching loyalty to the ruling party and its supreme leader.

It was befitting that the organisers of the event chose Imam to be the chief guest of the programme marked to commemorate the gruesome jail killings of November 1975. After all, he has a wealth of experience as bureaucrat and the uncanny ability to enjoy the confidence of the masters he serves. Included among them was infamous President Khandkar Moshtaque Ahmed who briefly held the reins of power in tumultuous times of 1975.

Not in his wildest dreams did the political adviser to the prime minister ever think that he would find himself in hot soup for speaking the truth. After all, he is an honourable man and honourable men are meant to speak the truth.

Media reports suggest that, at the Awami League parliamentary board's meeting of November 13, when Mr. Tofail Ahmed tried to put in a few words on Imam's behest, the PM asked him to defend with logic, if he had any. Buoyed by PM's stance another member Suranjit Sengupta, who lost his own portfolio as Railways Minister after unfolding of a bizarre series of events  berated Mr. Ahmed, for being the “Imam's advocate.” Reports further say that the PM asked Ahmed to advise Imam to resign from his post.

Unless that resignation is forthcoming one cannot be sure if the sermon that Imam delivered at the Dhaka University premises on November 12 was his last. After all, he is a survivor and is known to have the innate ability to turn adversity into strength. Only time will tell if his head would really roll.   

So what did Imam say at that event? Why is it that people at the helm are so upset at the statements he made?

We need to remind ourselves the context in which Imam felt obligated to go that extra mile in placating his young audience. Almost a year ago, on November 21, 2013, Imam's residence was the target of protest by a section of activists of the host organisation as they had failed to qualify in the 33rd BCS examinations. They accused the PM's adviser of “depriving them because of internal conflict” that presumably existed within the ruling party.

There is little scope to regard Imam's statement as a stray incident. The spin-doctors are at play in doing so. Earlier, on September 20, 2010 the PM's health adviser, at a ceremony in Gopalganj said: “Some 13,350 employees will soon be recruited in community clinics. We have decided that no one outside the party (Awami League) will be recruited.” In the same vein, the convener of the pro-ruling party teachers' platform of Dhaka University, the Blue Panel, is on record as suggesting that only members of their party's student wing “should be recruited during the current tenure of the government.” He further said: “Injuries and attacks they suffered for their involvement in student politics should be criteria for their recruitment.” There has been no official rebuttal of these statements.

It was against this backdrop Imam thought it was only appropriate to convey to his audience where he and the administration stood in the audience's desire to secure a government job. As their well-wisher he advised them to study and prepare hard so that they perform well in the written test of the BCS examinations. He further assured them that once they crossed that Rubicon, “we will see how much we can help you with the viva voce”. In order to reinforce his point he went on to state, “our leader has told us to arrange jobs for you by any means”.

Before finishing his speech Imam reminded the audience of the dividend paid off by the government's smart move to induct pro-Awami officials in the mobile courts during the controversial last general elections.

Imam's candid statement laid bare two stark facts. Firstly, the blatant partisanship that people in authority engage in manipulating appointments to public offices undermining statutory institutions such as the PSC. Under successive regimes not only has there been erosion of the authority of the Commission through appointment of members and chairs who had obvious political bias but also in manipulating the results in the way that Imam suggested to the young Turks of the ruling party. It will be unfair to blame the incumbents only for this. During the tenures of Khaleda Zia's BNP government there were umpteen examples and allegations of misdeeds surrounding the pubic service examinations. Included among those were leakage of questions, trading in appointments by certain leaders of the party who commanded the blessings of their omnipotent leader, and asking candidates in viva voce examinations whether they could recite Suras of the Holy Quran.

Secondly, the statement of the adviser to the PM also betrayed the fact that there was widespread manipulation of the election process by the ruling party. It only gave further credence to the skeptics including the political opposition who all along questioned the intent behind the 15th Amendment that had done away with the provision of the caretaker government and the consequent robbing of voting rights of the people by holding general elections that most major parties boycotted.

Even though Adviser Imam was castigated by the PM and reprimanded by the ruling party's parliamentary board for undermining party's interest, there has not been any denial of the claims he had made. In that context, the nation should be grateful to him for laying bare in candor of what goes on in the corridors of authority of the State and what little regard the political leadership has for the rule of law to prevail.

The writer teaches International Relations at the University of Dhaka.