Beast breeding industry(!)
Chopper in hand, the blood in the shirt bears the sign of that weapon; bestial anger written all over their face and the picture of a young man crying for his life in front of those bloodthirsty youth. He is Bishwajit Das. On the previous day, he had celebrated the victory of Bangladesh cricket team. In a matter of few hours, he was lying on the ground, writhing in agony, botched up by the young men. In day light, in a street in the capital, and in front of the police and many bystanders, after being repeatedly attacked with meat-chopper and heavy blows and trodden under their feet and soaked in his own blood he finally yielded to death. Did Biswajit ever dream of such a fate in this journey from ecstasy to groan in a matter of a few hours?
What was his fault? His only fault, he was born in Bangladesh. He may be Bishwajit. He may not be a member of a party. He may be completely innocent. But he was born in Bangladesh where there is no Hutu-Tutsi conflict, no Palestine-Israel, no Taliban-Karzai, but there is Awami League and BNP here. There is the beating of war drum, people overtaken by murderous propensity and thirst for blood. How dare Biswajit venture out on street on such a day? Death was his due!
The Daily Star has published the interviews of the parents of the killers. They had seen the brutality of some of these beasts on television. They cannot believe that these beasts are their children. They had toiled hard to send their sons to the university, and they cannot ever imagine what they have learnt here. They were wiping their tears caused by shame and guilt. They themselves have demanded that their sons be put on trial. But Bishwajit's father or brother does not have the courage to file a case. They have left the responsibility of the trial to the Almighty.
But then they are also very lucky, for Bishwajit was not born as Bayezid or Bashir. Had that been so, Bishwajit would have been made into a Jamaat-Shibir cadre, and his killers would have been hailed as brave fighters imbued with the spirit of liberation. The minister and the party leaders would have proudly proclaimed that people have resisted the pro-hartal elements. Some writers, commentators, intellectuals would have welcomed the public beating. The killers of Bishwajit would have soon become big party leaders, and would have, after somehow finishing their education, become the APS of one minister or the other, may be a minister in this country someday.
It is a matter of bad luck for Bishwajit's murderers. Their Chattra League comrades had committed such heinous crimes as the killing of Abu Bakar of Dhaka University and the murder of Jahangir Nagar University's Zubair. None of them has been punished as yet. But there will be no letting off of Bishwajit's killers. The killing was carried live on TV and pictures have appeared in the newspapers. How can they escape now! Nahid-Limon-Rajon-Rafiqul, whoever they may be, they will be arrested. The way the media and the newspaper have covered the issue they may not get bell quickly either.
But Bishwajit's killers need not be too worried. Some day when the journalists will get busy with the news of another such killing or even with more serious crimes, these killers will also get bail without anybody coming to know of it. Even if they are tried or punished, these killers, brave soldiers, need not lose hope. In this very country a murder-accused adorns the seat of a high court judge. And one who had celebrated a hundred rape gets a job in the university, and an animal who had tied a person in a bathroom and chopped him up in pieces receives President's pardon on the prime minister's recommendation. Therefore Bishwajit's killers need not worry, for better days for them will come. Did they not come out on the street on the instructions of the home minister to resist the BNP and Jamaat--Shibir? They did not go to beat up the driver of a garbage truck on the "instruction" of Mirza Fakhrul. Mirza Fakhrul has been arrested instantly. He has been made accused in 37 cases in a matter of few hours. At least Bishwajit's killers will not have to suffer so much hassle. A murderer belonging to one's own party has more dignity than the opposition party's secretary general. The same may happen in future when BNP comes to power.
We feel sad for the family of Bishwajit's killers. They really wanted to bring up their son well and not to turn them into animals. Now we have to hear which of them belong to Jamaat-Shibir camp, which of the killers' father, brother, uncles have been to which madrasa or which of them were involved in Jamaat Shibir or BNP politics, and that too from the PMO. They have no scope to pose a counter question. Is there no one in the family of the ruler of this country who belong to the family of razakar? They do not have the scope to ask as to which student organisation the killers belong to. Why the government had not tried these killers for their many crimes before? Why, even after being expelled, the Chattra League leaders had raised slogans and bravely lead processions keeping them in the forefront? Why the government did not arrest them before the media brought this to the limelight? Is it because their uncles belong to Jamaat?
It is better for us, the common public, to keep these questions aside. Let us rather be occupied with the matter of the trial of these animals. Apparently, the murderers have been arrested and they will also be tried. Let us rather celebrate that. What an extraordinary country, what extraordinary politics? This sort of politics teaches you to associate with the politics of either Chattra League or Chattra Dal, to attend their meetings and sing the praise of the two leaders to retain their hall seats, and to become killers in order to get a job or a business or to become a big leader. This politics shows the streets rather than the class room, shows the tender form rather than the book, teaches to be a rapist than a beloved, and teaches to be an animal rather than a man.
We need not be worried about the animal breeding industries. Let this be our consolation that the owners of this industry, the lords of this state, are also having their children educated. They are receiving higher education in either Harvard or Oxford, living in a civilised land and marrying there, and are constantly alert with a stick in their hand and apprehension in their heart to run this country. Their soldiers are to be found in the universities, in the courts, in the newspapers, in the police. Those of us who are animals, and those of us whose children are animals have been set against each other like Hutus and Tutsis. We fight among ourselves. We sing praise to our lords. We become the guards of their power and property. We love their children keeping our own in uncertainty and facing darkness and death. We wait for their future with bouquets and arches.
Some of us, like fools, wonder when this country would see better days. Did not this country see 52, 69, 71 and 90? We talk about these events. But there is the fear of Chattra League and Chattra Dal, and Shibirs violence. There is the prospect of torture and jail, and the cold fear of forced disappearance. And there is Bishwajit's face crying for his life. Even then, we shall not accept defeat!
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