The days ahead!

Photo: STAR

As the clock ticks and as the season changes from winter to spring, the big question in everybody's mind is, where is Projonmo Chottor (New Generation Roundabout) in Shahbagh leading us. Every day thousands of new faces are joining those present there and packing the area to its full capacity. The main slogan there is the call for death sentence for the Jammat leader Quader Mollah and all others accused of being Rajakars who had collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in 1971. Shahbagh has now turned into a national symbol of resistance against evil forces of the past.
To those of us who are curious spectators, four things seem to impress us all. The first is that it is the young, most of whom were not even born in 1971, who are thronging Shahbagh. These young men and women know about the crimes committed by the then Pakistan army and their local collaborators from books, novels, plays, films, blogs and from newspaper reports. They know about the mass killing fields, the rapes and arson as well as the looting that took place. They also know now how the young men and women in those days bravely faced the torture and the persecutions and what sacrifices they had to make in order make the future of this generation and the following ones safe. Morally they think they have a heavy debt to pay. Therefore they are not willing to compromise in any way with the punishment that the perpetrators of the crimes deserve. They have zero tolerance for any flip-flop on justice to be meted out. They are all seeking a moral closure.
The second thing is the astonishingly large number of women in the gatherings there. From the girl child to expectant mothers, from college graduates to professionals, no one seems to be missing out. Sporting colourful dresses and adorned in various accoutrements they have occupied the public space which is rightfully theirs. Shouting slogans, listening to speeches, singing and dramatising history of that time they have kept the focus of the world on Shahbagh.
The next thing is that one cannot discern any formal leadership structure that is guiding the movement. There is no central body that dictates daily schedules and programmes or gives out policy directions. No one can be sure which way the wind will blow from Shahbagh each day. People in small groups gather every day to express their feelings and their emotions about the War of Liberation. They informally discuss what requires to be done to bring the message to the people at large. They coordinate their thoughts and ideas among themselves and before the end of the day reach consensus about what should follow tomorrow.
So innovative programmes are crafted every day. So one afternoon a 3-minute silence is declared to remember the 3 million dead, which brought the whole country to a halt. On another evening a candle light vigil was started which illuminated cities and villages around the country. Surprisingly, the food and water served to this huge crowd are donations given voluntarily by individuals and organisations. Just like how the ordinary folk hosted their fellow men in 1971.
The most significant aspect about Shahbagh is that the protesters use the Internet extensively to relay messages and confirm decisions. They load images on their Facebook and converse by Twitter. This is not only lightning fast but also cost effective. Thus, the on line activists and bloggers have become the new pyramid builders of this day and age.
They also closely monitor the Internet. They have formed into groups of bloggers who are constantly patrolling the cyber space and pounce on mischief mongers who may try to sabotage the Shahbagh movement. All this is mumbo jumbo to the traditional politicians of this country. They belong to the earlier generation and have remained technologically challenged. So they are at a loss on how to react to Shahbagh. Politicians of all colours and hues have been left on the sidelines and are out of this loop. Shahbagh has also specifically requested the politicians not to bring their agenda there.
The spark that ignited the Shahbagh protests was the malicious victory sign that Quader Mollah sported when he came out of the Court after being handed out the life sentence. His gesture spoke a million words. He had by his criminal deeds in 1971 challenged with impunity the process of law. But all that the state institutions of an independent Bangladesh could come up with after 41 years was just awarding him a life sentence for murders, rape and arson. He showed no penance and knew that the state dare not go any further. Deep within, Quader knows that he may also be able to come out of jail if his political stars are correctly aligned.
But little does Quader Mullah realise that the world in which he and the politicians co-habit is a world left behind in time. Things have changed and so also the young who inhabit it. A new generation has come to the fore, who are not only well connected but also enlightened about the ways of the world. They are no fools to suffer Quader Mollahs in this time and age.
In the days ahead, if the government can get the amendment to the International War Crimes Tribunal passed in Parliament as proposed by the Shahbagh activists, then it must try to appeal to the highest court of the land to see whether the High Court sentence of life imprisonment can be overturned and a death sentence can be awarded. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court will have to take into account all the substantive and procedural matters before it can give its final ruling. But the state prosecution must be able to produce all the material witnesses and the best legal counsel. Shahbagh and the country will be watching closely.
The rest of the pending war crimes cases must also be handled by the government prosecutors with deftness and professionalism. No stone should be left unturned to obtain the maximum penalty deserving in each case. Only then a catharsis can begin.
For that to take place, our politicians, professionals, civil society and our youth must revisit the spirit that propelled our Independence. Our freedom fighters had dreamt of a free nation which would be able to establish a poverty free society, where inequality in wealth or incomes would not lead to the breakup of social cohesion. They dreamt that everyone in Bangladesh would be able to pursue his own religious belief without let and hindrance. For all this to take place a democratic system of government will always have to be in place, with strong democratic institutions playing their assigned roles. Shahbagh's relevance therefore is more permanent in nature.
For posterity, it is necessary to be able to recall the resurgence of the spirit of independence by our youth in 2013. It would be fitting tribute if a huge laser light monument is set up permanently in Shahbagh that would reflect all the colours of the rainbow encapsulating all the diverse views that this new generation hold but yet remain united behind the spirit of independence. This monument would remind future generations how the young did surprise everyone and took charge of the moral and ethical values that were forgotten for decades and gave voice to the silent majority in this country.

The writer is a former Ambassador and a regular commentator on contemporary affairs.
E-mail: [email protected]