By Bright Sarkar
Politics is meant to mediate between all aspects of society: business, trade, education, and culture. Politics plays the role of harmonising everything. But in our country, politics has become the personal affair of monarch-like figures. What concerns me is the complete absorption of politics into a far-right orbit, which leaves no future for anyone except the extreme right-wingers. Together, they have inserted politics into a reactionary courtroom. I fear that the fundamentalists will ultimately fulfil their ambitions.
Meanwhile, people like Professor Yunus being on the other side is also alarming.
He has influenced two areas of Bangladesh. Firstly, he has gained the confidence of foreigners and managed to obtain financial support from them. Second, he has involved the poor of Bangladesh in a capitalist production process.
To consider a person like him, whose entire rise is based on foreign money, as the head of a caretaker government is a serious injustice. Foreigners may have many demands. We are already doing many things because they want us to do them. Even if there is only one person to protest appointing Yunus as caretaker chief just because foreigners desire it, let that be me. A man fully dependent on foreign funds cannot bring any welfare to this nation. I would rather accept the misrule of Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia than accept Yunus.
Raisu: Are you saying all this out of jealousy?
Sofa: Even if I am, it doesnโt matter. What matters is whether Iโm saying whatโs true or fair. At the very least, we need to feel our political struggle. I could accept a High Court judge or even a cunning man like Fayez, but not Yunus. The wealthy of Bangladesh never managed to connect the rural poorโs labour with capitalism or link it globally. Yunus’ achievement is that he managed to shape it into a capitalist model. That is exactly why America and the West keep giving him awards.
Warning about NGOs
In the current global economic landscape, NGOs follow the World Bank’s lead. If you consider the World Bank to be the Air Force, then NGOs are the infantry. They complement each other. In Bangladesh, NGOs have created a parallel structure, and I find that alarming. Under the excuse of civil liberties, they are claiming a stake in state power. This is frightening. The NGOs are the biggest obstacle to progressive politics.
In the early days, some positive contributions of the NGOs were raising awareness among women, organising rural communities, and working on new technology, education, and health. However, the negative side is that NGOs are now entering manufacturing. For example, Professor Yunus himself is now an industrialist.
Source: Ahmad Sofaโs Complete Interviews, Pages 116, 117, 236
Bright Sarkar: Media personality
English