Failure to arrange prompt national elections in the current situation will push the country into a deeper crisis, according to Bangladesh Communist Party (CPB) President Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan.
The CPB considers the much-debated referendum unnecessary, Chandan added in an exclusive interview with Banglanews on October 11 at the CPB’s central office.
During the interview, he spoke about the prevailing national context, the upcoming parliamentary elections, public scepticism over the polls, law and order, the cost of living, the CPB’s electoral preparations, and discussions on forming a broader front or left bloc with left, democratic and progressive forces.
In the interview, Sajjad Zahir Chandan spoke candidly about his own views and the Communist Party’s position. Asked about the CPB’s electoral preparations, he said: “Our party is preparing for the elections. We are in talks with those who will be candidates across the country. We will be able to finalise our nominations within this month. Parties in the Left Alliance will finalise their candidates. In the first week of November, we will begin discussions on the Left Democratic Alliance’s nominations. First, the CPB’s list of candidates, then the Left Alliance’s list; after that, we will hold talks with Bangladesh JaSaD, the Anti-Fascist Platform, Gono Forum, and Oikya NAP. In the run-up to the election, we are engaging all left, democratic and progressive forces and individuals who uphold the Liberation War—various professional organisations, Dalits, indigenous groups, those who believe in Sufism—every such organisation; tea workers—by which I mean those at the grassroots and their organisations—we have spoken with them and continue to do so. Through these discussions we aim to build a broader front led by left-democratic forces. Just as the BNP will have a larger bloc in the election, and Jamaat and Islamic parties will have a bloc, we too want to build a bloc. In our bloc we are relying on the grassroots, and this is how we will move forward.”
Asked when this broader front might be unveiled, the CPB president said: “On October 30 there will be a convention in Dhaka, a convention of marginalised communities. This convention will be held with all such organisations—indigenous groups, Dalits, Harijans, believers in Sufism, tea workers, rickshaw workers—and with eminent citizens. There is also another discussion: after this convention, from there we plan to draft a charter and then hold another convention with political parties and professional organisations. Discussions are under way; the main point is that we want to build a broader force, certainly with those who accept the Liberation War—there is no room for confusion here. It will function as an electoral front; later we will deliberate on how it might proceed.”
On whether elections will be held at the time being discussed on the political stage, Sajjad Zahir Chandan said: “As things stand, it seems elections will be held in February. Given where our political situation is heading, if elections are not arranged swiftly, the country will fall into a deeper crisis. A crisis is already ongoing—that we all know. From this perspective, it appears the election will take place; we are hopeful at this point. We are on the streets with the demand that the election be held without delay. Public doubt is natural because different people are saying different things. However, we are still seeing the chief adviser or his advisory council saying the election will be held in the first or second week of February. Let us see what happens.”
Asked why there is public scepticism over the election, he said: “One major reason is that this is an interim government; we have no demands or expectations of it. The primary responsibility of this government was and is to arrange a free, impartial election, hand over power to elected representatives and then depart—that is how it should be. But various forces are trying to exert a kind of influence over the country’s politics. As a result, people always feel… my sense is that this scepticism is entering people’s minds because of the political situation—that is the reality. Given the state of the interim government, and of different groups and political parties of varying ideologies, this confusion is being created among the public. One reason for public scepticism is the activities of the current government and those around it.”
On the July Charter, the CPB president said the party’s leaders had taken part in the Consensus Commission meetings for about three and a half months. “There were 84 agenda items. In many cases we agreed with the Commission’s proposals. In many cases we gave differing opinions and notes of dissent. But the important point, which we have stated repeatedly, is this: the July Charter should cover only the matters on which consensus has been reached. Keep aside—at least for now—those issues on which there are differing opinions or notes of dissent; that is our proposal. Secondly, we have said: you are drafting the July Charter; if it distorts or omits the question of our Liberation War and the four fundamental principles of the 1972 Constitution, we will not sign the July Charter. We have said this very clearly. We will not align ourselves with anything that questions our Liberation War or the four fundamental principles of the 1972 Constitution. If these are distorted, we will not sign.”
“Eleven commissions have been formed,” he continued, “but there have been no commissions on education or healthcare. There was no commission regarding the working people who played a vital role in the student-popular uprising and those who were martyred. The Constitution has been subject to pulling and hauling. We have tried to say repeatedly—and still insist—that the 1972 Constitution may be amended, but rewriting or altering it is not the responsibility of an interim government. The next National Parliament will determine how to carry out necessary reforms. This is not the responsibility of an interim government.”
On the referendum, Sajjad Zahir Chandan said: “We have said the referendum is unnecessary. Our clear position is that we consider a referendum unnecessary.” In response to why it is deemed unnecessary, he explained: “First, on issues where agreement has been reached in the Consensus Commission, there is no further need for a referendum. Our Constitution has no provision for a referendum, and we have bitter experience with referendums. We witnessed the referendums during the time of Ziaur Rahman, and the yes/no vote during the time of Ershad. Our bitter experience is that these referendums are held by ruling groups to consolidate their power and to implement their governance goals. There is no reflection of the aspirations of working people in such votes. We have said the four fundamental principles—democracy, socialism, secularism and nationalism—must remain in the Constitution. In addition, from the Declaration of Independence you may include liberty, equality, human dignity and social justice. But you cannot tamper with those core principles.”
Asked about the current law and order situation, the CPB president said: “Law and order is not good. A system must be established; without an elected government no system will stand. Law and order cannot be improved without one. With an elected government, there will be improvement. For its own sake, to remain popular, an elected government must do these things. But without a fundamental transformation of society, there will be no lasting solution. That task can be carried out by a government of communist, left and progressive forces.”
On the cost of living, Sajjad Zahir Chandan said: “Prices sometimes rise and sometimes stabilise, but for many years we have seen the living standards of ordinary people steadily decline. Looting businessmen are raising prices by forming syndicates. Those who have ruled the country—or are ruling it now—all represent a predatory wealthy class. Everyone connected to that class forms syndicates to raise prices. Syndicates can be broken; that depends on the character of the government. How the country will be run depends on its class alignment.”
Asked why the current government cannot break the syndicates, he said: “It cannot—because this is an interim government. Various forces are guiding this government from their respective interests; that must be understood.”
Asked about solutions to these problems, Sajjad Zahir Chandan said: “The CPB wants to bring about a fundamental change in this social system in Bangladesh. It wants to build an exploitation-free, inequality-free society. The aspiration of the student-popular uprising was an aspiration for a society free of inequality. The spirit of our great Liberation War was the aspiration to establish such a society; the CPB is advancing on that basis. We believe we can reach our desired goal. The way the rulers, the predatory modern class, are governing the country—solutions will come through building a genuine mass struggle and mass movement against them. For this, left forces must unite; we are trying to do that. We are trying; it will take time—it will not happen overnight. The Communist Party wants the unity of all left forces in the country. Those who accept the Liberation War—left, progressive, patriotic, professional organisations; Dalits; indigenous peoples; individuals; groups; believers in Sufism; tea workers and various other forces—we want to build a broader bloc or broader political front with them. That struggle is our present reality. For this, we will proceed in line with the political line adopted at the Communist Party’s 13th Congress.”
