11-20-06, 10:53 am
Communist Party of Bangladesh Press Release - 12th November 2006 Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bangladesh Communists Criticize Boucher's Visit, US as an Enemy of Democracy
The Communist Party of Bangladesh has expressed its serious concern over the recent visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Mr. Richard Boucher. Expressing their concern, the CPB President and General Secretary said in a press statement that Mr. Boucher's visit carried a specific political agenda that was not only unwanted in Bangladesh, but also was part of the imperialist blueprint for the entire region. Referring to his visit, the CPB leaders said that it was a shameful interference in the internal affairs of the country's politics and also a violation of country's sovereignty and national dignity.
CPB leaders said that Mr. Boucher, other US officials, and the US Ambassador to Dhaka are continuously talking of the appearance of a so-called “Third Force” (meaning army intervention in some form or other) in the country's politics. To carry out their agenda, they are constantly interfering directly in the country's politics by taking sides with the BNP-Jamat alliance, using the argument that this is what is necessary to maintain peace, but at the same time saying not a word about the concrete measures that are necessary to ensure a free and fair election.
The CPB leaders said that not only in recent years has US imperialism shown its support for the army, but that the US had strongly supported the massacres committed by the Pakistani army in 1971 and all military autocrats since. The people of the country know the US role in favor of Jamat, religious extremists, and local and foreign exploiters. All are part of its plans for imperialist domination in order to advance the military-strategic interests of the US in the region. It is a plan that constitutes a serious threat to the sovereignty and national security of Bangladesh.
The CPB leaders said that the recent activities of Mr. Boucher and other US officials in Bangladesh clearly indicate that US imperialism is paving the way to ensure their imperial interests and permanent dominance in the region. The leaders called upon the nation to resist this imperialist conspiracy against Bangladesh, declaring that Bangladesh was a sovereign country created through a war of liberation, and that it will never bow to imperialism. Therefore, they said, the people of Bangladesh will once again be ready if necessary to sacrifice their lives to combat imperialism. They also called upon the Awami League, the 14-Party Alliance, and all other democratic forces to be aware of this imperialist conspiracy and not to fall into the deadly trap of US imperialism.
------------------------------ Press Release - 10th November 2006 Dhaka, Bangladesh
The CPB Issues an Ultimatum to the Chief Advisor: The Immediate Reconstitution of the Election Commission and State Administration is Demanded
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) has given an ultimatum to the Chief Advisor of the interim Care Taker Government (CTG) calling for immediate reconstitution of the Election Commission and State Administration. The CPB said that the main task of the CTG is to conduct a free, fair and neutral election within 3 months and then hand over power to the newly elected government. For this to happen, it is necessary to remove the partisan bias of the Election Commission and the Administration which has been fully and carefully devised by the BNP-Jamat government, a government which formally ceased to exist on October 27, 2006. The CPB leaders said that if the CTG fails to act accordingly, the Party will press for a strong protest movement countrywide.
The leaders of the CPB made this declaration while addressing a public meeting organized by the Party on November 10 at Muktangon, Dhaka. Presided over by Party President, Manzurul Ahsan Khan, the meeting was also addressed by the General Secretary of the Party, Mujahidul Islam Selim, and other central leaders of the Party, as well as leaders of mass organizations. Accusing the Care Taker Government, the CPB leaders said that in the days since taking charge, the government has failed to prove its neutrality. Rather, they are simply maintaining a continuation of the recently-expired, BNP-Jamat-led government. The Communist Party leaders stated that by claiming “the country is now under a presidential form of government,” President Iajuddin Ahmed has not only ignored his other advisors, but also has violated the Constitution and breached his oath of office. By his recent actions, the CPB leaders added, it has already been proved that he is merely implementing the blue print for a farcical election, in a priori preparation for another BNP-Jamat government. The CPB called upon the nation to build a serious movement against capitalist plunder, communalism and imperialism.
The Party leaders said that the whole country is now in deep crisis. The militant religious extremists have openly challenged the country's constitution, judiciary, and democratic process in order to destroy the sovereign existence of Bangladesh. The present Care Taker Government is trying to involve the army in the crisis, using it to fulfill the hidden agenda of BNP-Jamat. The CPB leaders said it has been the experience since the days of struggle for independence form Pakistan that military intervention in politics is never helpful for the country, but rather creates a new and deeper crisis and more destruction. To disrupt the democratic and constitutional process in the country, which was achieved through the bloody anti-military and democratic struggle of the 1980s, would be tantamount to playing with fire, they said. The people of Bangladesh want peace, not clashes and confrontation. They want a truly free and fair election. For this, it is essential to reconstitute the Election Commission and the State Administration, and also to make the Election Commission independent and powerful.
The CPB leaders demanded that the election be free from money and muscle power. They said that this can be ensured by implementing the 53-point program contained in the Charter of Comprehensive Electoral Reform proposed by the Party. Without this comprehensive reform, they said, true representatives of the people will never be elected. They demanded the introduction of proportional representation, the right of voters to recall MPs for failure of responsibility, greater empowerment of local government, strict control of election expenditures, an increase in the number of seats reserved for women, along with direct elections for them, and equal opportunity for all candidates in the election campaign.
The CPB leaders stated that the ongoing anarchy and turmoil in the country is an ugly manifestation of the bankruptcy of “plundering capitalism” and “pro-imperialist bourgeois politics”. Only a Left Democratic alternative can free the country from this deeply-rooted crisis, they declared, and it is the essential political task of all patriots to ensure that the country is not once again burdened by the misrule of a BNP-Jamat government.
However, in order to effectively deal with the country’s fundamental problems, the crisis in politics, the economy and society, they stressed that, in addition to a change in government, it is essential to also bring about a change in policy. For this, “it is necessary to build a Left Democratic alternative”. The leaders of CPB called upon all left-progressive forces to engage in a united struggle around this immediate political task. They said the CPB will continue its two-pronged, simultaneous struggle to build a Left Democratic alternative and free the country from the clutches of BNP-Jamat misrule. By means of a people-oriented, peaceful struggle, they called upon Party comrades and the people to resist any farcical “elections” designed by the BNP-Jamat government.
Expressing the Party's serious concerns about the recent unlawful activities of the US ambassador and other foreign diplomats, the CPB leaders said that US imperialism is the main enemy of democracy. US imperialism, they noted, is constantly attempting to plunder the natural resources of Bangladesh, just as US Imperialism and its collaborators are exploiting, plundering and carrying on aggressive attacks all over the world. They pointed to fact that imperialism and its henchmen are presently committing crimes against humanity in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. It has declared war against the democratically-elected government of Palestine and is continuing criminal activities against Cuba, Venezuela and many other countries. They warned that by trying to get a blessing from the imperialist bosses, the bourgeois politicians of Bangladesh are taking a dangerous step that is suicidal for the country. They called upon the people to remain ever alert against the conspiracies of imperialism.
