Saifur Rahman Incriminates Himself Further

Saifur Rahman, Bangladesh military intelligence’s anointed choice to head the BNP, has a very poor hand of cards to play. One of his sons, Naser Rahman, is already in jail. Another one, Shafiur Rahman, has been ominously added to the government’s list of suspects who will be investigated for corruption. Saifur Rahman’s sons blemished what had otherwise been a very credible record as a public servant, as a doughty treasury chief who wasn’t afraid to tango with the IMF and World Bank, and as a politician who had enough faith in his own judgment to cancel any promises Khaleda Zia made in public functions if they were too economically unfeasible. A very credible record, until his sons arrived on the scene. From 2001-2006, Shafiur and Naser Rahman sullied their father’s good name all throughout Bangladesh, and in their home district of Moulovibazar, because of their financial irregularities and sense of entitlement.

The current military government takes great pleasure in controlling people through their loved ones. Saifur Rahman probably had a premonition of the future right after the military coup took place in January 11th, when he announced his desire to retire from active politics. He must have rightly feared that if the military government failed, as many predicted they would fail, to get sufficient mileage out of Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan as a cat’s paw, they would next turn to Saifur Rahman. His perceived personal integrity and his long distinguished career would make him a slightly more palatable choice to BNP’s rank-and-file. However, it’s hard to stick to good intentions when your son is in imminent threat of being tortured, something that Khandokar Delwar Hossain should also keep in mind now that the military government has also picked up his son.

So, what did Mr. Rahman say to explain his abomination of the principles he has held for twenty-nine years? I translate, part of his comments, from Manabzamin:

Not everything is contained in the party constitution. It was written in 1978. Clearly, politics is different now. For the sake of our country, to realize Ziaur Rahman’s ideals and the ideals of BNP, we must have a major change of direction. We had to adapt to the current situation and take our party forward for the sake of our country’s development. It’s not pertinent if [the meeting in which the decision was taken to declared him acting BNP Chairperson] was legal or illegal. We took the decision for the country and the nation as a whole. When Khaleda Zia is free, we will then take her instructions regarding BNP’s future course. Khandokar Delwar’s comments were personal. BNP can not stop for the sake of any one individual. The electoral process is going to start shortly. We can not have any divisions in the party now. We must forget the past and move on towards the future. I have only one aim - to keep BNP united and prepare it for the elections.

Mr. Rahman clearly does not spend too much time defending himself. He knows, as we all do, that his actions are clearly illegal. His physical condition has detoriated greatly in the past few weeks; he had to travel by a wheelchair when he went to the ACC office recently. Clearly, the military government is hoping that Major (ret.) Hafizuddin will prove himself a better organizor than Mannan Bhuiyan.

With this decision, a schism is inevitable in the ranks of the BNP defectors who have joined hands with the military government. Ashraf Hossain is clearly disturbed at not being made the Secretary General, and Mannan Bhuiyan too, now that he is no longer the army’s man of choice, will inevitably question his decision to betray his party.

It remains now to be seen what happens to AL. If a similar “midnight coup” does indeed take place, the most probably beneficiaries will be Tofael Ahmed and Abdur Razzaq. Much more ominous will be if absolutely nothing happens, which would show that the AL is playing right into the military government’s hand. And that, would be scary.