Bangladesh will observe three years of independence next month. They have been a rough three years for the large bulk of the population. Natural disasters have combined with man-made ones to make the life of the Bengali masses a veritable hell.
The 'golden Bengal' promised by Mujibur Rehman and the Awami League leadership in the pre-indep endence period has not materialised except for the smugglers, black-marketeers, Awani League politicians, civil servants and the like, who are all engaged in a rat race to become bigger and better capitalists than the ones they have replaced.
The condition of the Bengali wor kers and peasants is worse than it has ever been since the communal carnage and famines that took the lives of millions in 1946-47. In other words, the rumshackle structures which comprise the Bangladesh state machine appear to be on the verge of collapse.
AWAMI LEAGUE
The development of Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 has been determined to a large extent by the conditions of its birth: a caesarian operation carried out by the Indlan army.
Before the vanous organisations leading the liberation struggle against the Pakistani occupation army cou develop along clearly anti-imperialn limes, the indian army ensured that it was the Awami League's povers ment in-exile which was transported from Calcutta to Dacca. As the only sighilicant political force in the country which had opposed the Pakistanis, the League continued to command the support of an overwhelming maj ority of the makes.
Since it came to power, howeverand despite the return of its leader, Mujibur Rehman, from a Pakistani prison -the disillusionment with its policies has become widespread. Unable to offer the masses any real solutions, the Awami League leadership excelled themseives in demagogy and rhetoric. Mujibur Rehman openly wept before millions of people when referring to the suffering of my people, But rhetoric and tears are no substitute for food, clothing, shelter and freedom. Soon the patience of the masses began to run out. The Awami League resorted to repression using legislation inherited from British imperialism. The honeymoon was over.
ARMED STRUGGLE Repression came so switlly mainiy because the Bengall masses, unike those in the rest of the subcontinent. have acquired a new tradition that of armed strugele.
Hundreds of thousands of workers, peasants and students received training in how to use arms, and they fought beroically against the shock troops of Pakistani reaction. After independence many of them retained their weapons and even those who surrendered their weapons still retained the memory of the recent struggle.
Thus when a number of guerrilla fighters associated with the Awaiti League left in disgust and formed their own organisation, Jatiya Samajsantric Dal (JSD-National Socialist Party), which stated its aim as being the achievement of socialism, the government panicked.
The young leaders of the JSD had a mass following. In March of thus year they launched a massive seemo to comoramon petween a strike and a siege) movement against the Awami League, The President of the JSD, M.A. Jali, its General Socretary, A. Rab, and the secretary of the women's branch of the party, Murntaz Begum, as well as hundreds of other party activists were arrested.
Their popular appeal made them dangerous alternatives. A massive campaien of repression was launched against the JSD, and a number of its gangsters dressed up in the legal guise of the Rakhi Bahini (the private army of the Awami League, given legri canction by a special Act of Parliament and responsible to no judicial authority!, LEFT IN DISARRAY The JSD is a newcomer to the ranks of thie Bangladesh left, While it suffers from certain weaknesses not unrelaled to its origins, it also has certain advantages. It has not developed within the Stalinist tradition but within a mass movement and it is open to discuss with all Marxist currents, The rest of the left has failed to provide a credible alternative to the Awami League, The Maoist groups are still addicted to a version of the armed struggle which proved disas trous in West Bengal. As for the pro-Moscow currents they simple provide the tail for the Awami League dop Despite the weaknesses of the left, however, the extent of the social and economic crisis in Bangladesh today is such that the Awami League is not prepared to tolerate even these feeble alternatives. The arny and police bave been used to hunt down the Macists. There are now over 30,000 political prisoners in Mujibur Rehman's jails. Those who collaborated militants were killed by Awami League with Pakistan were released to make way for the new prisoners.
WEAK LINK Thus Bangladesh remains the weakest link in the South Asian subcontinent, Its state apparatus lacks a strong material base the Bangladesh capitalists are extremely liable, and Awami League thugs are no substitute for a strong army.
a revolutionary organisation existed my in December 1971. But until it does, the misery will continue C. Howard desh see: INPRECOR Nos. 5, 6, and 8.
Road, N.1 -price 20p weak, unlike their Pakistani and Ind ian counterparts. The armv is not roFurthermore, the recent struggle against the Pakistani ruling class armsed the masses in a number of ways. If today, it could finish the job interrup ted by the entrance of the Indian arFor mone detailed information on BanglaAvailable from Rod Books, 97 Caledonian Liberation war against Pakistan gave Bengali masses a new tradition of armed struggle