You may wonder why the world’s most notorious terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden selected Al Jazeera (AJ) for his interview. It was important for him to reach his message of radical violent Islam to the Arab world and multilingual Al Jazeera was his best choice to reach that core audience.
So, as a radical Islamist agenda-based so-called news media, it’s not surprising that Al Jazeera takes a stance against the Sheikh Hasina government. The emergence of Bangladesh as a secular democratic country and the people’s refusal of the extremist BNP-Jamaat axis was unacceptable for Al Jazeera.
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The one-sided media had conveniently underplayed Bangladesh’s descent into radical Islamist terrorism during the BNP-Jamaat’s regime but went hammer and tongs at the Sheikh Hasina government after it commissioned the 1971 War Crimes trials.
They made no secret of their agenda to malign the trials and became a haven for such agents and apologists of accused war criminals like British barrister and lobbyist Toby Cadman, controversial blogger and journalist David Bergman, and several other London-based lawyer-activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Its narrative was partial and largely based on the spin of the Jamaat lobbyists who tried to project the procedural shortcomings of the trials.
In one of their reports (“What’s behind Bangladesh’s war crimes trials?’), they stated that the number of people killed during the 1971 genocide was 300,000-500,000 when in reality, the official figures include three million killed, more than 200,000 women raped.
Even when the rabidly radical Hefazat-e-Islam called for an abrupt end to girls’ education and their cadres ran amok on the streets of Dhaka, Al Jazeera projected it as the Bangladesh version of the Arab Spring. It blew up the casualty toll during the police crackdown on Hefazat, basing the narrative on dubious human rights groups like Odhikar.
During the COVID outbreak in Bangladesh, Al Jazeera predicted a death toll of at least a million and a collapsing healthcare system. However, these predictions were misleading, as current deaths due to COVID-19 in Bangladesh remain under 10,000. Al Jazeera also alleged intentional underreporting of cases by the government. Despite these claims, Bangladesh emerged as a success story with high vaccination rates and lower death tolls, attributed to the strong leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
AJ drew parallels between the Rajapakse and the Sheikh family in Bangladesh, which was intentionally misleading.
So, it is not unexpected that Al Jazeera is upset with the phenomenal success of Sheikh Hasina. For its hardline Islamist executives who prefer women just to manage their large households, it is difficult to accept a successful female head of state.
There are credible allegations of instigating ‘regime change’ and violent agitation against AJ in various countries too. So far, India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, and Israel have all restricted/limited their broadcast in their territories.
As Bangladesh prepares for the 12th general elections on Sunday, the channel has permitted two of its reporters, Jonah Hull and Maurya Gautam, to cover the elections.
They might try to demean Bangladesh’s festive elections scheduled for Sunday and will portray the ground reality in their favor, breaching journalistic norms.
AJ Highlights Extremist Tarique Rahman
AL Jazeera on Thursday (January 4) once again proves its partiality as the media features once most notorious politician in Bangladesh Tarique Rahman, the son of Khaleda Zia, who lives in exile in London, from where he directs BNP’s brutal campaign destabilize the country.
AJ published report quoting Tarique that Bangladesh’s election will be a “sham” designed to cement Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule but the reality is Bangladesh is in festive mood and people are eager to cast their vote despite BNP’s boycott.
Tarique Rahman become the symbol in the public mind of kleptocratic rule and the politics of violent retaliation. Most Bangladeshis preferred not to mention him by name, out of fear when he was in power. Instead, they dubbed him “Mr Ten percent”—a reference to his cut on almost any deal done by his mother’s government.
The advent of Tarique Rahman into Bangladeshi politics occurred concurrently with the BNP’s 2001 election victory. He quickly rose to prominence in politics and directed the BNP’s political plan. Due to his influence, the party’s strategy underwent a dramatic change, moving towards assertive and reportedly corrupt tactics. This was a notoriously corrupt and repressive time in Bangladeshi politics. The BNP-led administration continuously scored highly in international corruption indices under Tarique’s direction. The Hawa Bhaban in Gulshan, which practically operated as an alternative power center, was the epicenter of his influence.
Tarique had created a sophisticated network of corruption throughout that period of time by extorting companies, influencing government contracts, and embezzling public cash, according to the evidences. These actions had jeopardized the nation’s economic growth in addition to its governance.
Tarique Rahman’s Reign and List of Misdeeds
Many accusations of corruption and criminal activity dogged Tarique Rahman’s leadership in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) endured a period of pervasive corruption and repression under his direction.
Corruption and Power Embezzlement
- During the BNP’s reign, Bangladesh topped Transparency International’s index of corruption for four years consecutively.
- Tarique and his associates are accused of creating a massive corrupt empire that impacted many facets of public life and politics. There were many high-profile instances of bribery and extortion, where people and companies were coerced into paying hefty amounts in exchange for preferential treatment or to stay out of trouble.
- Tarique was charged with leveraging his position to gain riches and influence. He has been connected to several scandals involving corruption, such as the bribery at Siemens and the bribery at Harbin Company. After conducting an investigation into Tarique’s role in the Siemens bribery affair, the FBI discovered that Rahman accepted bribes from Siemens in return for assisting the business in obtaining contracts in Bangladesh.
- He was found guilty of money laundering in absentia in 2016 and given a seven-year prison sentence.
- Tarique was also a party to several extortion cases. He allegedly threatened to close Al Amin Construction unless the owner made a payment of US $150,000 in one such instance.
- ACC sources reported that Harbin, a Chinese construction company paid US $750,000 to Tarique Rahman to open a plant. Tarique Rahman’s associates had received the bribe and transported it to Singapore.
- He was charged with participating in a plot to steal US $300,000 from the Zia Orphanage Trust Fund, use the money for his own benefit, and divide it among his political cronies.
Militant Practices
- Tarique Rahman’s reputation was further damaged by his affiliation with extremist organizations. Tarique’s network is said to have supported groups like Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and Jagrata Muslim Bangladesh, which used terror to quell political opposition and uphold Tarique’s authority. These connections are said to have played a part in other violent and terrorist incidents in Bangladesh.
- He has been connected to several violent occurrences, including the 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally that killed 24 people. He was convicted in absentia in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison.
- The United States was concerned about Tarique Rahman’s suspected illegal activities because they perceived him as a danger to regional stability and the advancement of democracy. Tarique Rahman was found to be implicated in severe political corruption by the US Embassy in Dhaka and former Ambassador James F. Moriarty.
Current Influence and Role in Political Unrest
Notwithstanding his physical absence in Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman continues to exert a substantial impact on the BNP and national politics. His contribution to Bangladesh’s current political instability is substantial. The recent escalation in political violence, which has been attributed to Tarique’s London-based strategies, has been accompanied by sabotage and arson attacks on transport as well as confrontations with law enforcement.
An arresting characteristic of this disturbance has been the persistent assaults on public transport. Numerous accounts have surfaced detailing arson assaults that specifically targeted buses, railways, and ambulances. It appears that these assaults are not arbitrary acts of violence, but rather deliberate operations designed to propagate an atmosphere of worry and doubt. Instances of intentional vandalism towards train lines and fishplates demonstrate that such actions present significant hazards to the safety of passengers.
In addition to endangering the lives of passengers, such acts of sabotage disrupt critical transport connections that are indispensable for the economy and daily life. Additionally, infrastructure, public utilities, and government structures have been vandalized, resulting in substantial monetary losses. This act of vandalizing public property constitutes an overt assault on the state’s resources and its operational efficiency. The unfortunate outcome of these behaviors are the losses of innocent lives. These acts have instilled fear and distress among citizens due to the loss of life and property.
The influence of Tarique Rahman is evident in these actions. His directives and leadership are the alleged motivation for the BNP’s arson and sabotage strategies, which are designed to disrupt the democratic process and destabilize the current political environment ahead of the 12th national elections.
Tarique Rahman’s Leadership Propelled Crisis within BNP
The unorthodox and contentious consolidation of authority during Tarique Rahman’s tenure as interim chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) incited significant internal strife and discontent. His autocratic style of leadership has alienated grassroots supporters and weakened the party’s organizational structure. As a result of this transition, party members are now excluded from democratic participation in the party’s affairs and feel leaderless.
Tarique’s strategy has been explicitly criticized by BNP Vice Chairman and veteran freedom fighter Major (retired) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. Major (retired) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, said, “Tarique Rahman treats the leaders of the party as his mere slaves. To him, only sycophants and those who lick his boots are given preference while he even does not show due respect to those leaders who have been in the party for decades.”
He added, “Only those without any sense of dignity and self-esteem can continue in BNP’s politics. Tarique Rahman has been imposing his disastrous decisions and suicidal politics on those leaders. No one dares to utter a word against such unacceptable behavior of Tarique.”
As a result of this conduct, the BNP has been reduced to what Major Ahmed calls a “pocket party” of Tarique. Moreover, Tarique’s activities have estranged the party from the public, leading to a heavy reliance on foreign powers like the USA, rather than cultivating grassroots support, which is essential for the sustainability of any political entity.
Tarique Promised to Retire from Politics Before Leaving Country
Tarique Rahman’s fate wane after the army-backed caretaker government took office on January 11, 2007.
In an anti-graft purge, the joint forces arrested him on March 7, 2007, at his Shaheed Moinul Road residence in Dhaka cantonment.
Soon he was made accused in a slew of cases. After 18 months in detention on graft and extortion charges, he was released on bail on September 3.
Instead of taking him home, his family opted to keep him at the BSMMU Hospital where he had already spent months in the prison cell.
Tarique obtained a UK visa for five years (later extended) on September 8 and a 90-day German visa on September 10.
Tarique Rahman was allowed to leave for London after signing a bond on leaving politics.
Before leaving Dhaka on September 11, 2008, Tarique left a note at Zia International Airport (Now Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport) airport that read: “I, Tarique Rahman, do hereby declare that as of today, 11 September 2008 I resign the post of senior joint secretary general of the BNP and thereby, retire from active politics.”
Since then, Tarique resides in the Kingston area of London, UK under political asylum along with his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman.
