Minister’s Questionable Link
Editorial: The Bangladesh Observer
On October 8 and 9, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) launched successive drives to catch a most wanted man. On October 12 and 13, the same person accompanied Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain in the latter's car and participated in the BNP party programmes at Patuakhali. He even had no problem visiting various Durga pandals alongside the minister. Well, at the time of carrying out the search operation in his house by the RAB, nine of his associates were arrested. One of them had warrant against him and the rest were shown arrested under section 54 and sent to the court. He was lucky to escape arrest on both occasions.
How come a most wanted criminal accompanies a minister and also takes part in party programmes? Record however says that this is not for the first time that the commerce minister has been linked to such elements. When he was the home minister, newspapers published pictures of gangs with criminal records accompanying him or having their part in various functions he attended, including his visit to the residence of slain principal Gopal Muhuri in Sylhet. But it was the time when his government consistently denied any link with such elements or the Islamic militants. Now the situation has changed and the government has admitted that not the Opposition but Islamic fundamentalists are carrying out the bomb attacks. Mufti Hannan, the chief of Harkatul Jihad, after his arrest has even made the startling disclosure that he had approached the former home minister courtesy of Madina editor for mercy and the minister assured him there was no danger.
Old habit dies hard. The commerce minister is reluctant to give up his connections with questionable characters. It now becomes increasingly clear that the former home minister has compromised his position ever since his induction into politics on retirement from the air force. When he was removed from the portfolio of home, he is reported to have said that his new assignment in the commerce ministry was a promotion. It matters little if he considers it a promotion or not. What matters most is the integrity of men in positions like the one he holds. Much depends on the personal integrity, accountability and transparency of a minister. Only one minister with dubious links can give a government enough of a bad name. If there are several of them, the government ought to sink under its own weight.
Unfortunately, ministers charged with links with the Islamic militants do not feel they have the obligation to come clean on the charges. The government also does not ask them to step down and prove beyond any reasonable doubt their innocence. It is a strange situation. Far less serious charges brought against ministers cause heads rolling in countries where self-esteem and accountability are the signature mark of public positions. Here the attitude is that once elected, no scandal can uproot the holder of a portfolio. It is because of this, respect for law is at a low ebb. The high and mighty flout laws of the land with impunity and have no accountability to the people. Their double standard has been at the root of most of the social ills and encouraged the rise of the Islamic militants. No further proof is needed to bring Altaf Hossain and the likes of him to trial. He has abused his position and must stand trial. Or else, people will take it as a proof of some of the ministers' link with anti-social elements and Islamic militants. This also confirms the belief that the government does not want to come clean on the issue.
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