By Ashish Singh
History shows us that intellectiuals of a country or a nation have tried to show the way by pointing out what’s right and what’s wrong. In some cases, it has also been seen that intellectuals succumb to power, and become mouthpieces of the rulers. Given what is happening in Bangladesh, it seems apparant that many of its intellectuals instead of acting as public intellectuals have decided to take the sides of the ruling elites, which in turn may seem to be favouring the Yunus-led interim government, however, in the longer run it will adversely affect the public at large. Atrocities and violence are becoming a common trend in the country, and there are only a handful of individuals opposing it. The situation is quite frustrating. To explore this issue further, I spoke to Bangladeshi-Swedish writer Anisur Rahman.
What has been the role of intellectuals in Bangladesh’s liberation movement?
Anisur Rahman: Bengali intellectuals had a strong and integral role in Bangladesh’s liberation movement over the 1950s, 1960s and in 1971. They had even significant participation in the War of Liberation in 1971. Sensing defeat, the occupying Pakistani forces, prior to the victory of Bangladesh, with the help of their collaborating Bengali elements called Razakars, loyal to the political party, Jamat-e-Islami, killed nearly one thousand progressive secular intellectuals like philosophers, academics, writers, journalists, scientists, doctors, engineers and to so. To pay tribute to them, Bangladesh observed 14th of December as the Martyred Intelectuals’ Day every year. (https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Killing_of_Intellectuals)
What has changed over the years?
Anisur Rahman: After the loss of the major secular progressive intellectuals in 1971, the nation never could regain that intellectual foundation that was traditionally developed. In addition to this limitation, Bangladesh witnessed even more challenges after the killing of the country’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his colleagues in a military coup in 1975. Following this tragedy, a large number of intellectuals played a role in line with the military autocracy and Islamist nationalist politics. Now intellectuals in most cases appear as if they were more or less activists for their respective parties.
How are intellectuals expressing themselves?
Anisur Rahman: What do we mean by the term ’intellectual’? We know that an intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for its normative problems. The appearance of the intellectuals in Bangladesh reminds us of the observation made by the legendary Scottish-American journalist John Swinton ((1829–1901) about the journalists of USA in the 19th century. John said, ’We are intellectual prostitutes.’
After more than a century of John’s remarks, the reality is even uglier comparing to that in the 19th century. It is ugliest in Bangladesh today.
Do you see their views changing with time?
Anisur Rahman: Intellectuals in most cases do not have stable stand of their ideology. A single intellecual can convert from leftist to liberal, nationalist, Sufi, Islamist and finally fanatic. One such example is Farhad Mazhar. Our great writer Ahmad Sofa, in his book, Ordhek Nari, Ordhek Ishwari (Half the Woman, Half the Goddess), identified Farhad Mazhar as a killer who is involved in the killing of writer Humayun Kabir in the early 1970s.
Intellectuals like Badruddin Umar sound consciously dishonest to their words. Claiming to be a leftist progressive intellectual and sounding anti-USA and anti-Dr Muhammad Yunus, Badruddin Umar is advocating in favour US role as well as illegitimate unconstitutional Yunus regime.
The role of Professor Anu Muhammad and his University Teachers’ Network is also questinable. They became instrumental in the emergence of extemists in recent months. They became a fuelling element to the charm of emerging and growing extremism.
Many intellectuals talk of democracy. Contrary to this, they do not hesitate to support an anti-democratic regime if they smell their personal benefit.
Some intellectuals, from a dreaming legend in their respective field, turn to be activists in support of a regime. One such example is Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s executive chief and a renowned theatre academic Syed Jamil Ahmed. His words sound abnormal. He is now mad about gaining an administrative favour from this regime. He is suffering from difficulties with what he has read and what he is experiencing. He may require pyschiatric care, I am afraid.
Sometimes our intellectuals behave like psychos. If a psycho does not consider the country’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as ’Bangabandhu’, it is his limitation.
One Dhaka University professor of literature, and a writer, during the surge of mobocracy, was happy enough to say, it is a chance for them to repair the country. What a pity! What can we say?
It is a fertile time for intellectuals in Bangladesh. We have many ’calf’ intellectuals, who are now conducting the funeral of state machineries by holding official positions. I do not waste my words by mentioning the names of these ’calf intellectuals’ linked to both left and right extremism related to this regime.
To expose the multiple moralities of our intellectuals, I wrote a book called ’Bhul Thikanar Khamgulo’ (The envelopes towards wrong adress). It was published in 2023. http://159.13.20.114/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=53919&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=53592
What role should they play now?
Anisur Rahman: Intellectuals are divided into minimum two parts. One part continuously produces lies.
The other one is on the run.
Intellectuals should stop lying. People do not trust them. I like the observation made by writer and publisher Robin Ahsan. He says that ordinary public of Bangladesh do not trust either the intellectuals or the mullahs.
The illegitimate unconstitutional Yunus regime in less than four months has created a state of fear and anarchy. Teachers are harassed and forcibly made to resign by the juvenile gangs. The authorities cancelled accreditation cards of nearly two hundred senior jornalists and editors. False cases have been filed against many intellectuals on murder charges, for example writers Shahriar Kabir and Muhammad Zafar Iqbal. Many have been arrested, many media outlets occupied by the elements loyal to this regime, many are on the run. Many arrestees and ther lawayers are attacked in the courts before the judges. Ethnic and religious minorities are in danger.
A number of prominent editors interviewed Dr Muhammad Yunus. Going through those interviews, it seems they did not dare to raise the expected direct questions before Yunus. Their purpose was somehow to eulogise Yunus. I do not find any reason to appreciate such journalism as well as intellectualism. These heavy-weight editors did not adress the severity of the danger that the country’s people are facing.
I wish to warn the individuals both inside and outside Bangladesh, who wish to see themselves as intellectuals. It is not a time to show how many books you have read, how big degrees you have, it is time to see what the danger our country is facing and what sufferings people are experiencing. It is a need for you as intellectuals to listen to what the people are saying. You need to have the capability to feel people’s pains and sufferings.
Dear intellectuals, no more lies, please listen to the hungry people, victims of harassment, threat, abduction, abuse, rape, unemployent, threat, fear and loss.
(Ashish Singh is a social and political scientist.)
