Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000

Linking Individuals, Regions, Ideas, and Actions

Afsar Ali, Ph.D., University of Michigan, maali@engin.umich.edu 

Introduction

It might be still fresh to many of you how anti-terrorist organization TERAC at Natore created uproar among the expatriate Bangladeshis through the NFB forum during the last half of May and the 1st half of June 2000 that culminated in a petition drive and a fundraising effort. It is great to share with you that through that effort about 75 signatures and around $2400.00 were collected. During the last month we worked silently through the BACO (Bangladesh Association of Central Ohio) forum and raised majority of the donation (around 1500, out of total 2400). The money has already been sent to the TERAC account at Natore and also got the confirmation of receiving it from the Natore end. Special thanks to all signatories and donors!

So far the TERAC at Natore has been a great success. All of the charge- sheeted accused (total 21) has been arrested and the trial under the newly enacted PSA is going on full swing. A verdict in favor of the TERAC is quite reasonable to expect at this moment. Now lets see the current situation at Natore after a successful anti-terrorist crusade by the businessmen of that town.

Recently, I got some eyewitness accounts on the prevailing situation at Natore from some of my close relatives and friends who had a chance to visit Natore physically. They were simply astounded at the current law and order situation at Natore. They even could not believe before visiting Natore that such a crime-free, mastan-free and chandabaz-free place might exist in Bangladesh. More importantly, according to them it is almost impossible to comprehend the situation without visiting Natore physically. Currently at Natore town, people can freely move even at dead of night without fear of being mugged or robed of. A simple blow of a whistle can gather momentarily several thousands of people with lathis in their hands. Most of the mastans are either hiding or maintaining very low profile in the city. In essence, whole administration is at the hands of the TERAC authority. Local administration virtually became powerless, as they are no more in the position to misuse their power against the common people at Natore town (you know very well that in Bangladesh someone's power depends on how much s/he can misuse it!). Even the local politicians are maintaining very low profile, as the source of their power base was the mastans. Under this backdrop, only TERAC commands the trust of the public and thus the popular slogan, "public is the source of all power" became a reality at Natore.

Many including one of my relatives compared the prevailing situation at Natore with that of Dhaka during the March of 71. The current picture of Natore vividly reminds the picture of millions with lathis in the racecourse Maidan during the famous 7th March speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The people of Natore are no less enthusiastic than those who were present at the racecourse Maidan. It seems the businessmen of Natore have successfully carried out another revolution after 28 years of our independence in a remote corner of Bangladesh. Finally justice has prevailed for the common people of Natore. The encouraging news is that the fruits of the movement has reached to the bottom rung of the social strata at Natore and public is realizing vividly the meaning of being their own boss what the real democracy means. They are also pledged bound to protect their hard earned rights at any cost. Such are the morals of the people at Natore currently.

Secrets behind Natore's success

Leadership, leadership and the leadership are the buzzwords for the successful anti-terrorist crusade at Natore. The current member of the TERAC at Natore is close to 15,000, according to Mr. Salam, the president of TERAC. Whole Natore town has been divided into ten units and there is also a central committee. There is also arrangement of punitive consequences for false blowing of whistle and not coming forward to help the affected shops. But initially, there was not such stringent rule and it was not so big at all. Actually, TERAC was first formed during the month of November 99 under the leadership of Mr. Salam. At that time there were less than 100 people associated with this organization and it was confined within a tiny section of Natore town. But it did not take long for other to join hands with Mr. Salam when the result of such people's unity was obvious to the common businessmen of Natore.

What's next?

This is really a burning question. Because of the charismatic leadership rendered by an individual, crusade against terrorism at Natore was a grand success. Granted that we have an acute shortage of leaders like Mr. Salam who have guts to stand firm against all kinds of odds in the society. But the encouraging news is that favorable environments are there in almost every cities and towns in Bangladesh where leaders like Mr. Salam are waiting for the right moment to declare war against the thugs. We the expatriates should also keep our efforts continue to supplement the efforts of the fighting people in Bangladesh.

As mentioned earlier, it is difficult to comprehend the real situation at Natore without visiting Natore physically, thus I urge the diligent readers and supporters of TERAC to include a day in your itinerary to pay a visit to Natore whenever you get a chance to visit Bangladesh and share your eyewitness accounts about Natore with us. TERACs officials will be more than happy to have you amongst them for a day! On the other hand, your eyewitness accounts will have a profound effect in building public opinion for the TERAC movements in Bangladesh.

Finally, It is sad to mention that in the past Bangladesh has missed so many opportunities (taping the fruits of a bloody liberation war, toppling of military dictator by mass upsurge, etc) to reshape its destiny, it can't afford to miss any more golden opportunity such as TERAC movement! This time let's all be a soldier in making TERAC movement in other cities in Bangladesh a grand success!

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