::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Chintito

Forgive us Dr. Milon

Chintito

He lies buried in front of his college.
Since that momentous day that changed the destiny of this country, each year on that particular day people from all walks of life, leaders and workers of all political shades, except perhaps the perpetrators of the heinous crime (but who knows?) bedeck his eternal resting place with floral wreaths wider than the outstretched arms of the obliged mortal.

Next year? Who knows? Our hands may tremble as we feign respect and lay the same floral wreaths afresh at his grave.

The nation built a sombre memorial at the Dhaka University TSC chattar, a black cube at the focus of a twisted cubical silver frame symbolic of our pains and sufferings during the nine years of autocratic rule, of our yearning for democracy and of our combined victory against military totalitarianism. That national movement gave birth to many leaders, several of who have adorned the Jatiya Sangsad.

We even accused him of masterminding the murder of Shaheed president Ziaur Rahman because he was its biggest beneficiary. Are we not planning a razzmatazz shindig to make him even a bigger beneficiary, if that was possible? More than biggest, that is.

We have stooped to perhaps our lowest by even considering the hypocrite (the Lord alone knows how many masjid's he has covered on Fridays in the past year) as a player in our national politics. Once dubbed world bay-haya because of the political will and unity of the people, we should make sure he does not get a chance to get back at us. He just might.

We have humiliated Shaheed Dr. Milon. If tomorrow he should ask us why did he have to widow his wife, make his child fatherless, his mother filled with emptiness, we can only tremble and feign respect. Next Shaheed Milon Day we can bring to his still body the biggest wreath in the market. It will be the largest travesty of the truth.

Milon was not the only martyr. This government has named the Dainik Bangla roundabout as Shaheed Zihad Square and built a touching monument commemorating his supreme sacrifice during the autocrat's suffocating rule. There are many others across the country. What shall be our answer to them should they all rise and demand justice?

Justice! We accused him of many crimes and acts of corruption. By the looks of it he might get past them all. Will not that be ample legal proof that the miscreant was in deed innocent? That the movement of Khaleda and Hasina to oust him was not justified? Knowing him, will his proven 'innocence' not give him a legal board to file cases of defamation against our popular national leaders? There are barristers perhaps preparing that brief already.

His inevitable fate has discouraged, one may only assume, many a hopeful of his ranks to do likewise, to grab power, that is. Will his rebirth not instil the beej of coup d'état; will it not spread the stench of unused gunpowder? For then it will be supposed that with time everything is forgiven by the powers that be. The people, the source of political authority as we are so fond of parroting, may not forget. That is our hope.

It appears at this moment in time the only way our national pride can be redeemed is if the shoirachar changes his mind or the leaders and/or workers of all political shades summarily reject him as an ally. Once again this one single decision either way can change the destiny of this realm, looted time and again by oppressors, tyrants and plunderers in totality known as dictators.
The solar system has evicted Pluto, could we not mete out the same treatment to him?