mailto:wpartybd@bangla.net

13^th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties

Athens, December 9-11, 2011

SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE!

The international situation and the experience of the communists 20 years after the counterrevolution in the USSR. The tasks for the development of the class struggle in conditions of capitalist crisis, imperialist wars, of the current popular struggles and uprisings, for working class-popular rights, the strengthening of proletarian internationalism and the anti-imperialist front, for the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism.

Contribution of the Workers Party of Bangladesh

Comrade President, Members of the Presidium, leaders of the Communist and Workers Parties of the world.

On behalf of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Bangladesh I extend my heartfelt greetings to you all. I thank the Communist Party of Greece for holding the 13 ^th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers Party at such of critical point of time. In the international arena we have seen recently how in the Arab world people has taken up the task of overthrowing authoritarian rule in one country and the other. In Europe, one of the main bastions of Capitalism, the working class movements is growing everyday and masses of the peoples and coming out on the street in different countries. This seems to be the prelude to inevitable withering and ultimate extinction of capitalism.

We are here in the historical city of Athens, the cradle of the ancient civilization, which interestingly is now setting the tone of the new era that is about to dawn in the history of human civilisation. The era is the of the victory of the working class which is being ushered in and which has to be sustained and nurtured to develop into establishing a world free of exploitation.

We are here for evaluating the present situation as well as looking back to 1991, for taking stock of the international situation and developments the world has experienced over the last 20 years after the victory of counterrevolution in the USSR. The 1 ^st phase of the past two decades, witnessed the fall of the USSR and the counterrevolution in the East European countries. That led to the dissolution of communist parties in many of those countries. At that stage, heartened by the weakening of the communist forces, the imperialist forces declared it as the end of socialism and proclaimed that it was only Capitalism that mattered. But the new wave of struggle of the working class has proved it to be wrong. The youths of new generation have overcome the trauma of counterrevolution in the USSR and have earned the courage of fighting back the capitalist plots in different countries. Now it has been proved through experience that the bourgeoise suffers from its own inherent weaknesses and it is capitalism which is going to fall.

The crisis of capitalism, which has further deepened in the second phase of the last two decades, as is evidenced by the ongoing international economic recession, can not be solved easily. This has been discussed at large in the 10 ^th IMCWP of 2008 held in Sao Paulo, 11 ^th IMCWP of 2009 held in New Delhi, and 12 ^th IMCWP of 2010 held in Tshwane. The inherent crisis of the capitalist system compounded by different shifts in the neo-liberal policies and neo-economic plans that were propounded and propagated by the intellectuals of the capitalist world have failed to solve the problems created by the system itself. This has resulted in the decline of US economy’s global hegemony and in general it has led to the stagnation of the productive forces in the most advanced capitalist countries. This in effect had set the stage for the emergence of new global economic powers, notably China, India, Brazil and South Korea. This has intensified the competition between the established and emerging powers. The US-led currency war has aggravated the crises in the economies of the European Union. For survival, imperialism has now become more aggressive and using its military might against the people of the world. As reactions to 9/11 incident in New York, USA, in the name of combating terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, established its permanent stranglehold in the region. Recently, violating the 1973 resolution of UN, the NATO forces, with the help of the established Al-Qaeda forces in Libya, jointly attacked Libya and assassinated Gaddafi in the name of establishing democracy. In Libya, the NATO military intervention has accomplished its aim of effecting a “regime change.” Libya’s oil resources have now come under the grip of the western powers. And Libya is now virtually a NATO protectorate. For the United States and Israel, the destabilisation of the Assad government in Syria is part of the strategic master-plan to eliminate all governments in West Asia which defy imperialist game plan.

The final target is Iran, against whom the United States has ratcheted up tensions. Reports of the prime minister of Israel and its defence minister considering a plan for pre-emptive military attacks against Iran have also surfaced. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in its report has presented without much evidence about Iran trying to build nuclear weapons. War mongering, in the name of combating terrorism is creating a menace in different countries of the continent of Africa and Asia. The intervention in Libya and the efforts by the US and the NATO in the other countries of West Asia, are meant to hijack the popular uprising of the working and democratic people of the Middle East. We shall have to keep in mind that the NATO, and its allied forces and Israel along with the states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait are conspiring to gain undisputed control over the oil wealth of the middle-east. They are doing so to boost the tarnished image of the imperialist countries.

Unrestrained profiting of corporate behemoths has now resulted in the explosion of massive discontent among the people of the capitalistic countries. This we can see expressed in the diverse trade union movements and the student movements taking place in the European countries. The students are demanding that “Education should be in the public sector rather in the private sector” and that each and every individual has the right to get education and the expenditure in this regards will have to be borne by the Government of the respective countries. All these mass upsurges in the European continent and USA are against the curtailing of the social benefits. The mass upsurge against Wall Street, chanting slogans “Occupy Wall Street” is echoed by the 90% of the population of the USA.

In our neighbouring countries, the people of Nepal are fighting to bring in a new constitution, for a peaceful transition to democracy. The people of India led by the left and democratic forces are continuing the relentless fight against communal forces, anti-people measures taken by the so called secular forces, the allies of the imperialist forces and also for the rights of the working class. The various movements occurring around the world, whether it be in EU countries, in the USA or in the Arab world clearly indicate increased participation of the people in the matters of the policy making is also imminent. At this crucial crossroads of human history, it is the duty of all the communists to forge an unity to the greatest extent among themselves and to express solidarity with the people striving for democratic norms and by combating the evil forces of imperialism and it’s neo-liberal stooges.

The people of Bangladesh are going through a complex fight for democracy. This is evidenced from our fight against terrorism of religious fundamentalist and rightist forces, is also manifested in the protests and campaigns against the neoliberal and backward policies of capitulation of the government.

In Bangladesh in the struggle of the toiling masses of the people, we are also confronting the multinational companies, who are bent upon to occupy the oil-gas-coal resources of our country. We are also striving for holding trials in the War Criminal Tribunals set up for the perpetrators of the heinous crimes against humanity committed during the national liberation struggle of Bangladesh. If the War Criminals are properly tried and punished, a new wave of struggle of the toiling masses will occur.

We shall have to bear in mind that the Arab Spring revolution brought an end to autocratic regimes of Egypt and Tunisia, but in affect it also paved the way for the rise of religious fundamentalist forces, such as Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and also the communal forces of Tunisia to power. The imperialist forces are trying to forge an understanding with these forces in this region to further their own agenda.

We shall have to keep in mind that only socialism can create the conditions necessary for the eradication of war, hunger, misery and illiteracy. With this end in mind, we have to move in solidarity and develop an alliance of the working class movements, along with the peasant movement and the student and youth movements to pave the way for an exploitation free society.