Contibution of WP of Bangladesh [En]

Dear Comrade Presidium and Comrades of different fraternal parties of the world,

At the outset I would like to thank the Communist Party of Vietnam for organizing the 18^th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties. I would like to take this opportunity to pay my deep respect to the great communist leader Comrade Ho Chi Minn. On behalf of the working class, people of Bangladesh and Workers Party of Bangladesh would like to render our fraternal greetings to all the parties and working class of different parties and countries of the world.

The global economic recession, started on 2008, is being taken care by the global capitalism, by intensifying exploitation further more and by mercilessly squeezing the working people through the so called “austerity” measures, which has not only failed to bail out of the crisis rather has created a more deeper crisis, engulfing the world for the last seven years and the capitalist world and its leaders are failing to find an exit from this crisis.

US imperialism in collaboration with the Pakistani Military and communal ruling forces while opposing the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, gave birth to Talibanism and after the incidence on 9 September 2011, US imperialism started its war against terrorism – a new global agenda - came into being. This was initiated with its aggression on the soil of Afghanistan with a ploy to combat Talibanism. After that, Iraq and Libya became the prey of the imperialist forces, which gave birth to IS in the Arab soil. The fundamentalist forces under the banner of Taliban and the IS are the creation of the imperialist forces. We would like to mention that the fight against religious fundamentalist forces is associated with the struggle against imperialism. It is to be mentioned that in the middle east all the secular forces are being targeted by the imperialist and fundamentalist forces and that is why at present Syria has been a target of IS and US imperialism. The role of Russia in this regarded is surely a matter of appreciation. Taking into consideration all these matter the present summit of the international communist and workers parties should take a strong stand against the religious fundamentalist forces, the IS and US imperialism.

The terrorist activities of the Israeli government on the Palestinian people need to be protested and necessary programme should be taken in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Many thought that the Arab Spring would allow the region self-determination. It was a resounding protest of the Arab people against the neo-liberal policies of the Western countries along with the corruption of the West’s corporate and it’s local allies. The freedom from oppression, exploitation, corruption and a servile existence was a cry of the Arab people, but unfortunately, the Arab Spring failed to attend the aspiration of the people of the Arab world and was an abortion in it’s’ embryo.

Dear Comrades,

Now I would like to say a few words about our country. Bangladesh came into being after a bloody liberation struggle in 1971, with an intent, to establish a democratic-secular country with its goal for social emancipation. In 1975, the leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the national liberation struggle was killed and thus the rule of the army, backed by its allies, the rightist and fundamentalist forces came into power. After a long down trodden struggle, in 2008, the democratic-secular forces came into power. Our party Workers Party of Bangladesh is one the component of the alliance of this democratic-secular force. This very government, while coming to power initiated the trial of the War Criminals. As a result, all the fundamentalist religious and the rightist forces formed an alliance and created anarchy to disrupt the democratic process and obstruct the trial of the War Criminals. These forces all throughout have been backed by US imperialist and its Western allies, by terming them as moderate muslim. Yet this government was successful not only in continuing the trial process as well as the democratic process, by holding the parliamentary election in time on 2014. The US and its Western allies along with the present ruling elite of Turkey and Pakistan has always being questioning the very existence of the International Crime Tribunal, which was constituted under the constitution of Bangladesh, following the international standard of judiciary. The rightist and fundamentalist forces of Bangladesh with the support of the imperialist forces from the very birth of Bangladesh have been trying to create an atmosphere, detrimental to the secular and democratic environment. We are aware that the economic discontent among the people, might be used as a tool, to the advantage of these fundamentalist forces to destabilize the strained secular polity of the country. Our experience dictates that in all the Muslim dominated countries, the struggle for secularism should be an integral part of our day to day struggle. In Bangladesh taking into consideration the fight for secularism, we have developed a front of all democratic and secular forces, which at present is in the government and due to this front we were able to overcome the tragedy of Gulshan Artisan episode. In the other tier, taking into consideration, the struggle for the emancipation of the peasant and working class we are striving to develop a unity among all the left forces, which ultimately will develop as an alternative.

Workers Party of Bangladesh at present has 7 parliamentary seats. At present there are 13 seats in total represented by the lefts. We are passing through a complex situation and there is no straight cut road of struggle. We are a part of this government to uphold the secular and democratic values and on the other hand in some of the issues, we are opposing this government on its anti-people stand, in the parliament as well in the street. We are with the struggle of the working class and the peasantry on a daily basis as well as on the struggle against the neo-liberal policies of imperialism.

This type of meeting of IMCWP will enrich each and every party participating in the meeting and I myself do agree in holding the international meeting of communist and workers party every year.

Thanking You

Long Live IMCWP.