Staff Reporter :
In a pointed critique of the current political landscape, Home Affairs Advisor M. Sakhawat Hossain has condemned the pervasive influence of sycophancy in Bangladeshi politics.
During a visit to injured police officers at the Central Police Hospital in Rajarbagh on Sunday afternoon, Hossain called upon political leaders to eliminate sycophants from their ranks, warning that such a political culture is unsustainable.
“We have not created politicians,” Hossain lamented. “Instead, we have created sycophants who claim everything is fine even when people are dying.”
Hossain stressed the urgent need for political reform, stating, “You cannot do politics with a group of sycophants.
The political parties that exist, including those who have been in power, will continue with their politics.
Their politics cannot be stopped, and it does not stop. But understand this: exclude the sycophants.”
Addressing the broader implications of this culture, Hossain asserted that a country cannot be governed according to the whims of a few individuals.
“The politics of a state cannot operate like this,” he remarked. “A state cannot run according to one person’s wishes, no matter what contributions they may have made.
It is true that Bangabandhu made significant contributions during the Liberation War, but thousands fought, and three million people gave their lives for the country’s independence. This country is not anyone’s personal property.
I say this very clearly: it is not anyone’s personal property, nor a family’s property.”
Hossain has condemned the monopolisation of power and the pervasive corruption in politics, lamenting that “no one can enter it anymore.”
He expressed grave concern over the concentration of power in a select few hands, despite the significant loss of life that has occurred.
“Politics has been so corrupted that no one can enter it anymore. Power has been concentrated in a few hands. Even after thousands have died, they want to remain in power.
This is unfortunate, very unfortunate,” Hossain stated. He also expressed optimism for the future, suggesting that a renewal within the Awami League, one of the nation’s oldest political parties, could bring about much-needed change.
“We believe the Awami League is a very old party, and new leadership will emerge there. They will learn this lesson. I will try to ensure that there is a Political Party Act.
If they can run the party according to that, they will continue; otherwise, they will have to close it,” he remarked, emphasising the need for fresh leadership within the party.
In a startling revelation, Hossain highlighted the misuse of the police force, likening their deployment to that of a private militia. “Lethal weapons have been given to the police.
I was surprised to see 7.62 rifles in the hands of the police. I think these were given 15-20 years ago. It was not right to give such lethal weapons to the police.
They were given for this purpose to be used like a private militia,” he explained, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Hossain vowed to hold accountable those responsible for ordering violence against students and citizens, pledging thorough investigations both locally and internationally.
“We now need to find out who used the police in this way, and what their intentions were. There will be an international investigation, a local investigation.
Those who gave the orders will be apprehended. We will find out who played what role,” he asserted, indicating a determined effort to seek justice for the misuse of power.
The comments by Hossain have sparked a renewed debate about the state of the nation’s political and law enforcement institutions, with many calling for urgent reforms to address these critical issues.
Meanwhile, police personnel who fail to return to work by Thursday will face termination, warned Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, the interim government’s Adviser for Home Affairs.
On his first day at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sunday (11 August), Sakhawat Hossain issued a stern ultimatum to the police, stating, “If you do not return by Thursday, I will assume you are unwilling to work.”
He further mentioned that he had already discussed the situation with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
The warning comes in the aftermath of violent clashes during the recent quota reform movement, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 42 members of the elite RAB and the police force.
The Inspector General of Police, Md Mainul Islam, disclosed this harrowing toll after visiting injured police members at the Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital in the capital on Sunday.
“Two RAB members and forty police personnel were killed, and many others were injured in attacks by angry mobs as they attempted to suppress the quota reform movement,” said the IGP.
According to official reports, 507 injured police officers received treatment at Rajarbagh Police Hospital. Of those, 27 members are still undergoing treatment, with one officer currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).