People's Democracy

Bangladesh CP Holds Tenth Congress

Gautam Das

THE Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) held its tenth  Congress at Dhaka, capital city of the country, from October 11 to 13.

On October 11 morning the CPB congress started with an open session in the Mahanagar Natya Manch open space, with a few thousand people with red flags and banner attending the function. Besides the fraternal delegates from foreign countries, leaders of various Left and democratic parties and prominent intellectuals also attended the open session. CPB president Manjurul Ahsan Khan presided over the open session where party general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, reception committee chairman Haider Akbar Khan Rano and fraternal party leaders spoke. CPB leaders urged upon their countryman to launch powerful and united struggles against imperialist globalisation and capitalist exploitation, and to uphold the principle and spirit of the great Liberation War. They asserted that only the Left and democratic forces can provide the only alternative, bringing about changes in the present exploitative socio-economic system that is responsible for the pathetic condition of the common man. They also warned the people against fundamentalist and communal forces who are out to disturb the secular tradition of Bangladesh.

After the open session a colourful procession marched through the main streets of the city and ended at the Shahid Miner inside the Dhaka University campus.

To the delegates of the tenth congress, CPB general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim introduced the draft political resolution that highlighted the dangers emanating from the actions of US imperialism in particular and of imperialism in general all over the world and especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The document stressed the new elements of decay and crisis in the capitalist-imperialist world order, economic and military strategic designs of imperialism concerning and centring on Bangladesh, and on the conflicts in the region. The resolution also highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation between the states of the region and between the democratic and progressive forces as well as among the people of South Asia.

On the national situation, the political resolution said that the national liberation war of 1971 was a historic milestone in the history of Bangladesh which started its journey on the basis of four fundamental principles: nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism. But there were many loopholes and deviations in the statecraft from the very beginning. The enemies, using these weaknesses, disoriented the country from its path. The country was under direct and indirect military rule, with a civilian appearance, for almost one and a half decades. During the remaining two decades, power passed over between the two main bourgeoisie parties of Bangladesh --- the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party --- consecutively four times. With the help of foreign exploiter classes as well as with the help of their own money power and immense influence on the national media, the two parties were able to confine the politics of the country to a bipolar mode. In the ninth parliamentary election held in December 2008, the Awami League led alliance won four fifth of the seats by making some popular promises. But it did not fulfil its election manifesto and is therefore losing popularity. A political vacuum has thus been created and now the BNP is trying to come to power by stepping into that vacuum. The Jamaat-e-Islami, the most dangerous communal and fascist force, is again raising its head.

The political resolution emphasised the need to build up an alternative polarisation of Left and progressive forces in order to bring about a revolutionary democratic transformation of society and state.

From among the fraternal delegates, the CPI(M) delegation’s leader was its Polit Bureau member and leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly, Dr Surjya Kanta Misra. He congratulated the tenth congress of the CPB and in brief recalled the prevailing international situation. He said international finance capital is plundering and looting the wealth of the third world countries. US imperialists are trying to increase their military presence in South Asia and have decided to deploy 60 per cent of their naval forces in this region. To combat the imperialist design and the policies of economic liberalisation which are causing untold miseries for the people, it is the duty of the Left and progressive forces to launch a powerful struggle by uniting the working masses. He also opined that friendship between India and Bangladesh should be further strengthened and all undecided matters should to be settled through negotiation and discussion. Dr Misra recalled how he had as a member of the medical team treated many freedom fighters and refugees during the liberation struggle of the people of Bangladesh in 1971. He assured that CPI(M) and the struggling people of India will always stand by the struggling people of Bangladesh who are fighting against imperialist forces and against exploitation.

CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy, Nguyen Huy Tang (leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam), Petapov Alexander (secretary of the Communist Party of Russian Federation and member of parliament), Mahendra Pandey of Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Raja Collure of the Communist Party of Srilanka, Ambassador of the DRRK in Dhaka, Consular of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka and other fraternal party leader greeted the congress.

Besides Dr S K Misra two other member of the CPI(M)  delegation were Gautam Das (member of the Tripura state secretariat and editor of Daily Desher Katha) and Narayan Datta (West Bengal state committee member and editor, Ganashakti.)

The tenth congress of the CPB amended the party constitution by limiting the tenure for the president and general secretary of the party to two terms. The congress elected a 49 member Central Committee which, in turn, elected Mujahidul Islam Selim as the new president of the CPB and Sayed Abu Jafar Ahmed as the new general secretary.