No, they do not.
Just as the history of the Awami League always begins with 1952, the CPB’s political analysis always begins with November 1975—as if nothing existed before. CPB tries to portray Ziaur Rahman as someone who came to power through a military coup and committed a grave injustice by entering politics from the army.
Ironically, it was CPB’s ideological predecessor—the undivided Communist Party of Pakistan after the partition of India—that first attempted to use the military for a coup in 1951. As a result, the Communist Party was banned in Pakistan for its involvement in military conspiracies.
This reckless precedent by the communists indirectly led to repeated coups in both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yet, despite sharing the same military legacy, India’s armed forces have never staged a coup.
So on what moral ground does CPB criticize the politicization of the military? Even though the Communist Party of Pakistan admitted to its coup attempt, CPB has never informed its own members about this history. I only learned of it after leaving CPB.
Ziaur Rahman was not the first to stage a coup in Bangladesh. That distinction belongs to Khaled Mosharraf, a pro-Mujib officer and the country’s first Martial Law Administrator. After his coup, CPB’s student wing was so thrilled they marched to Dhanmondi 32 and offered flowers. Before November 3, they neither had the courage nor the intention to do so.
During the counter-coup against Khaled Mosharraf, Zia was under house arrest. Even when the counter-coup succeeded, Zia remained detained. It was the coup leaders who made Zia their leader. Zia didn’t seek power. When Major Mohiuddin came to release him, Zia reportedly said, “I’ve retired. Just make sure I get my pension.” Yet, Awami League sings songs about Zia’s military takeover, and CPB plays along. They even claim Zia and Moshtaq formed a government after Mujib’s assassination.
Let Zia’s party defend him. But CPB consistently presents a distorted and politically motivated version of history. This is part of CPB’s ideological project. That narrative must be rejected, and a cleaner, more accurate history must be presented. It’s a generational responsibility—and that’s why I had to write this, even reluctantly.
BNP has made countless mistakes. It deserves a thousand criticisms. But is BNP in power now? Is it on the verge of power? Can we fight fascism without the active participation of BNP’s supporters? Who benefits from attacking BNP at this moment?
If BNP and Awami League are truly the same, then why did CPB join forces with both to overthrow Ershad? Were they not distinct then? During the 1990 movement, did we discuss BAKSAL’s misrule? Or did we just gossip about Imdu and Galkata Kamal from BNP’s last term?
Let me share a story from the Mahabharata.
Guru Dronacharya was teaching the royal princes archery. After they learned to shoot arrows, he decided to test them. He placed a wooden bird on a tree branch and asked his students to shoot its eye.
First came the eldest prince, Yudhishthir. After aiming, Dronacharya asked, “What do you see?” Yudhishthir replied, “I see a tree, a wooden bird, living birds, nests, fruits, ants, and even a snake in the hollow. If I shoot, I must ensure no harm comes to others.” Dronacharya embraced him and said, “My child, you will be a wise and compassionate king—but never a master archer.”
Then came Arjuna. After aiming, Dronacharya asked, “What do you see?” Arjuna replied, “Just one eye, Guru—the eye of the wooden bird.” “Do you see anything else?” “No, Guru. Only the eye.” Arjuna was the greatest archer in mythology.
Today, if you truly want to take a stand in Bangladesh’s politics, ask yourself: what is the country’s biggest problem?
If you think it’s communalism, fundamentalism, the erosion of liberation values, or American imperialism—then be a civil society member, an intellectual, a teacher. Politics is not for you.
In politics, setting a clear target is the communist method—what Arjuna mastered thousands of years ago. Communists call it identifying the principal contradiction. What is Bangladesh’s principal contradiction? The people’s yearning for liberation against a fascist regime.
Focus like Arjuna. What do you see? If you see fascism—then strike. You don’t need to see anything else. Seeing isn’t necessary. History, like Dronacharya, stands beside you.
Right now, we don’t need a truth-telling Yudhishthir. We don’t need CPB’s so-called pure politics. We need Arjuna—whose only goal is to defeat fascism.