Mass movement topples military ruler of Bangladesh

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ple and students to defend their establish their own government.

In the past year, popular revolts have brought down Stalinist regimes throughout Eastern Europe. The working people of these countries and the Soviet Union are beginning for the first time in decades to engage in real politics. New organizations have been formed; political debates on history and most importantly on what to do next to turn around their economies are sharp and very lively. The new regimes' authority among the people is based on their actions. If they falter in rooting out the old ways, the people are back in the streets. (The best example is Romania.)

While Poland, Germany, and the Soviet Union have been front-page news for months, the fight for democratic change is not limited to the deformed and degenerated workers' states ruled by bureaucratic castes. Mass protests demanding an end to dictatorial capitalist rule are taking place in many other countries. A prime example is in one of the poorest countries of the world: Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of some 115 million people with an annual per-capita income under $75.

On Dec. 4, 1990, General Muhammed Ershad's militarybacked "civilian" regime resigned. President Ershad came to power in a military coup in 1982. Ershad's downfall was a direct result of mass agitation that began Oct. 1.

Ataus Samad reporting for India Abroad from Dhaka, the country's capital, writes: "The death toll in the clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and the police, military and paramilitary troops rose to 70 in five days, and yet the people kept coming out on the streets.

"The main opposition alliances then confronted the regime with a continuous countrywide strike. The government was no longer sustainable."

This powerful movement was led by students. "The struggle was spearheaded by the students of Dhaka and all other universities and colleges, even higher secondary schools," reports India Abroad correspondent Bhabani Sen Gupta from New Delhi, India. "It rapidly spread to teachers, intellectuals, the middle classes and even the civil service. Only at a late stage was it adopted by the political parties.

"Newspapers remained closed for four days because journalists refused to work under press censorship.

"Ershad declared a National Emergency on Nov. 27 and clamped curfews on all major cities and towns. But the people broke the curfews, ignored the Emergency and came out in human waves of challenges to the regime."

Protests oust Ershad

On Dec. 3 the army chief of staff broke with Ershad, and the 37,000member government bureaucracy threatened to resign if Ershad did not step down.

Fearing an even greater mass revolt that could go beyond the leadership of the pro-capitalist opposition parties, Ershad resigned. On Dec. 6 the Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed was chosen acting president. And for the first time since Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 after a war of national liberation from Pakistan, free elections were scheduled for Feb. 27, 1991, for 300 parliamentary seats.

Ershad and several of his top aides have been placed under house arrest. The democratic movement is demanding their prosecution on charges of corruption, abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds, and laundering of money. They're also demanding the immediate arrest and punishment of the armed thugs who were used by Ershad's Jatiyo Party against the opposition.

Whether the elections are free and democratic is not yet decided. All previous Bangladesh governments took power through coups or assassinations. They all promised free elections. Most of the elections called to legitimize any of these governments, however, were marred by fraud and vote-rigging. So far the military has not intervened in the new situation.

Some 100 parties plan to participate in the elections. The main contenders are led by Sheik Hasina Wazed of the Awami League, and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Both are pro-capitalist formations that ruled the country once before.

The pro-working class and peasant parties are extremely weak.

But the people's taste of their power will not be forgotten quickly. The big challenge facing the socialist left is to begin constructing a political party rooted among the workers and peasants that can mobilize the working peodemocratic opening and move to

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By Talik Mic