Recently I visited Dhaka and fortunately had the opportunity to meet our Prime Minister for more than two hours. She discussed the recent development in Bangladesh politics freely and frankly. She admitted some of her policy errors and told me that still she is hopeful about the victory of her party in the next general election.

She thought the defeat in the last five city corporation elections was a lesson for Awami League and generally her party builds up a rock solid unity after a major debacle. This time also she hoped that her party will be united and confront the opponents in all fronts.

I told her this is very crucial time for her party and her government. She is now confronting her opponents in six different fronts. In two major fronts her enemies are- enemies within and enemies outside. The root cause of her defeat in the recent election was this 'enemies within'.

Actually their self-defeating activities caused the defeat of the party. Sheikh Hasina should immediately identify these people and oust them from the party. AL needs a quick reorganization and strong leadership.
Awami League should fear the rise of Hefajat alongside Jamat and their unholy association with BNP, but they are not the major enemies of the Awami League, her party and its government. The people of Bangladesh are religious but are not fanatic or high strung fundamentalists.

Record shows Jamat or other fundamentalist parties with their social influence never got any political support from the people in the election. This history will repeat in the future also. The sudden rise of Hefajat with medieval extremism was the result of a long and secret conspiracy which government could not handle successfully.

The rise of Hefajat did not last long. For a few months they were riding high on their false propaganda on the killing of thousands of people on 5th May and people were confused and misled for sometime. But this cloud is going to be cleared gradually and I doubt Hefajat would make any great impact in the next general election.
I told the Prime Minister that her real opponents are now forming a nucleus under the disguise of a neutral civil society which is headed by a Nobel Laureate. So long Dr. Yunus was trying to maintain a position above party politics. His quarrel with the government over the Grameen Bank has led him to a total confrontation with the government and especially with Sheikh Hasina. This is unfortunate. Never in the history of Nobel Prize any Nobel Laureate has used the glory of this prize for his personal and political vendetta. I am not arguing in favour or against the government decision to change the administration of Grameen Bank and remove Dr. Yunus from his position. The decision could be challenged in a court and Dr. Yunus challenged it in the court of higher judiciary. His petition was rejected and then he tried to mobilize the staff of the bank especially the women force against the government decision through strong propaganda.

That policy also failed. Then he influenced the foreign powers especially America to regain his position in the Grameen Bank by pressurizing the government. There lies the crux of the problem. Who will control a bank is an internal issue of a country. To invite several foreign countries and agencies to settle that issue does not speak well of a Nobel laureate and his patriotism.

Now it seems his obsession with absolute control of Grameen Bank has overshadowed all national interest and national issues of the country. He has now joined the bandwagon of anti Awami League camp which is against his own principles and ideal of women's liberation and empowerment.
Last Wednesday (21August, 2013) the Nobel Laureate declared in a reception in Dhaka that those who tried to destroy Grameen Bank should not be allowed to stay in power. Next day (Thursday) he declared in another reception that election will be meaningless if not held under a caretaker government. Now our Nobel Laureate has taken a definitive stand in support of BNP-Jamat-Hefajat axis.

On the issue of controlling a bank a man who is internationally famous has exposed himself as a supporter of a political alliance whose ideals are medieval. Some people say Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is responsible for Dr. Yunus's present antagonism towards her. By taking control of Grameen Bank and removing him out from the absolute control of the bank Sheikh Hasina pushed him to the opponent's camp. This is not a true picture of the situation.
Everyone knows Dr. Yunus was a never a friend of Awami League. He never accepted Sheikh Mujib as the father of the nation publicly. He claimed himself as one of the architects of independent Bangladesh. He was never associated with any democratic movement led by Awami League but gave support and cooperation to the civil and military autocracy.

During 1/11 his nominee Dr. Fakruddin was made the chief of military backed government. When all political activities were banned in the country he was allowed to form a political party and start its activities. His apparent aim was to help the- then military backed government to implement their minus-two theory. But people resisted his party and his plan.

After mass political struggle when Sheikh Hasina came to power she did not go for taking revenge against Dr. Yunus personally or politically. There was allegation against the administration of the Grameen Bank and Dr. Yunus was already past his retiring age. After extensive negotiations with him government changed the administration of Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus claimed Sheikh Hasina took this step for her personal grudge against him. However he could not convince the majority of the people. A reform in the administration of the Grameen Bank was long overdue and it has been done. Dr. Yunus claimed the government is trying to destroy the bank, in reality the bank is flourishing more than before.

Whatever the nature of this feud between the Prime Minister and the Nobel laureate, ideologically and principally they are not opponents. They are more alike in their political thoughts. Awami League believes in democracy, social justice and women emancipation and empowerment.
Dr. Yunus also believes in the same. Then how he can go against Awami League and help the anti people axis to come to power with their medieval doctrine of darkness. Dr. Yunus very well knows by his present anti-Hasina campaign he or his so-called civil society aided by two big media will not go to power but his present role will help an alliance to go to power whose ideals are totally opposite to his, especially in regards to women's emancipation and empowerment.
Our Finance Minister Mr. Muhit recently said his friend Dr. Yunus is a politician. If it is true than our Nobel Laureate should come out from his present disguise and declare forming a new political party with clear policy and programme. Otherwise his current role to sabotage Awami League and Hasina leadership will not succeed and the very prestigious Nobel prize will not save his good name. History will never forgive him.