Ode to the Father: Bangladesh’s Political Personality Cult
AFP/APP
New Delhi: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina still grieves the assassination of her father, the country’s founder, nearly 50 years ago, and her government ensures the nation grieves with her.
Once sidelined from official history, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is now the subject of a personality cult that designates him “Father of the Nation”.
Hasina has foregrounded his legacy in what critics say is an effort to entrench her ruling Awami League, which dominates national politics and is set to sweep elections Sunday following an opposition boycott.
Her government has also enacted stiff punishments for any comments, written work, or social media posts that could be construed as defaming his legacy.
“She has basically introduced a secular blasphemy law in the country for her father—the kind we see in one-party states,” a senior human rights activist in Bangladesh told AFP, asking for anonymity out of fear of retribution.
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