Not too long ago, two news items were headlined on a page of this news daily: “Bangladesh absent during Netanyahu’s UNGA speech” and “AL, BNP supporters clash outside U.N.” Both captions carry loaded perspectives on Bangladesh’s political culture. Both are loaded with innuendo as well as political bluster that, besides highlighting the level to which political culture has sunk on the one hand, present an unseemly platform that shows the paucity of political decorum.
Let us dwell on the two media headlines laid out in this newspaper: “AL, BNP supporters clash outside U.N.” and “Bangladesh absent during Netanyahu’s UNGA speech.” It may be a bit of an exaggeration, though not by much, to classify the clash as an obnoxious outcome of the country’s political culture; but it happens more frequently within the country, with greater violence than that exhibited outside the United Nations headquarters. Well, that would attract attention from the media as well- even, as a laughable curiosity, from some Americans, local Bangladeshi expatriates, and other countries’ publics, preferably the American public (as if American citizens by birth or naturalisation would be aghast, show shock, or express surprise at how things were going in the country).
They had left for good, or were hopefully getting naturalised in the USA. Or, to be cynical, were just part of a photo opportunity in some media (the US has a plentiful variety of media outlets, including Bangla-dominated ones).
The enthusiasm for creating mayhem is neatly captured by a Times of Bangladesh reporter: “A video clip showed large gatherings of Bangladeshi expatriates outside the UN premises, many waving national flags and holding placards. Tensions escalated when both groups came face to face, resulting in shoving, verbal abuse, and, eventually, physical scuffles. The scuffles or, not inappropriately, the photo opportunity sans serious physical injury were a way of advertising oneself. Oh well!” The denouement of such behaviour is very normal with US law-and-order organizations. The NYPD (New York Police Department) intervened without delay and dispersed the groups, thereby bringing the situation under control.
But the damage to the image of the country in different quarters had been achieved; not that the rest of the world was waiting with bated breath to see the upshot of the hullabaloo! As a footnote, there was this story involving governments and not-quite-earth-shattering developments. A veteran politician offered sensible advice: old-school politics is “no longer effective, and new ways must be found (certainly not destructive ones) to govern the country efficiently, sensibly, and prudently.”
That brings us to the apparently ridiculous point of whether Bangladesh was absent or present during the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in the UN General Assembly a month or so back. There is a quixotic twist to this story. The Israeli Prime Minister was (and still is) facing a far-right backlash from his members for apparently easing off on Hamas in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, although the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had publicly stated that the Gaza war had hurt Israel’s global support.
That point is just that: about fighting and presence/absence of the government of Bangladesh. This is rather laughable unless some mischievous genie was playing pranks. The prank may or may not have involved manipulating the microphone (and similar equipment), camera of all the latest models), and security officials inside the hall room of UNGA, and the great mystery commences! Ah, publicity.
