Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BASOD)

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On November 7, 1917, under the leadership of Comrade Lenin, the first socialist revolution of the world, based on revolutionary ideology of Scientific Socialism (Marxism-Leninism), occurred. Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal-'BASAD' (in English, Socialist Party of Bangladesh-SPB), a genuine revolutionary party of the proletariat, availed the opportunity to have that glorious day as its founding day in 1980 adopting the same ideology as the guiding principle. Since its inception SPB has been launching a relentless struggle, both ideologically and organizationally, in order to build up a real proletarian revolutionary party as well as an uncompromising revolutionary struggle, on the basis of ever developing understanding of Marxism-Leninism, to overthrow the existing capitalist order in Bangladesh.

Before introducing SPB it is necessary to have a cursory look at some notable aspects of the past history and the present reality of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a backward capitalist state. It became independent in 1971. Today Bangladesh comprises that part of South-Asia which was under Pakistani colonial rule before 1971 and British imperial rule before 1947. So it can be easily assumed that Bangladesh had to traverse a long complicated historical course to emerge as a sovereign national state.

In colonial India anti-imperialist national independence struggle started in such a period of the history which was characterized by Comrade Lenin as the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution; capitalism as a social system became obsolete and the bourgeoisie as a class became reactionary in international arena. That was why, the Indian bourgeoisie failed to lead the independence movement with a true secular-democratic outlook and led it with a religion-oriented nationalist outlook instead. Indian National Congress held the leadership of that movement. The majority of the Indian people were the Hindus. So the National Congress became an establishment of Hindu religion-oriented nationalism, and contrary to this course of movement Muslim League was formed on a basis of Muslim religious revivalism; majority of the Muslims under the leadership of the Muslim League drifted away from the mainstream of the Indian national independence movement and they demanded a separate state for the Muslims. As a consequence of this conflict Indian sub-continent was fragmented artificially into two different countries on the basis of reactionary separatist 'two nation theory'.

For this unfortunate and tragic end of the independence movement of India not only the historical limitations of the Indian bourgeoisie but also the failure of Indian communist movement are responsible. Being carried with blind allegiance to the international communist leadership and mechanical approach the Communist Party of India (CPI) failed to evaluate the then national and international situation correctly. Specially, because of their failure to make an independent stand between the two situations anti-British imperialist independence movement in the Indian soil and the formation of anti-fascist allied force in the international arena CPI could not establish itself in the leading position in implementing the aspirations of national emancipation of Indian people.

In 1947, the British rule ended by dividing this sub-continent into two separate states; India and Pakistan. Pakistan, with its two parts; east and west, the east part was the then East Bengal, was formed as the native land of the majority of the Muslims. However, but the geo-political structure and characteristics of that two parts did not fulfill the natural criteria essential to make Pakistan a modern national state; they had no basis of unity except religion and were about two thousand miles apart; lingual and cultural distinctions were very clear. At that stage there was an administrative attempt, based on the religion of Islam, to establish Pakistani nationalism all over the East Bengal, ignoring totally the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of its people. That attempt was considered by the people of East Bengal as a naked aggression to establish hegemony. Pakistan was led by the non-Bengali bourgeoisie. As a result, East Bengal virtually became a colony of West Pakistan. The rising Bengali bourgeoisie along with the oppressed people of every strata of life raised their voices opposing the Pakistani rule and oppression. Following the course of the language movement in 1952, which gave birth to the great 21st February, now observed as the International Mother tongue day all over the world, education movement in 1962, movement for autonomous status of East Bengal in 1966 and the mass upsurge in 1969 the Bengali nationalist movement assumed the form of liberation war in 1971.

The sordid military regime of Pakistan conducted a barbarous armed attack on the unarmed Bengali people on March 25, 1971. They tried to silence the voice of the freedom-loving Bengali people by leading a series of vicious murder, rape and violence all over the country without any respect. But the people of Bengal stood in valiant resistance and launched the war of independence.

How ever, similar to the freedom movement of India, in absence of a real proletarian revolutionary party the Bengali national bourgeoisie took the lead of that freedom movement of the Bengali nation. The US-imperialism opposed that movement. India, due to its own expansionist strategic consideration, and the former USSR, including other socialist countries of the world stood beside us. Eventually, on 16th December, 1971, the people of Bangladesh won the liberation war for the boundless sacrifice of millions of people.

Emergence of SPB

It is the existing capitalist social order of our country which originated the severe crisis that engulfed the daily life of our people. That is why, only through a revolutionary change of this social frame work these crises can be resolved. But due to the absence of a proletarian revolutionary party the real emancipation of the people has not yet been attained despite many sacrifices and struggle. During the British imperial rule the Communist Party of India (CPI) was formed in 1921 and, subsequently, inheriting the old revisionist tradition of CPI, the Communist Party of East Pakistan (EPCP) were formed. Later, in the '60s those so-called communist parties following blindly the division of the international communist movement were divided into different fractions. Despite various inspiring instances of glorious battle and valiant sacrifices of individuals in different, sporadic social, political and economic movements they could not achieve success due to lack of correct political understanding and scientific outlook. These parties were unable to lead the people, both in the independence struggle in India and Bangladesh, due to wrong social analysis i.e. they could not determine correctly their allies and enemies. Moreover, they could not build up a proletarian revolutionary party following the scientific methodology guided by Marxism-Leninism. Consequently, being led by the class-urge of fulfilling this vacuum SPB emerged on November 7, 1980, discontinuing its relation with the petty-bourgeois radical trend. SPB detected four points as the basic faults of the so-called communist parties of Bangladesh. These are:

1. to grasp the correct understanding of Marxism-Leninism as a science

2. to launch struggle covering every aspects of life basing on the principle of Marxism-Leninism

3. to determine the mode of production and class-character of the state and thus the strategy and tactics of the revolution

4. to determine the ethical and methodological aspects of building a revolutionary party.

From that very moment SPB fought relentlessly against revisionism inside the party and for the cause of building class-movement through anti-autocratic democratic movement in Bangladesh. Eventually, in 1983, the revisionist trend was totally ousted from the mainstream of the party and SPB emerged as the developing force in the process of formation of a genuine revolutionary party of the proletariat.

In spite of many organizational weaknesses and limitations SPB, in the meantime, has made many significant contributions in the socio-political movement of Bangladesh. The influence of the party on the working class is increasing day by day. SPB played an important role in the united anti-autocratic democratic movement, which started in 1982 and ended in 1990 overthrowing that military autocratic regime by a mass upsurge.

Afterwards, in the democratic movements, particularly in the anti-fundamentalism-communalism movement, SPB made a great role. At present, in our country, a movement is going on against the imperialist , especially the US, encroachment on our oil-gas and main port, named Chittagong Port. Mainly the left forces of which SPB is a major party are launching this movement. In recent period, SPB is trying to establish a left alternative current uniting all left parties, group and individuals fighting against the existing two bourgeois parties (Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP and Awami Legue) hegemony in our politics. As a part of it, a left platform called Gonomukti Andolon (People’s emancipation movement) has already been formed.

Beside this, SPB and its wings e.g. workers, peasants, students etc. have organized a lot of movements, depending on its own organizational strength, for the last 25 years. Among them the garments workers upsurge on Nov. 2 in 2003, in Naryangonj was internationally noted.

SPB on Several International Issues

As a part and parcel of the international communist movement SPB is playing a vital role in the struggle, conducted in many countries, against imperialism, fascism, racism, hegemonism as well as in the struggle of emancipation of the proletariat in Bangladesh. SPB organized many mass rally supporting the liberation struggle of the people of Palestine, anti-racist struggle of the people of South Africa, and against the US-imperialist aggression upon Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and Somalia. SPB protested US missile attack on Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during the aggression on Yugoslavia in 1999 and condemned the misnamed US Missile Defense (NMD) system. SPB has been able to create a bright image as a dedicated force of anti-imperialist movement particularly by consistently organizing rallies, procession in defense of Iraqi independence war. It expressed solidarity with the emancipation movement of the freedom-loving people in different countries and anti-war peace movement. SPB protested Israel attack on Lebanon.

The International Communist Movement

SPB holds that the objective condition for the inevitable collapse of capitalism has been created. But even then it will continue to exist and putrefy the entire society until and unless it is pulled down by force, through revolutionary upsurge. Here the subjective role of the revolutionary communist parties, of the communist movement is very essential.

Although the fall of the socialist camp has given a shock therapy to many who were complacent about the whole socialist camp, it has not yet removed the very many shades of revisionism from within the international communist movement. Even those communist parties which have recognized their long-sustained erroneous theories and practices are yet to rinse themselves of all these shortcomings.

Serious differences exist among these parties about the evaluation of the role of Comrade Stalin and Comrade Mao, the cause of the collapse of the socialist system, the source of revisionism, the necessity of dictatorship of the proletariat and so on.

SPB holds that while all these differences have to be gradually resolved through bilateral and multilateral discussions and exchange of views, the genuine communists may find scope to locate common issues and join into a common platform. We further propose:

a) The communist parties all over the globe should form an international platform of the nature of Communist International Bureau (Cominform) of the late'40s. In this platform, the member parties should exchange experiences, report organizational progress and difficulties to the extent possible and suggest future programs once a year. Similarly regional branches of this platform can be created at the European, South American, North American, Middle East, African, South Asian, Asia Pacific regions.

b) An initiative should be taken to form Anti-imperialist Forum both globally and regionally involving different communist and workers parties and anti-imperialist forces.

c) A common journal may be published with contributions from member parties in several languages, e.g., English. French, German, Russian, Chinese etc.

d) Common fund may be raised from the member parties for separate and specific purposes.

e) A similar trade union forum may be formed to hear, discuss and help to redress the problems of the workers and peasants at the national as well as international levels, particularly the problems of the migrant people. This forum can organize a joint workers struggle against different multinational transnational exploitation and plundering in different countries.

SPB firmly believes that the setback of the revolutionary movement is not only temporary but also already getting repaired. Provided the working class and the exploited people under the leadership of their revolutionary communist parties take the correct path, follow and creatively apply Marxism-Leninism and remain firm in advancing the cause of socialism and revolution amidst any adversities, they will slowly but gradually become invincible and win the final battle. Reaction will be overwhelmed by progress. Counterrevolution will be defeated by revolution. Capitalism will be replaced by socialism.

Long live anti-imperialist world solidarity!

Long live Proletarian Internationalism!

Workers of the World Unite!

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