I’ve spoken before about the unfortunate state of leftist politics in Bangladesh. I am neither a politician nor an analyst. I see myself as an observer. Let me begin today’s discussion with a few basic thoughts.
When you think of leftist politics in Bangladesh, what comes to mind? Close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself. Cultural revival movements, minority rights activism, and discussions around abstract ideas. What am I trying to say here? It’s simple. An ideology that has been heavily misrepresented by right-wing propaganda is failing to reach the people of this country. I agree that leftist parties do speak up for workers’ rights from time to time, but is that enough?
Politics has to reach people. People rarely go looking for politics. And if your ideology depends on revolution, then this matters even more. If people do not feel drawn to you, you will never reach their doorsteps.
One of the core ideas of Stalinist thought is the concept of a “vanguard party,” a force that can unite people under one umbrella and channel their collective strength into real change. Unfortunately, in our country, trade unions are not led by leftist forces. They are controlled by muscle-backed individuals aligned with ruling right-wing parties. Do you know what that leads to? Not direct control by the government itself, but a network that dominates everything from extortion to manpower. And what about the workers? If they refuse to pay, they are threatened. If they resist, they are pushed out of work. What did the ordinary worker gain from all this? Where is the politics that is meant to bring them liberation? Where is that “vanguard party”? Is there no one who can move beyond slogans like “Workers of the world, unite” and actually do something real?
This kind of symbolic politics is exactly what has pushed leftist parties away from the people. I am not saying that they are completely silent on workers’ rights. But if their primary responsibility is to unite this class and bring about change, then they need to build a much deeper connection with them. These parties need to shift at least some of their focus away from purely cultural movements and pay more attention to this reality. A line by Promoth Chowdhury comes to mind when I look at our country. People here are not in a position where they can sit back and enjoy literature.
We have to keep the movement alive. There is still a long road ahead. There are still many homes that need light. Rise, comrade. Otherwise, liberation will never come. If things continue like this, my worker brothers will spend 364 days in exploitation, only to receive a symbolic half-day of relief once a year.
