The culture of party switching, ideological deviation, and political somersaults driven by the allure of power is not new in the political history of Bangladesh. From the period immediately following independence to various other times, changes in political positions by different leaders have influenced the country's politics in various ways. Analyzing the pages of history and the career paths of veteran politicians reveals that the ultimate outcome of opportunistic politics has hardly been pleasant.
Following independence, student leaders including Sirajul Alam Khan, A. S. M. Abdur Rab, and Shahjahan Siraj initiated the first major political fracture and birth of a new trend in Bangladesh's politics. With the objective of establishing scientific socialism, they broke away from the mainstream to form JSD (National Socialist Party). Subsequently, the activities of this party and its covert armed wing plunged the then government into various crises.
Shahjahan Siraj, one of the leaders of JSD, joined the BNP before the 1991 elections and became the Minister of Forests. Similarly, Major Jalil later became associated with a different political trend. These ideological and strategic divisions following independence pushed the country's politics toward instability.
Following the political changeover on August 15, 1975, a qualitative change came into Bangladesh's politics. With the assistance of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and subsequently through the political party formation process of General Ziaur Rahman, many politicians and individuals of various ideologies flocked to the new party. During this period, the rehabilitation of Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia, a faction of NAP, and various political forces including Jamaat began.
This trend continued during the subsequent Ershad regime as well. Top politicians such as Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Kazi Zafer Ahmed, and influential Awami League leader Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury joined the Jatiya Party drawn by the allure of power and adorned important state positions. Many of them later returned to other parties. This continuous party switching proved that equations of power often became more significant than principles or ideology.
Shah Moazzem Hossain, known as a close companion of Bangabandhu and a top leader of the Awami League, joined Hussain Muhammad Ershad's Jatiya Party in the 1980s and became the Information Minister. Following the mass uprising of the nineties and the fall of Ershad, he eventually joined the BNP and remained in that party until the end of his life.
Similarly, Korban Ali, another close companion of Bangabandhu, left the Awami League in 1983 to join Ershad's cabinet. Frequent party switching by such veteran leaders created frustration among activists and supporters in grassroots politics.
Even in the current political situation, various pictures of party switching and polarization can be observed. According to analysts, the principled and opportunistic stance of a portion of politicians has always hindered public welfare. Amidst changes in power, many people change their party skin to sustain their political existence or obtain special benefits.
The long-standing experience of ordinary people says that those who compromise their ideology for their own political interests ultimately fail to gain the public's trust. To emerge from this persistent bankruptcy in Bangladesh's politics, there is no alternative to a principle-based, transparent, and public welfare-oriented political culture.
