A. A. SUVOROV

Doctor of Philology Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

Keywords: Bangladesh, opposition, political rivalry, women leaders, patriarchal society

Bangladesh, one of the poorest and most populous countries in the world, is perhaps the only Asian country where the political process is determined by the persistent rivalry of two women who have succeeded each other at the helm of power for two decades. Since the early 1990s, each of them-Sheikh Hasina Wazed (b. 1947) and Begum Khaleda Zia (b.1945) - heads the government of the country, then, losing the election to a rival, becomes the leader of the opposition. This unique female "duumvirate" is a unique feature of Bangladeshi society, which is generally patriarchal, oriented towards the traditional values of Islam and characterized by religious intolerance, aggressive sexism and misogyny (misogyny)^.1

Sheikh Hasina, whose political profile was previously presented to readers of Asia and Africa Today magazine, is currently serving as Prime Minister for the third time². But since in a parliamentary republic like Bangladesh, the actions of the ruling party are largely dictated by counter-actions of the opposition, it is worth taking a closer look at the "face" of the leader of this opposition, Khaleda Zia.

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE A WIDOW

Khaleda Zia (nee Khaleda Majumdar) was born into a large tea merchant family in the provincial Bengali town of Dinajpur. In 1960, after receiving her school certificate, she was forced to interrupt her education, because in the same year, at the age of 15, she married a captain in the Pakistani army, Ziyaur Rahman (1931-1981), and plunged into the life of a typical middle-class Muslim woman, that is, she gave birth, raised two sons and was engaged in housekeeping. However, according to some sources, Khaleda still managed to finish a local college later, although it is not known in what specialty.

Khaled's quiet family life, however, did not last long. Her husband, a staunch Bengali patriot and associate of the Bengali nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975), took an active part in the nine-month war for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. The Mukti Bahini guerrilla forces and the regular Bangladesh armed forces received support from India, and in December 1971 an alliance of Indian and Bangladeshi forces defeated the Pakistani army. After independence, Bangladesh became a parliamentary republic, and Mujibur Rahman became Prime Minister. He put forward the fundamental principles that the new state should adhere to: nationalism, socialism, secularism and democracy.

However, the heroes of the recent liberation war, including Ziyaur Rahman, who became a general, were disappointed with the policy of the "father of the nation". Accusations of nepotism and corruption have undermined the Prime Minister's authority. In December 1974, in accordance with the amendments to the Constitution, the democratic parliamentary system was replaced by presidential rule and the transition to a one-party system took place. Mujibur Rahman became president, and his desire to establish an authoritarian regime deepened the discontent of the most radical part of the officers, which led to a bloody military coup.

On 15 August 1975, Mujibur Rahman and all members of his family, with the exception of his two daughters, were arrested.

The article was written with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Science, grant N 14 - 03 - 00014 "Heiresses of Asian Democracies: Tender and Political Dynasties in South Asian countries".

killed in a military coup. A wave of terror swept through the country, culminating in the coming to power of Ziyaur Rahman. He restored a multi-party political system and formed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to oppose the ruling People's League party. In 1977, he assumed the post of President, retaining the powers of Commander-in-Chief, Chief of the Army Staff, and Minister of Finance and Internal Affairs. Khaled, who became the "first lady" of Bangladesh, still took no part in politics, although she willingly showed up at official receptions, setting the fashion with her lush hairstyles and plucked high eyebrows.

Ziyaur Rahman's reign lasted only a few years. He made the fatal mistake of demoting his longtime associate, General Mansour, and transferring him from the general military administration to command the district. In May 1981. Rahman was visiting Chittagong, which is part of the district. On the night of May 30, Mansour sent his troops to storm the presidential residence, and Ziyaur Rahman was killed. [³]

At the age of 36, Khaled was left a widow with two children, having no experience not only in politics, but also in practical life outside the home. And here, as has happened more than once in the recent history of South Asia, the unwritten "law" of inheriting political power by virtue of blood relationship with the murdered "father of the nation", a charismatic leader, was earned. According to this "law", widows and daughters of democratically elected presidents and prime ministers after their tragic deaths received an unlimited resource of popular love and trust and occupied the highest state posts in countries where women's rights are extremely limited. The intervention of the tender factor in the mechanism of existence of Asian political dynasties became a new stage in the development of democracy in the countries of the region in the second half of the XX - beginning of the XXI centuries. ⁴

The reflection of the "martyrdom" of the national hero Ziyaur Rahman fell on his widow, a poorly educated housewife, and illuminated her path to big politics, to the heights of power. Perhaps the tragic death of her husband changed Khaled's nature, revealed the hidden resources of her character, and therefore she decided to lead her husband's party. In August 1984, she was elected head of the NPB. This party, as well as the Popular League, led by Mujibur Rahman's daughter, Hasina Wazed, was in opposition to the usurped General Ershad, who declared himself President in November 1983. Moreover, Ershad was suspected of organizing the murder of Ziyaur Rahman. Khaled became one of the leaders of the resistance movement to the dictatorial regime of Ershad, and during the 7 years of struggle, she was repeatedly arrested and repressed.

Strikes and anti-government protests led by the opposition were successful and led to the dissolution of Parliament in 1987. On December 6, 1990, Ershad was forced to resign from his post. In February 1991, Bangladesh held general parliamentary elections, in which the NPB won a landslide victory, and Khaleda became the country's first female Prime Minister. Its power was significantly strengthened by the adoption of constitutional amendments in the same year, which made Bangladesh a parliamentary republic again. The struggle against the Ersad dictatorship was the only way to achieve this goal.-

This was the first time in Bangladesh's political history when the Khaled and Hasina parties were united.⁵

TESTS BY THE AUTHORITIES

Khaled's Government almost immediately had to deal with the severe consequences of devastating natural disasters. In April 1991, a devastating hurricane hit the country, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and leaving 10 million people homeless. The government has requested $200 million in aid from other countries. In addition, high levels of corruption, crime, poverty and overpopulation remained urgent problems.

Khaled's rule was marked by some improvement in ties with Pakistan and deterioration in relations with India, particularly over the division of Ganges waters. Among the achievements of her Government are the increase in spending on education, in particular, the introduction of compulsory primary education, including for girls. At the international level, it has managed to restore Bangladesh's image of a democratic state, which was severely damaged during the years of dictator Ershad's rule.

In 1996, Khaleda showed real statesmanship by making the future Nobel Peace Prize winner (2006) Muhammad Yunus (b.1940) her economic adviser. Yunus, who is called the "banker of the poor," is a legendary figure. A native of Bangladesh, he studied and worked in the United States and, returning to his homeland in the 1970s, developed the concept of micro-crediting peasants, paying off their debts to loan sharks and giving them loans in small amounts at a meager interest rate without any collateral or intermediaries, but on condition of expanding or opening a family business. Initially, many people considered Yunus ' actions to be a noble oddity, but it turned out that his project was socially and commercially successful and contributed to the recovery of the economy and a certain overcoming of poverty.⁶

However, relations between the government and the opposition were rapidly deteriorating, which was undoubtedly facilitated by the personal enmity between the" hero's widow "Khaleda and the" daughter of democracy", as Hasina was called. In March 1994, the opposition began a boycott of the Parliament, accusing the Government of corruption and electoral fraud. The main form of struggle was the holding of numerous general strikes and demonstrations, which at one point completely paralyzed life in the country. Under pressure from the opposition, Khaled was forced to resign in March 1996. She lost the election in June of the same year to her eternal rival, and thus ended her first stay in power.

After joining the opposition, Khaleda began to consistently build her policy in opposition to the political course of the Hasina government. She managed to establish contacts with religious parties, in particular, with Jama-at-e-Islami, and enlist their support. This alliance was in line with the changing situation in a country characterized by the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. Meanwhile, the ruling party and its leader Hasina Wazed, following the precepts of the "father of the nation", tried to present Bangladesh to the world as a secular state. Hasina focused on India and the common interests of Bengalis living on both sides of the border, for which she was repeatedly accused of not making independent decisions. In her foreign policy, Khaleda pursued a policy of cooperation with Pakistan as a country of "co-religionists" ^.7

Five years of active political activity have borne fruit, and fate has given Khaled a new chance. Bangladesh's economic and social problems have become chronic, and the People's League Government has not been able to cope with them. At that time, the opposition, led by the NPB and Islamist parties, turned against Hasina Wazed the same strategy that led to Khaled's resignation in 1996. The country was literally rocked by continuous mass strikes and demonstrations demanding the resignation of the government. Despite continuing protests in 2000, the People's League Government remained in power until 2001.

In the October 2001 general elections, the NPB's coalition with Jama'at-e-Islami and the Jatpiya Party won, despite accusations of electoral fraud by the People's League. Khaled was again sworn in as Prime Minister. Her second term as prime minister was even harder than her first , as she had to fight terrorism, religious extremism, and attacks on national minorities (in particular, Hindus)^.8

Like other women leaders in the region, Khaleda has worked to empower women in Bangladesh. In addition to the introduction of free education up to the 10th grade for girls and scholarships for female students, in 2003, she succeeded in passing a law that reserved 30 seats for women in the 330-seat Parliament. Finally, Khaleda, however, in collaboration with Hasina, was able to introduce legislative changes that significantly increased the penalties for barbaric crimes against women, in particular for the so-called "acid attacks"⁹, the number of which Bangladesh at one time ranked first in ^the world10. Khaled's efforts were highly appreciated by the international community, and during his second term as Prime Minister in 2004, he was recognized by the international community. she was ranked 14th out of 100 nais.-

more influential women in the world in the Forbes magazine ranking (29th place-in 2005, 33rd - in 2006) ¹¹.

In an interview with Time magazine (2006), Khaleda explained her desire to advocate for women's rights at the state level: "If we want to make progress as a country, if we want to get rid of poverty, if we want to spread knowledge about family planning and reduce population growth, we must give women an education on an equal footing with the rest of the world. by men. So far, women have to prove that they are no worse than men. I am trying to put an end to this system, but this will only be possible if women master professions and start working as professionals."¹²

Nevertheless, the political climate in the country remained very tense. The begum, or lady, as Khaleda was now known, was accused of "ruling in imperial style", spending heavily on personal expenses, and encouraging the financial adventures and extravagant lifestyle of her sons, in stark contrast to the utter poverty of the majority of the population. All this led to the fact that the NPB failed to win the parliamentary elections in December 2008, and Hasina Wazed once again became Prime Minister.

LOSSES, GRIEVANCES AND SCANDALS

Like other female political leaders in South Asia, Khaleda Zia's life was rife with dramatic events, hardships, and personal losses. However, after her defeat in the 2008 election, misfortune followed her literally at every turn. Her sons Tariq Rahman (b.1967) and Arafat "Koko" Rahman (1970 - 2015) became hostages and even victims of her relentless conflict with the ruling party.

Tariq, who certainly has the abilities of a political leader and public speaker, has always been the main support of his mother. He led the party's grassroots work at the most difficult level and organized numerous strikes and protests against the People's League government. In 2009, he was elected vice-chairman of the NPB and thus became the official heir of the" family " party. Unlike his parents, Tariq received a good economic education in Europe and has a very professional view of the prospects for the further development of Bangladesh, which he formulated in the book of articles "Tariq Rahman's Political Vision: Empowering the masses "(2013), which was published in the UK and the USA and did not go unnoticed by analysts.¹³

In the 2010s, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh brought several criminal cases against Tariq on charges of corruption, accepting bribes and money laundering. Although no verdict was ever delivered in any of these cases, Tariq was forced to get out of harm's way in London, where he is active in political activities on behalf of the "NPB government in exile", relying on the vast Bengali diaspora in Western countries.

The fate of Khaled's youngest son, Arafat, known in the country by the childhood nickname "Coco", was tragic. In 2007, he was arrested on charges of money laundering, and NPB sources claimed that in the case of

in prison, he was beaten and tortured, seeking compromising material on his mother. A year later, Koko was released as a sick man and went for treatment first to Thailand, and then to Malaysia, where he remained to live. In January 2015, he died suddenly of a heart attack in Kuala Lumpur, and his early death literally broke the heart of Khaled, who refused to leave her room for a whole month.¹⁴

A few years before her son's death, Khaled had to endure a severe humiliation - the government kicked her out of the residence where she had lived for about 40 years. Shortly after the military coup, Ziyaur Rahman and his family moved into a military - style mansion in Dhaka's upscale Cantonment district. Such cantonments have long existed in all the colonial cities of India as elite places of settlement of the British administration. After becoming president, Ziyaur Rahman rebuilt and expanded the house, turning it into a city estate. After the murder of her husband, Khaled received a house for life rent for a nominal rent of 101 rubles (75 rubles at today's exchange rate).

When the dictator Ershad came to power, he confirmed her rights to the house, and subsequently the authorities did not encroach on the lease agreement. However, since the house remained formally State property, in 2010 a court ordered Khaled to vacate the premises. Khaled wept on live TV and claimed that she left home in just one sari, without taking any of her belongings with her.¹⁵ Supporters of the NPB staged protests in support of their leader, and most Bangladeshis sympathized with her and did not see the need for a sudden seizure of the mansion, but nothing helped - Khaleda had to move into her brother's house. It must have been Hasina Wazed who decided to remind her rival once again who is the mistress of the country.

At the same time, Khaled is certainly not a person who can be offended with impunity, and she has her own methods to annoy the rival and the government of the People's League. One such occasion, related to the celebration of her own birthday, she has successfully used in recent years. After coming to power, Khaled began to celebrate her birthday at the state level on August 15. Meanwhile, her school certificate and marriage certificate indicate very different dates - August 9 or September 5, 1945. As for August 15, it is a day of national mourning in Bangladesh, the anniversary of the death of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members during the 1975 military coup.

Hasina Wazed, not without reason, took the annual NPB celebrations with public fireworks and cake-cutting as a provocation. In 2009, the Supreme Court demanded an explanation from Khaled about the true date of her birthday. Hasina's son and political successor, Sajib Wazed Joy, made an open address to the nation, where he stated:: "What kind of heartless woman is she (Khaleda)? How she and her party can have fun on a day of general mourning, especially since it's not her birthday at all. It celebrates its birthday on August 15 only to detract from the importance of the event that we celebrate on the day of national mourning. " ¹⁶

It is interesting to see how Khaled will behave in her jubilee 2015, when she should be 70 years old. Will it be celebrated again on August 15, or will it still give in and move the date of the celebrations? In any case, the story of Khaleda Zia's birthday shows how scandalous, one might say, "ladylike" the contradictions between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader can become. But this is probably the cost of the political process in a country where both the government and the opposition have a "woman's face".

^{Salma Khan.} 1 Violence against Women: Bangladesh Context // Focus, June 2005. Vol. 40, p. 110 - 128.

^{Suvorova A. A.} 2 "Doch demokratii": triumfy i padeniya Khasiny Vazed // Asia and Africa today, 2014, N 9, pp. 35-39. (Suvorova A. A. 2014. "Doch demokratii": triumfy i padeniya Khasiny Vazed / / Aziya i Afrika segodnya. N 9, s. 35 - 39) ( in Russian)

^{Baxter C.} 3 Bangladesh: from a Nation to a State. London. Westview Press, 1997, p. 74 - 78.

^{Schroter Susanne.} 4 "Female leadership in Islamic societies: past and present" in: Hellmann-Rajanayagam, Dagmar and Andrea Fleschenberg (eds.), Goddesses, Heroes, Sacrifices. Female power in Asian politics, Berlin. Lit, 2008, p. 52 - 73.

^{Mahmud Ali.} 5 Understanding Bangladesh. New York. Columbia University Press, 2010, p. 203.

^{Muhammad Yunus.} 6 Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle against World Poverty. New York. Public Affairs, 2003.

^{Abdul Hakim.} 7 Begum Khaleda Ziya of Bangladesh: a political biography. New Delhi. Vikas Pub. House, 1992, p. 131.

^{Khaleda Zia.} 8 Bangladesh: Challenges and Priorities. Singapore. Institute of South Asian Studies, 2005, p. 124 - 126.

⁹ About the "acid attacks", see the article: Suvorova A. A. The first Pakistani "Oscar": international recognition or information war? // Asia and Africa Today, 2012, N 9, pp. 70-73. (Suvorova A. A. 2012. Pervyi pakistanskiy "Oskar": mezhdunarodnoe priznanie ili informatsionnaya voiyna? // Aziya i Afrika segodnya. N 9, s. 70 - 73) (in Russian)

¹⁰ Bangladesh: Acid Attacks Continue despite the New Laws -http://www.irinnews.org/report/82194/bangladesh-acid-attacks-continue-despite-new-laws

¹¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_ list_of_The_World%27s 100 Most_Powerful_Women

^{Luftan Rahman Binu.} 12 The Journey Never Ends. Dhaka. Metro Media, 2006, p. 86.

^{Tarique Rahman.} 13 Political Thought of Tarique Rahman: Empowerment of the Grassroots People. Cambridge. Bangladesh Policy Forum, 2013.

^{Mohd Al-Masum Molla.} 14 Koko dies in Malaysia -http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/jan/24/khaledas-son-koko-dies

¹⁵ Khaleda Zia evicted from her residence http://www.rediff.com/news/report/khale-da-zia-evicted-from-her-residence-in-dhaka/201011 13.htm

¹⁶ Ex-Bangladeshi PM Khaleda Zia stretches limits to political rivalry with PM Sheikh Hasina by celebrating birthday on Aug. 15 -http://news.yahoo.com/ex-bangladesh-pm-khaleda-zia-stretches-limits-political-075502368.h tml