One of the Bangladesh 's vetern AL leader Abdus Samad Azad once said that the "late communist leader Moni Singh was an institution and we should follow his ideals for building up a democratic and non-communal society." (1) True, Moni Singh was an institution but after his death, as the dust beginng to settle, his role during the post liberation period has been questioned, and he is increasingly becoming a controversial figure who alledged to have helped lead the nation to its undemocratic tradition and to the death of Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"... Moni Singh was born at Susang-Durgapur in the district of Mymensingh on 28 June 1901. After completing his primary education he went to Calcutta for pursuing secondary education. There he joined Anushilan Dal, an armed revolutionary group (1914). But after a decade he withdrew himself from terrorist movement and joined the Communist Party of India.(2)

Moni Singh fought against the British rule of India .  As a communist party leader, during Pakistan period, he sided with the Soviet Union when there was a rift between USSR and China .  "During the war of liberation Moni Singh managed to escape from the Rajshahi prison on 7 April 1971 with the help of common prisoners and joined the War. He was made a member of the advisory council of the mujibnagar government during the War of Liberation.(3)

Moni Singh had a long career as a Communist leader. "After the emergence of Bangladesh , Moni Singh was elected the president of Communist Party in the second congress of the party held in 1973…. Moni Singh revived Communist Party in 1976. In the presidential election in 1978, he took part in election campaign in support of Democratic Alliance. In the third Congress of Communist Party held in 1980 he was once again elected president of the party and continued to hold this position till his death on 31 December 1990. " (4)

It is true, Moni Singh "having struggled long and hard against British colonialism and then [Pakistani politics] wanted Bengalis to reach in their drive for self-expression."(5) What is however ignored in the contemporary history is that Moni Singh played a greater role after Sheikh Mujib's returned from Pakistan .

One would recall that to safeguard the communist expansion in Bengal when due to American pressure, particularly by Kissinger, Bangabandu was released from Pakistani jail; then Moni Sing took Bangabandu by hand to the road to a pro-Calcutta, pro-India, and the pro-Soviet "progressive" politics. To radicalize Awami League, Moni Singh's party first initiated to form a Gana Oikya Jote on 14 October 1973 consisting of the Bangladesh Awami League, Communist Party and National Awami Party (Muzaffar) with a view to prepare ground for establishing socialism in the country.

Moni Singh finally merged his party with the Awami League and helped install the one party BAKSAL dictatorship. This also led the infant nation's journey from AL's long standing commitment to democracy into its dictatorship and the subsequent development of anarchy that followed during the 70's and the 80's in Bangladesh. 

While Bangabandu working with Bhasani, Suhrawaredy, and Shere Bangla was all along a believer of democratic values, but Bangabandu known to Moni Singh and the NAP as a “vesselling personality” was persuaded to become different. BAKSAL's ideology of one leader, one party, banning news papers, nationalization of industries and the other repressive measures were Moni Singh's brain child. During this time, many prominent leaders of Bangladesh were jailed. Maulana Bhasani was put under house arrest. He showed his displeasure to Bangabandu's unrestrained coziness with India and the anti-democratic BAKSAL's hozpoz and the contradictory ideas; socialism, nationalism, democracy, secularism. In reaction to this, Moni Singh said he would,"destroy Bhasani, cut him into pieces, and remove him from the land of Bengal "(6)

Moni Singh's personal threat to Bhasani who was a former colleague, surprised many to conclude that Moni Singh was personally the little Bangladeshi Stalin, the Fascist in disguise. In his facade as a "progressive leader" he seemed to have nurtured both anarchist and Fascist ideals.

Under this huge influence primarily from Calcutta , a disgrace to the nation followed, Awami League that was first founded by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani on June 23, 1949 was changed to BAKSAL. "On June 1975, all political parties were banned and were asked to join the newly formed BAKSAL. Many Newspapers were banned. All these triggered massive resentment against Mujib Government."(7) Many opposition political workers were jailed and killed “The crackdown on opposition was aided by the elite paramilitary force Rakkhi Bahini .” Here, the most popular leader Bangabandu of this land was now being misled by Moni Sing and his pro-Indian forces to turn himself into a dictator. Bangabandu was being alledged to have betrayed his people for killing the infant democracy.

The brief BAKSAL history was as if "a tragic history of the "reversal of what was achieved through the blood of millions of martyrs." Moni Singhs were so much involved in the promotion of India-Bengali faternity that no careful attention was given to the infant “ Bangladesh 's” care. India's pre- planned Farakka Dam and Bangabandu's permission to open it, the 53 other dam projects in progress, failed 3Bigha corridore for Baru Bari deal, jute export, demarcation of the border issues etc. left a major blow to Bangabandu's popularity.

While the “dadas” were in their utmost contentment that they helped Bangabandu's dream of a “progressive” “Sonar Bangla,” but Bangabandu began to feel his failures in the bankruptcy of industries, in rise in inflation and in the condemnation by foreign countries for his repressive BAKSAL rule.  Bangabandu's failure as a leader of the country and his post liberation contribution to the making of Bangladesh as the "bottomless basket case" was the test case of Moni Singh's both communist and pro-Indian original ideas. Thus, Singh was indirectly responsible for misleading the not so experienced politician-administrator Bangabandu to his unpopularity, and later the alledged American involvement for Bangabandu's betrayal with American plan and adopting Moni Singh's socialism, which ultimately led to Bangabandhu and his entire family's death and the upheaval that followed in Bangladesh. 

No doubt Moni Singh was a visionary, with some original ideals; but questions arise, what were they? It appears that in the name of socialism he was deeply committed to founding the pro-Indian politics in Bangladesh . Finally, through joining with the AL , he left a lasting influence in the mainstream AL politics and his ideals were responsible to help Bangladesh continue to gravitate toward Indian based politics in Bangladesh . The Motis, Suranjis in the AL and Motiur Rahman of the Prothom ALo, and Mahfuz Anam of the Daily Star are Moni Singh's living legacies in Bangladesh politics. Thus, one can reasonably argue that the pro-Calcutta Bengali "Dada" politics in Dhaka was his contribution.

To the independent-minded Bangladeshis, questions arise that what is good for India is not necessarily good for Bangladesh and here Moni Singh's pro-Indian “progressive politics” ultimately had reactionary effect in Bangladesh politics. It seems that the superiority feelings by the Moni Singhs strams from their failure to recognize that during the liberation period, Bangladesh went through the metamorphosis of a new identity from the original Bengali nationalism of East Bengalis , promoted during Pakistani period to an identity and a need to look for Bangladeshi people's interest first. As expected, it came in conflict with Moni Singh's original ideas of a pro-Indian Bengali identity and the Calcutta “dada” politics in Bangladesh . Thus, in the name of a “progressive politics” Moni Singh's contribution created contradictions. In all this, due to the strong influence of India , in the early years following the liberation war, it seems, Bangabandu failed to recognize the heart beat of the newly born child “ Bangladesh ” and its identity, the "Bangladeshi."

Independently though Bangabandu persuaded India to withdraw Indian army from Bangladesh , but Moni Singh's help was not helpful. Surely, a lesson to be learned from history that Moni Singh's ideas helped in the destruction AL 's original political ideals of struggle for democracy to transform it a BAKSAL into a Fascist party. But unfortunately, it remained continued to be unknown to the fanatic BAKSALites that Moni Singh personally played an instrumental role to change the course of post Bangladesh history. Surprisingly, only to his very faithful followers to date, he is credited for bringing Calcutta-based initiatives in the main stream politics of Bangladesh . Moni Singh's influence remained so strong that even when some Bangladeshi patriots and freedom fighters oppose pro-Indianism in Bangladesh politics, the effect of India's dams over Bangladesh, the border disputes, they are generally being termed as the “razakars” "reactionaries," and the "fundementalists" as if the term “progressive” remains reserved for ever for those apparently anti-Bangladesh elements, as if the identity Bangladesh and “Bangladeshi” will continue to remain reactionary, until Bangladeshis fulfill Moni Singh's desire to go back to the past and become the old "Bengali and a pro-Indian." Moni Singh's socialist anti-establishment legacy even continues in today's anarchic politics by political parties, calling nation-wide strikes, organizing gonoadalot, and the destruction of government properties. This is as if Bangladesh has not yet become independent.

Moni Singh played an instrumental role to change the course of post liberation Bangladesh history.  Surprizingly, in order to become effective, in the past many of Moni Singh's important Bangladeshi deputies for some unknown reasons used Muslim names. Moni Singh did neither change his name nor his ideas. For his role to serve the Indian politics in Bangladesh , even the fundamentalist Hindu-Buddhist Christian association of Bangladesh charishes him as a great leader. Today after close to four decades of Bangladesh 's independence, these spurious “progressives” still fights with its “Pakistani” ghosts of the past and let the leaders to ignore the realities of the present and the future of Bangladesh . Lately, the foreign affairs advisor of the CTG has informed the UN about the “growing sentiment” in Bangladesh in favour of the trial of war criminals in Bangladesh .

When some of the great Bangladeshis like Dr. Yonus are trying to unite Bangladeshis to fight reduce poverty in Bangladesh for its unfortunate 150 million people, Moni Singh's so-called “progressive” leading cadres in the AL camp sets the national agenda and continue to divide the nation into a pro-liberation and and anti-liberation forces, thus, keeping the Indian schema of divide and rule in the internal politics of Bangladesh. Unfortunately, today's AL 's democratic alliance is again comprized of all the former political parties that in 1975 joined the BAKSAL; this is including Moni Singh's Bangladesher Communist Party.

Historically speaking, Moni Singh played an important role in the post liberation period of Bangladesh politics. He left a legacy of radicalizing the the AL , and through Bangabandu and the BAKSAL helped to set in motion pro-Indian agendas to triger anarchy in Bangladesh which even made Bangabandu: a controversial figure in Bangladesh history. Due to Moni Singh's influence people question whether Bangabandu was a democrat or a dictator! Unfortunately, the true Moni Singh and his role during Bangabandu years are not explored yet in detail. He remained a known but at the same time a mysterious figure in Bangladesh politics. In not knowing him well, it seems, Bengladeshis have not placed great faith in their history and the role of the key figures to its triumph and tragedies.

Endnotes

(1)The Independent ( Bangladesh ), July 29, 2000.

(2)Banglapedia

http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0402.htmhttp://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0402.htm
(3) Ibid

(4) Ibid

(5)New Age editorial http://www.newagebd.com/2006/jan/07/edit.html

(6) Engineer Abul Hossain, "Ak Nazare Maulana Bhasanir Jiboni"in Bhasani Shoreni, Santosh, 1991 (p. 5), also see Abid Bahar, The Religious and Philosophical basis of Bhasani's Political Leadership, An unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Concordia Universuty, 2003, p. 219.

(7)  http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/?page_id=4

(8) The source of the photograph # 1 is from Banglapedia and the two other photographs from http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/?page_id=4

(Abid Bahar was an active member of Moni Singh-Muzaffer allince during the liberation war of Bangladesh and after, until 1974)