Given the economic needs of Bangladesh’s border regions depend on rivers like Teesta and Ganga (which becomes Padma when it enters Rajshahi division), the river politics between India and Bangladesh has historically been a source of anger, which Jamaat in post-Hasina Bangladesh has exploited well.
Be it the building of Farakka Barrage in 1971, which reached the doors of the United Nations for mediation; to the signing of Indira Gandhi-Mujib water sharing treaty in 1977; or the Teesta water treaty that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has firmly opposed till date—the river politics impacts the region enormously. Local experts believe that the Teesta waters may solve the woes of the Monga-affected region.
Jamaat-e-Islami has often found itself on the wrong side of history until now—be it in 1947, when they faced the brunt of Pakistani nationalism because of their opposition to Partition; or in 1971 when they stood against Bengali nationalism to keep East and West Pakistan intact to preserve Muslim unity.
Now, though the BNP will govern with a two-third majority, in the absence of the Awami League, Jamaat is the only oppositional force in the country for the first time. And, right now, it can dream that if the BNP ends up ruling the nation like in 2001-2006 (when Jamaat was in coalition with the party) with charges of endemic corruption, economic mismanagement, and anti-minority violence, they can form the next government.
(Adil Hossain is a faculty at the School of Development, Azim Premji University. He can be reached at @adilhossain. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)