Bangarashtra is the voice of the secularist Bengal and Bengali nation. We the people who believe in the secularist Bengali nationalism as well as in the national rights of other national minorities of Bangladesh have founded this web-site. In spite of the fact that we have awareness for international political perspective, and  problems and needs of mankind, right at this moment our main concern is to find out the way to extricate Bangladesh from the enormous social, political and economic problems, which have engulfed it. However, time to time we will express our views on different important international issues. 

More than two years have passed since Bangarashtra started its journey on 21 September, 2006. After passing through a period of changes, trials and experiments Bangarashtra has begun its new journey today. We are interested to publish not only the writings of our selected writers, but also the writings including articles, literature, investigative reports, queries and opinions of different writers and readers. We also want to exchange ideas with the people who do not know Bengali, but know English. That is why we have an English section in our web-site. We want to develop our web-site Bangarashtra as a living and dynamic forum. We sincerely seek co-operation from our readers and writers.

Why Bangarashtra?

Since its inception the crisis of existence has been accompanying Bangladesh. Day by day this crisis is increasing. After independence much material developments have occurred, but moral and spiritual degradation surpassed by far the material developments. Bribery, corruption, terrorism, indiscipline, anarchy, injustice, oppression have pervaded the society. By taking advantage of this situation a handful of people, who have achieved enormous money and property through corruption and criminalization, are leading a life of unbridled luxury and sensuous enjoyment. On the other hand, women, the half of society, the weak, poor and helpless people and the people of religious and national minorities have become the victims of this situation. 

On the basis of certain commitments and aspirations the independence movement for establishing a State of the Bengali nation was built up during the ’60s. The independence war of the Bengali nation of 1971 was the result of that movement. But those commitments have become the instruments of a few power-holders to plunder the resources of the country and people, and the aspirations have been trampled by them. The four principles, viz., nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism of the Constitution of 1972 were the products of the independence movement of the ’60s and the national liberation war of  ’71. But they had been confined to the papers only till ’75. After ’75 the ideology of Pakistan was reintroduced by removing two of the principles from the Constitution of Bangladesh. The movement that developed during the ’60s as a movement for establishing an independent state for the Bengali nation culminated into a war of independence in ’71. But the spirit of this movement and the resultant war was ignored and the commitments remained unfulfilled due to the weakness of leadership and ill-motivated external intervention in the war. As a result, the people’s Republic of Bangladesh has failed to represent the basic sprit of the movement and war of the Bengali nation for establishing the Nation State. That is why the deviation from the four principles could have been possible. 

The demoralization, corruption, lack of patriotism have engulfed all sectors of society, economy and politics. This has been possible due to the deviation from the consciousness and spirit of the movement and war for establishing an independent State of the Bengali nation. The foreign interests in collaboration with the internal forces of immoral, corrupt and non-patriotic politics have made the country a heaven of unbridled exploitation and plunder. These internal and external cliques have brought Bangladesh to a point when the existence of the country has become threatened. And every day the threat to its existence is increasing. 

So, now an enormous effort  and initiative is required to rescue Bangladesh. We want to make Bangarashtra a part of a great initiative and struggle that is essential to save this country. We want the resurgence and implementation of the spirit of the movement and war that was launched for the establishment of an independent State of the Bengali nation. 

At the same time we believe in the establishment of a system of women’s representation in every sphere of the society and state. We denounce the division of the Bengali nation that took place in 1947 on the basis of religion. We demand for the declaration of the reunification of Bengal as the ultimate goal of Bangladesh. These are some of the essential pre-conditions for establishing Bangladesh  on the basis of the spirit of the movement and war that took place during the ’60s and in ’71. 

Moreover, we think that though the majority of the people of Bangladesh are Bengalese, the people belonging to minority national identities of this country should have equal rights. We consider it as an essential part of the struggle for the self-assertion of the Bengali nation to recognize their rights of self-determination, including the rights to preserve their own language and culture. 

23 November, 2008