Poster of the CPB commemorating the 50th anniversary of its foundation (as part of the Communist Party of Pakistan

The Communist Party of Bangladesh is a Communist party in Bangladesh. Poster by Communist Party of Bangladesh commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Tebhaga movement. ... Poster by Communist Party of Bangladesh commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Tebhaga movement. ... Communist Party of Pakistan, a communist political party in Pakistan. ... In modern usage, a Communist party is a political party which promotes communism, a sociopolitical philosophy based on the particular interpretation of Marxism put forth by Vladimir Lenin. ...

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF BANGLADESH SHORT HISTORY Almost 80 years ago, in the mid 1920’s, the first activities of the communist movement started in a rudimentary form in the region of what now constitutes Bangladesh (which was then a part of British ruled undivided India). Independent centers of communist activity developed almost simultaneously in other parts of India and by revolutionary Indian migrants outside India. Within a few years all these scattered centers were brought together and organized into an all-India based party, the Communist Party of India. For almost two decades after the formation of the Party, the communist movement developed in (what is now) Bangladesh as an integral part of the communist movement of undivided India under the organizational structure of CPI. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) therefore has a common heritage with the Communist Party of India. Even before its foundation in 1926, communists were arrested and persecuted by the British rulers and conspiracy cases were lodged against leading Indian communists which included several communists from Bengal. The Communist Party played a consistent and heroic role against British colonial rule, built up trade unions and peasant movements, led armed uprising of peasants and indigenous peoples, organized women, students and youths and built up progressive cultural fronts and peace movement. The communist movement in Bengal was at the forefront of these struggles. After the partition of India in 1947, during the 2nd Congress of CPI in Calcutta, the delegates coming from regions within the newly founded state of Pakistan (which included what now constitutes Bangladesh) met on 6th March 1948 in a separate session and decided to from an independent communist party in Pakistan. The main strength and activity of the newly constituted Party was in the province of East Pakistan (what is now Bangladesh). This eastern province was geographically separated from the western province by almost 2,000 k.m. of Indian territory. Because of this wide geographical separation along with the phenomenon of brutal persecution by Pakistan govt., illegality imposed against communist activity, uneven development of democratic movement in the two parts of Pakistan, development of powerful mass movement of the Bengali people for democracy, national self determination and progress and the growing tide of Bengali nationalism among the people of East Pakistan in reaction to the policy of national subjugation carried on by the Pakistani regime,- the communists of East Pakistan felt the need to have an independent center for further advancing their activities. The 4th Conference of the East Pakistan Provincial Committee of the Party, which met clandestinely in 1968, declared itself to be the 1st Congress of the Party of East Pakistan and elected a Central Committee for the Party. With the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state in 1971, this Party took the name of Communist Party of Bangladesh. When Pakistan came into being in 1947 on the basis of religious communal ideology, the communists were the first to resist this reactionary state, its ideology and its ruling class in the face of very heavy odds. Communists were the first to lay down their lives in the struggle against the Pakistan regime. Being banned and persecuted from the very beginning by the Pakistani rules, and dispite the atmosphere of anti-communist crusade, communal riots, assassinations, killings, arrests, torture and repression etc. let loose by the govt., the CP played a pioneering role to build up united anti-communal, democratic and progressive movement, mass organizations and political organizations. Under conditions of illegality during the 24 years of Pakistani rule the CP was forced to go ‘underground’, but inspite of this it played a pivotal role in building peasant movements, the language movement in 1952, democratic movement led by the United Front in 1954, education movement in 1962, numerous struggles of workers, peasants, students, women, intelligentsia and other sections of the masses. Communists organized such militant struggles as the historic ‘Tebhaga Movment’, ‘Tanka Movement’, ‘Nankar Movement’ and innumerable struggles of the people for their demands for food, clothing, shelter, education and livelihood. It also took part in the struggles for national rights in 1957 and 1966, struggles in defense of culture, language, heritage of the Bengali people, struggles against long years of military dictatorship and for democracy and democratic rights, in the struggles against imperialism and war and struggles for progressive development in the interest of the people. The Party played a vital role in the 1969 mass uprising and also during the nationwide upheaval that followed it including the non co-operation movement of 1971. The CPB actively participated in the nine months long armed struggle for liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. A ‘Special Guerilla Force’ under the direct command of CPB-NAP-BSU fought valianty against the US backed Pakistani occupation army. Communists were also the bravest combatants in the other segments of the armed resistance fighters including the Freedom Fighters and the new Bangladesh Army. Com. Moni Singh, the ex-President of CPB, was elected a member of the Advisory Council of the Provisional Govt, of Bangladesh. The Long years of struggle by CPB was instrumental in imparting a progressive content to the liberation war. The Party went through a split when two of its CC members left the Party and formed a so called ‘pro-Chinese’ splinter Party in 1966. This group subsequently split up further into dozens of smaller factions. During the last 20 years some of them have regrouped and are in the process of coming together. CPB is trying to build up closer ties with them and move forward towards the goal of communist unity. The emergence of independent Bangladesh in 1971 opened up a new chapter in the history of the Communist Party of Bangladesh. The Party began to work legally and openly. The victorious war for independence of Bangladesh signified a set back for US strategy in the region. The government of Bangladesh led by its founder Sheikh Mijibur Rahman initiated some progressive measures such as secularism, nationalization of major industries, non alligned foreign policy etc. The CPB supported the progressive policies of the government but at the same time constantly worked against conspiracies of internal and external reaction, including activities of the rightist and corrupt elements within the ruling party Awami League. On 15th August 1975 President Sheikh Mujib was brutally assassinated by a section of the army which ultimately brought the countyr under a rightist military rule. During the following 15 years, in spite of several changes of government, change from military to civil political rule and vice versa, real power always remained in the hands of the army and the fundamental socio-economic policy and political direction of the succeeding governments remained basically the same. ‘Plundering capitalism dependent on imperialism’, unrestricted opportunity for imperialist finance capital, expansion of bureaucratic and comprador capital and a policy of indiscriminate privatization to serve their interest, creation of a new vested interest in the rural areas, restriction on peoples rights and liberties, negation of the achievements of independence and rehabilitation of the forces of communal and reactionary ideology of Pakistan period,- these were more or less the policies of all the succeeding governments. The foreign policy of these govts. was submission to the dictates of US imperialism and reactionary foreign powers, mobilization of aid and investment for self enrichment, friendship with imperialism and reactionary petro-doller countries instead of a policy to develop international cooperation with third world countries to build an independent national economy by unitedly resisting the neo-colonial machinations of imperialism. During these 15 years (1975-90) the CPB had been consistently fighting against military rule, and the right- reactionary policies persued by these govts. and building up united struggle for democracy and democratic rights of the people. During these struggles the Party and its newspaper were banned several times and leaders and activists killed, arrested or forced to go underground. Struggles of the masses leading to the great anti-autocratic upsurge of 1990 brought about the end of the 15 year era of succeeding military, semi-military and military backed regimes. Parliamentary system of govt. and civilian political process was restored in 1990. The 15 years after 1990 have seen political power to rotate between two big bourgeois parties, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party After the set back of socialism in the Soviet Union and other East European countries some important leaders of the CC of CPB tried to liquidate the Party. The communists staunchly opposed this hateful attempt of the betrayers. The liquidationists convened a Special Congress of the Party on 15th June, 1993. The attempts of the liquidationist failed and CPB remained united under the banner of Marxism-Leninism. Thereafter, the CPB has succeeded to consolidate its forces at all levels and is once again expanding its strength and influence amongst new sections of the toiling masses and in new localities. CPB has successfully held its 6th, 7th and 8th Congresses in 1995, 1999 and 2003. Throughout its history the communists of Bangladesh and the CPB have earned great prestige by their sacrifice, honesty, sincerity, integrity, dedication and uncompromising struggle for freedom, peace, democracy and socialism. Communists have always been valiant fighters for the cause of the workers and toiling people of Bangladesh as well as for all just national causes. Communists of Bangladesh have also been true internationalists. They have also laid down their lives in struggles expressing internationalist solidarity with Vietnam and other national liberation movements.

IDEOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION CPB is the political party of the working class and toiling people of Bangladesh. The Party is guided by the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and the ultimate goal of the Party is socialism-communism. Revolutionary internationalism is a cardinal aspect of its policy principles. Democratic centralism is the guiding organizational principle of CPB. The Congress of the Party, which is convened every 4 years, is the supreme body of the Party which elects a Central Committee accountable to it. The Central Committee is the highest organ of the Party during the interval between two Congresses. A 37 member Central Committee was elected by the 8th Congress of the Party (May 2003). A 8 member Presidium including the President and General Secretary were elected by the CC. There is also a national council of 155 members which sits at least once a year to advice and help the CC in implementing the decisions of the Congress. The Congress also elected a 5 member Control Commission. The CPB has organizations in 60 out of the 64 districts and 275 out of 520 sub-districts in Bangladesh. The district and sub-district committees coordinate and guide the activities of the zonal committees and the primary branches of the Party. Party members are organized in these primary branches, The branches on their part organize ‘activist groups’ which serve to prepare cadres for party membership. Besides party membership, the Party also provides opportunity to include ‘associate members’ from among supporters of the Party. Party members and activist are working in trade unions and mass organizations of agricultural workers , peasants, women, students, youth, children, teachers, doctors, lawyers, professionals, indigenous national minorities and aboriginal, cultural organizations etc. Inspite of relatively small number of party members and associate members (taken together they total 25,000), the Party is capable of mobilizing several hundreds of thousands of people through its influence in these mass organizations. STRATEGY AND TACTICS The CPB is working with a strategy of bringing about a ‘revolutionary democratic transformation of society and state’ with the ultimate goal of socialism-communism. The Party has put forward a 17-point program in consonence with this strategic goal of ‘revolutionary democratic transformation’. The main task in this respect is to bring the country out of the control and dominance of imperialism, overthrow the rule of parasitic, comprador and perdatory section of the bourgeois, abandon the neo-liberal economic polices dictated by WB, IMF, WHO etc., eliminate the remnants of feudalism and to embark on a path of democratization of all aspects of social, economic and political life thereby ensuring advance along the road of independent national development. With this strategic goal, CPB is actively participating in the struggles of the masses and is also actively working to appropriately intervene in the current political processes going on in the country. A 4-party alliance, of which Bangladesh Nationalist Party is the biggest component and the religious fundamentalist party Jamat-i-Islam is a influential partner, is now ruling Bangladesh. This govt., like other govts. of the past 30 years, is not only continuing to persue more enthusiastically the same imperialism-dependent neo-liberal policies dictated by WB, IMF etc., it has gone much further in allowing US imperialism to drag Bangladesh into the clutches of its geo-political and geo-military strategies and plans, is formenting an atmosphere where armed Islamic fundamentalist groups are becoming more and more of a mortal danger to the nation, is increasing exploitation and social-economic disparity to unbearable proportions and in short is plunging the country into the depths of crisis, chaos and anarchy. All these are the consequences of the fundamental socio-economic policies which had been persued by all succeeding regimes over the last there decades. The way out of this ever worsening state of affairs can be brought about only by establishing a ‘left-democratic alternative’, and this aspect is given prime importance in the tactical line of CPB. With this in mind CPB is giving special attention to strengthen the Party and the mass organizations, increase cohesion among the communists and move towards ‘communist unity’, strengthen and expand the Left Democratic Front (which now is constituted by 7 communist and left parties), and intensify the struggles of the toiling people for their class demands as well as for all just causes of national interest. CPB is also working to bring together left and liberal democratic forces with the aim of combating the efforts of the ruling classes to establish a two party arrangement, whereby they will be able to rotate political power between the two bourgeois parties without causing any damage to the continuity of their exploitative class interests. A 11-party combination has been set up with this purpose and CPB is playing a leading role in its activities. Along with the efforts to strengthen and expand independent activities of the Party as well as the activities of the LDF and 11-party combine, CPB is also giving priority to the urgent task of fighting the menace of religious fundamentalism. For this CPB is working to build up united movement with all possible secular democratic forces including Awami League. Simultaneous and parallel actions with broadest possible forces, including AL, maintaining independent positions of all participating forces of struggle, is the only logical form by which the task of fighting communalism and fundamentalism on the one hand and advancing the task of building up a ‘left-democratic alternative’ on the other can be combined. CPB is also actively fighting against the present rightist-reactionary-communal govt. and is persuing the same tactical approach with respect to the fight to bring about an end to the misrule of BNP-Jamat led regime. FEW INFORMATIONS Postal Address: CPB office Mukti Bhaban 21/1, Purana Paltan Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh Telephone: +8802-9558612, +8802-9554703 Fax: +8802-9552333 E-mail address: cpbdhaka@intechworld.net cpbdhaka@aitlbd.net Website address : www.cpbdhaka.org Publishing House : Jatyo Shahitta Prakashani Party organ : Weekly Ekota (Bengali) Other publications : i. Samaj-Arthaniti-o-Rastro (Bengali Journal) ii. Khetmojur Khabor (Bengali organ of Agricultural Workers Association) iii. Joyaddhani (Bengali organ of Bangladesh Students Union). iv. Shikkha Barta (Bengali organ of Teachers Association) v. Udichi Barta (Bengali organ of Cultural Organization). vi. Mohila Shamachar (Bengali organ of Women Organization) vii. Shundar Agami (Bengali Organ of Youth Organization)

President  : Com. Manzurul Ahsan Khan. General Secretary : Com. Mujahidul Islam Selim.

Head of The Int. Dept.: Com. M. M. Akash.

• • For further communications please contact:

Md. Hasan Tarique Chowdhury Member International Department Communist Party Bangladesh Central Committee “Mukti Bhaban” 21/1, Purana Paltan Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh Tel: +8802-9558612(Office) Tel: +8802-8651921(Home) Tel: +880171828772(Cell) Fax: +8802-9552333 Email: cpbdhaka@aitlbd.net Website: www.cpbdhaka.org

See also

• Co-ordinating Committee of Communist Parties in Britain

The Coordinating Committee of Communist Parties in Britain is a bureau within the CPB which meets with overseas communist parties that have memberships in Britain. ...

External link

• Communist Party of Bangladesh