Bangladesh

Announcement on the Successful Completion of Party’s 5th National Congress (Bangladesh)

 

With immense joy, we inform all members, activists, sympathizers, and leaders of all levels of our Party, as well as all fraternal parties and well-wishers at home and abroad, that the 5th National Congress of our beloved Proletarian Party of East Bengal (PBSP/Bangladesh) has been successfully completed.

After the 4th National Congress of our Party held in 2017, we faced immense challenges for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created significant obstacles to all kinds of activities. Moreover, in light of the recent popular uprising leading to the fall of the fascist Hasina regime and the formation of a new “interim” government, our Party had to remain particularly active. These circumstances caused some delays in organizing the Congress.

Through the sincere efforts of Party activists and sympathizers at all levels, the Congress was conducted with vibrant discussions, debates, and strong unity. During this Congress, several vital fundamental documents were approved, which had already been circulated Party-wide by the 4th Central Committee (CC). This Congress also made several fundamental decisions those have elevated Party’s line-base to a higher level and brought a new dimension to Party’s unity.

Through the hard work of responsible comrades, special financial contributions from many comrades, and the responsible roles and efforts of activists, supporters, and people in managing shelters, the Congress was conducted safely and smoothly in a joyful environment. In the closing speech, on behalf of the Presidium, the responsible comrade expressed gratitude to all comrades and the people for their sincere and revolutionary roles and contributions in making the Congress a success.

Preparations for the Congress

Preparations for the Congress began early in the year by the 4th Central Committee of the Party. Necessary draft documents were prepared, and from May onwards, these documents were circulated through several circulars within the Party. Simultaneously, discussions and opinion formation on these documents were being conducted at the central level and branch-based meetings with potential delegates and key members of branches. Thus, excellent political preparation was achieved for conducting the Congress.

Delegates were selected/elected based on feedback from branch leaderships and discussions among CC members. Part of the delegates had voting rights, while another part participated without voting. However, all comrades expressed their opinions on all documents during the Congress. Only voting delegates attended the election session.

Inauguration and Conduct of the Congress

The Congress began with the raising of the red Party flag adorned with the sickle and hammer. At the outset, the 4th Central Committee was dissolved through the announcement of the elected Presidium based on the delegates’ opinions, and the Presidium took charge of conducting the Congress.

The Congress proceeded according to the previously submitted agenda and documents. The process of the Congress was divided into two phases. In the first phase, discussions were held on all documents, while the second phase was exclusive to voting delegates for finalizing votes on the documents and the Central Committee election session.

Paying Tribute to Martyrs and Deceased Comrades

The inaugural session began with a minute of silence to honor the martyrs and deceased comrades of all Maoist, revolutionary, and progressive-democratic movements at home and abroad. In the opening speech, the Presidium informed the Congress about the delegates, presented the programs, discussed about management of the Congress, and security measures.

Sessions and Discussions

Obituary Proposal

The first session began with discussions on the “Obituary Proposal” presented by the CC. This proposal included names of comrades like former CC and PB member Comrade Nazmul and several comrades martyred by Hasina’s state forces in so-called crossfire. The proposal also mentioned the late founder and leader of the fraternal Maoist organization MBRM, Comrade Matin, along with important leaders of Maoist parties from various countries.

Special attention was given to the founder chairman of the Maoist Party of the Philippines, late Comrade Sison, as well as other top leaders of that Party, including the martyred President and Secretary. Names of senior leaders from the Maoist Parties of Turkey and India were also included.

Additionally, the proposal honored workers and laborers martyred in movements (such as wage struggles and others) and countless students, youth, and workers martyred in the recent struggle to overthrow Hasina-Awami fascism.

Delegates proposed adding names of other comrades from their branches and brought some amendments to the proposal, which was unanimously adopted by the Congress. The full obituary proposal will later be published in the Party’s organ or circular.

Discussions on Basic Documents

Following this, discussions began on key basic documents, which included:

  1. Political Report and two separate proposals on the current political situation and other issues;
  2. A document summarizing the experiences of five decades of the Maoist movement in East Bengal;
  3. A letter from Comrade Anwar Kabir regarding change of Secretary of the CC;
  4. Proposals on constitutional amendments and additions.

These documents had already been widely discussed within the Party beforehand.

a) Political Report and Political Proposals:
The political report was written prior to the fall of the Hasina government, necessitating its update. A decision was made to rewrite one chapter of the document based on the document published by the 4th CC on August 11. Furthermore, several points in the report received amendments or additions proposed by comrades, which were discussed and, in some cases, debated during the congress. In addition to points previously brought forward by comrades during the preparatory discussions within the party, new issues were also introduced. Some comrades withdrew earlier opinions following discussions.

  • The congress approved the basic line-positions of several key documents which worked as the foundation of the political report. These included:
    1. The Program Document;
    2. The Military Document;
    3. The Document on China as a Social-Imperialist State;
    4. The Document about the debates on International Line.
  • Especially for the “Program” document, many linguistic, presentational, informational, and other suggested amendments were presented by the delegates. Decisson was accepted that review and finalization will be conducted by the upcoming CC.
  • Congress adopted the political report in its entirety. Following the congress’s decision, it will be revised and supplemented and published promptly.
  • Apart from the political report, two separate proposals on several issues, including the current domestic political situation, were adopted with some amendments. These were:
    1. The Proposal on the Fall of the Hasina-Awami Fascist Government and the Post-Fall Situation.
    2. The Proposal on Various Issues Regarding Documents and Other Subjects.

The proposals are included as appendix. (With some editions)

b) Document on “Synthesis”:
The next significant line-document discussed was titled
Synthesis of Five Decades of Experiences of the Maoist Movement of Purbo Bangla (East Bengal), made by the Leadership of Comrade Anwar Kabir.

Various opinions and debates emerged regarding this document. Some suggestions aimed to enrich it further, while others focused on how it should be characterized.

  • The discussions in the first phase of the Congress generated considerable debates and diverse opinions. Based on these, the presidium proposed a specific resolution during the second session (where voting occurred) to clarify the matter. This involved some amendments to the formulation presented by the 4th CC. The congress approved the resolution. However, a differing opinion on a philosophical issue was also expressed.
  • This document, too, will be revised and supplemented for prompt publication by the new CC.

c) Proposal Regarding the change of the CC Secretary :
The main subject of this was a letter submitted earlier this year by former CC Secretary Comrade Anwar Kabir, as per the decision of the 4th Congress. The letter mainly addressed the leadership-question of the party, proposing the election of a new CC Secretary and the election of Comrade Anwar Kabir as CC Chairman. This aimed to gradually reduce dependence on the former Secretary while building new leadership.

  • This issue also was widely discussed during the preparatory phase of the Congress. Comrades expressed a range of views and hesitations. Proposal to retain Comrade Anwar Kabir as secretary or concerns that making him Chairman might weaken new leadership efforts were raised. Some felt that he (AK) should be kept entirely out of the CC. While others debated how the responsibilities and powers would be divided between the chairman and the secretary. Such debates were natural, as this arrangement was unprecedented in the party. Over time, general consensus was reached, though a few differing opinions also persisted.

d) Constitutional Amendment Proposals:
In light of Comrade Anwar Kabir’s above-mentioned letter, a proposal to amend the constitution to introduce the position of CC Chairman was made and unanimously approved.

  • Based on this amendment, the Congress elected Comrade Anwar Kabir as CC Chairman. The decision was unanimous.
  • Additionally, other amendments to the constitution were proposed and adopted by the congress.

Second Session
The main subject of the second session was the
Organizational Report, prepared by the 4th CC.

  • This report also sparked lively discussions and some debates. Representatives of the former CC responded to comrades’ questions on the Report. Comrades especially criticized regarding weaknesses in military matters. These were concretely evaluated in the report also. Congress adopted the assessment outlined in the report.
  • The upcoming central committee will decide how the selected parts of the organizational report (excluding sections concerning security and confidentiality) will be disseminated within the party.

Second Phase

In the second phase, delegates formally voted on all significant opinions presented in the first phase, leading to the final adoption of the documents.

  • During the election session, comrades voted by secret ballot. The designated comrades later tallied the results and notified the voting delegates via circular.

Closing Activities:

  • Before the congress concluded, comrades gave brief speeches to express their greetings and opinions. Finally, the presidium representative delivered the closing speech, followed by the lowering of the party flag and the singing of the

Internationale, marking the end of the congress.

  • Shortly after the Congress, the first session of the newly elected CC was held. A separate manifesto for this session is being published.

 

Office, Chairman, 5th Central Committee,

Proletarian Party of East Bengal ( PBSP/Bangladesh).

Appendix/1

Proposal

On the Fall of the Hasina-Awami Fascist Government and the Post-Fall Situation

(Certain parts have been omitted for confidentiality reasons.)

  1. The Hasina-Awami fascist government fell on August 5 through a student-mass uprising. This was the result of continuous struggles by various revolutionary, progressive, reformist, and bourgeois parties along with people from all walks of life against this regime’s 15-year-long fascist rule.
  2. Under the pressure from the student-people’s movement and exploiting it, the so-called “Third force” of the comprador-beaurocratic bourgeoise class – subservient to imperialism, particularly Western imperialists including the U.S., and supported by the military – seized power. They formed an “Interim Government,” which is falsely branded as the government of the mass uprising, but in reality it represents a different faction of the ruling comprador-beourocrat bourgeois class. A section of the so-called ‘non-political’ student leadership welcomed them and facilitated this betrayal, handing over the fruits of the uprising to these disguised enemies of the people.
  3. This government assumed power by pledging to uphold the fascist Hasina-Awami constitution. It has revealed its reactionary political character through various so-called depoliticization programs. At the same time, it has begun attacking the legitimate struggles of workers, indigenous people, and various professional classes. Prices of essential goods continue to rise. The government’s cozy ties and compromises with imperialist and Indian expansionist forces are starkly evident. The nation is being trapped anew under conditions of fresh loans and other exploitative agreements. Thus, no fundamental agenda for the workers, peasants, indigenous people, women, or other oppressed groups can be implemented under this government.
  4. Their failure and unwillingness to root out Awami-India fascism from society and politics are evident. On the other hand, they have created grounds for the preservation and expansion of religious fundamentalist fascism. Notably, collaborators in the 1971 genocide, including the Jamaat-e-Islami Rajakars, have already been rehabilitated and, along with other groups, given opportunities for the resurgence of different type of fascism (i.e., religious fascism).
  5. In the name of “reforms,” this government is merely removing certain individuals aligned with the Hasina-Awami fascists from positions of power while taking steps to consolidate its own rule. In reality, they have taken up the task of repairing the state machinery that was disrupted by the anti-fascist movement. They are actively trying to reorganize the ruling class.
  6. Under these circumstances, it is our responsibility to expose the class-character and political-character of this government based on the Party’s strategic position and to continue our revolutionary activities. This means persisting with the revolutionary agenda and struggles of the New Democratic Revolution, opposing imperialism, expansionism, comprador-beaurocratic capitalism and semi-feudalism.
    • We must firmly expose the reformist programs of the revisionists, petty-bourgeois leftists, and liberal bourgeois forces, as well as their agendas to support the government.
  7. Simultaneously, considering the specificity of the ongoing situation, we need to present our tactical demands in a modified manner.
  8. In the coming days, conflicts among different factions of the ruling class will intensify. Awami fascists, with India’s support, are conspiring to regain power directly or through proxy forces. Conspiracies by religious fascist forces are also escalating. To manage the crisis, the government in power may declare a state of emergency. Military bureaucrats, with backing from different factions, may seize power directly. Coups and counter-coups could occur.
  9. On the other hand, BNP and its allies will strengthen their efforts to come to power through elections. Various imperialist powers and Indian expansionists are intensifying and will continue their efforts to expand their influence and control.

Amidst all this, legitimate movements are arising from different sections of society, including workers, peasants, women, indigenous people, students, employees, and the middle class. Reactionary elements from various factions will continue to push their respective agendas in these movements. We must remain vigilant against all these dynamics and be prepared for any new developments.

We must closely monitor the situation, intensify class struggles, and be ready to exploit any new crisis within the ruling class.

******

Appendix/2

Proposals on Some Urgent Current Issues

b) The Israeli barbaric aggression, genocide, and destruction against the Palestinian people, along with the explicit or implicit support it receives from U.S.-led Western imperialists and Indian expansionists, are strongly condemned. We support the Palestinian people’s struggle against all of these, and call for the establishment of a free Palestine– anti-imperialist, indivisible, secular, democratic, and progressive free state of Palestine.

c) We strongly condemn the genocidal and destructive campaign titled “Operation Kaghar” led by the Hindutva-fascist Modi government of India, aimed at annihilating the Maoist-led People’s War by attacking peasants, indigenous peoples, and progressive students, intellectuals, and masses. We express our hope that, under the leadership of the Maoist Party of India, the oppressed and progressive masses of India will successfully resist this campaign, thereby advancing the People’s War and revolution in India to a higher level.

 

The Congress Room is decorated with portraits of MLM’s three great leaders: Marx-Lenin-Mao Zedong along with the martyrs and late comrades Charu Majumder, Comrade Ibrahim Kapakkaya, Comrade Jiang Qing, Comrade Sison, and Comrade Siraj Sikder, who made important contributions to the establishment of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism in the 1960s and 1970s worldwide.
Two banner reading Long Live MLM! and Long Live People’s War!