Gripping political tension

On the back of the surprise February 19 hartal, opposition AL announced an elaborate demonstration programme rounding it off with a call for country-wide shutdown on February 28. BNP is reportedly contemplating counter-measures. When politics goes awry, provocative programmes become order of the day. Processions and counter-processions take place leading to bloodletting clashes.

This is going to be the opposition's fourth general strike in 16 days. The economic loss to the country is incalculable, especially when the crucial RMG sector is bracing up for the post-MFA quota-free regime. The deeply concerned business and trading community in Bangladesh has implored the opposition to look for alternatives to hartal by way of expressing their dissent and resentment against the government.

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The development partners have urged the AL to return to Jatiya Sangsad. As a matter of fact, the deteriorating political scenario in Bangladesh has become something of an international concern reflecting on our image. That we must have an auto-operative bipartisan trouble-shooting mechanism has once again been underscored.

More fundamentally, the question that is exercising the minds of the electorate, perhaps without any exception is: why demand the toppling of an elected government which has but only some two years left to its tenure? Why not build public opinion by constitutional methods about the failures of the government and seek the voters' support in the next election? The BNP without denying legitimate space to the opposition could also cultivate the voters. In the process, both the parties can remain dynamic with great service done to democratic values.

All we want is for the AL to eschew the path of hartal and the ruling party to do what it takes to initiate a dialogue.