'No' to hartal

The goodwill, bonhomie and, above all, pragmatism that went into the agreement between the supporters and leaders of rival political parties deserve great appreciation. The local BNP and Awami League leaders have also agreed to withdraw the political cases against each other that were filed in the past. They have done so for defusing tension which leads to violence. So there will be no more witch-hunting which is expected to have a salubrious effect on the longer-term relations between the local units of the major political parties.

The Hili episode is a truly significant development when judged in the light of our national politics which is passing through a grave crisis. The parties are locked in confrontational politics of the most damaging kind and the tendency frightfully is towards having a showdown.

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The people of small town Hili have made their disapproval of hartal public in a robust fashion. If the parties concerned are prepared to put economic interest or larger good of the nation above individual or party expediencies nothing is beyond bilateral consensus. Hili has shown the power and magic of positive collective will. It might just have been a modest beginning, but it can change the whole political culture. From Hili the idea can be replicated across the districts, divisions and finally in the capital city, where hartal is threatening to cripple everything.

The Hili truce, as it might be called, should be an eye-opener to the national political parties and their leaders.