Nation concerned over growing violence

A dialogue seemed tantalisingly close in a long-drawn but hope-ascending sequel to opposition leader Sheikh Hasina's tabling her reform proposals in parliament and Prime Minister Begum Zia asking for formation of a committee to start a dialogue on them.

Suddenly, through the dark clouds flickered a hope that the government and the opposition may have come round to the view that if elections are to be held at all then the reform issues will have to be thrashed out to the workable satisfaction of both sides. But within less than a month and a half since the positive signs appeared, the whole scenario has literally turned violent, ballistic and mutually so souring between the parties that the nation and the world are stupefied at the thought whether they had at all entertained the prospect for talks in the first place. If not, then what they are up to? The public are baffled.

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The audacious manhandling of senior AL leaders, street-fights between opposition activists and the police in full riot gear, merciless beating of pickets and even passers-by, hounding out of workers on to police vans in full public and international glare, all transformed political rights into human rights issue plummeting national image another abyss lower. With each dose of greater violence the chance of initiating talks is becoming remoter.

In an ascending order of confrontation, the opposition has called for economy damaging and anti-people hartals. There was one yesterday and the other one is on the cards for Sunday, summing up to four days in a row with the weekend in-between, all of it spelling huge business losses and compounding political violence. And the BNP is taking to the field with a mass demonstration planned. As though the nation is made up of two political forces, where people are only their playthings.

Our deepest concern over the political hell-fire of a tinderbox-match stick scenario which is about to enflame into a cauldron. So, our fervent appeal to both sides is to immediately take the process set in motion by exchange of letters forward in a substantive manner. It is our belief that the issue of BNP and AL alliance adopting diametrically opposite positions on Jamaat's participation in the talks can be disposed of in the light of revelations about Jamaati links to JMB with all their militancy ramifications.