Editorial
Dipping political rhetoric
We need real change here
ONLY on Saturday BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's decision to boycott the anti-poverty rally after she had given to understand that she would attend it drew criticism from us through these columns. In fact, it has drawn flak from different quarters for obvious reasons. It was a missed opportunity to see the two top leaders on the same podium, addressing an area of common concern.
Understandably, the last-minute change of her mind put a damper on the rally organised to create a broad consensus on the strategies and tactics of fighting poverty. It was an absolutely apolitical issue which should have been left out of the narrow ambit of political rhetoric.
But today we are constrained to say that we are left dismayed at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's caustic and uncalled for remark at the leader of the opposition from the podium that perhaps she would have attended the rally if its theme were "loot property, get rich", instead of its being "national unity to prevent poverty".
People have already expressed their displeasure with Begum Zia's decision. This is evident from newspaper reports and editorials. But the prime minister took it upon herself to berate the opposition leader in words that were, to say the least, indiscreet and not behooving her position as prime minister. It has taken political rhetoric to an abyss.
She could have left it to the people to decide whether the leader of the opposition's boycott of the rally, especially at the last-minute was justified or not. Taking such a stand would have been enough to put the message across.
While the BNP chief failed to rise above parochial thinking, even when an issue like poverty alleviation was being addressed, the prime minister, for her part, relied on derisive rhetoric to hit back at her adversary, this only widening the chasm.
It is this rhetoric that has to undergo substantial change to make politics less virulent in our context. While carefully crafted and nicely delivered speeches are known to have highly salubrious effects on political culture, indiscreet and outlandish utterances can upset everything. Rhetoric is a weapon in a politician's armoury but carrying it beyond certain limits has its hazards too. And relying solely on it can be disastrous!
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