Hartal and BNP
Ms Nur Jahan in her letter published in DS on 18 September expressed her utter disappointment at the response by the people towards the hartal called by the national committee to protect gas, oil mineral resources and power in Dhaka city on September 14. But I am quite surprised that she did not utter a word against the main opposition party BNP and its close ally the Jamaat for not giving any support to the hartal. Opposition parties are duty bound to the nation to check the government misdoings, if any, by voicing protest in parliament or on the streets or both. But the BNP has miserably failed to do the same mainly by abstaining from parliament for a childish demand for more front-row seats initially, though gradually adding more demands which include the issue of Khaleda Zia's huge palatial complex at Dhaka cantonment. It is obvious that people are now allergic to hartal because of its frequent use and misuse in the recent past. If we want to develop as a democratic country we, irrespective of our political inclinations, should encourage/ pressurize the political parties to debate all national issues in parliament in open public view on radio and TV channels.
Besides private TV, radio channels can enlighten the public on such national issues through talk shows and discussion sessions which will be a better alternative to hartal, considering its destructive aspects to economy and social peace.
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