Hartal
Photo: Qamruzzaman / driknews
Hartal a hitherto democratic right like freedom of speech has already lost its appeal as it transcended beyond what democracy permits -- the spontaneous response to hartal call by keeping away from works and joining in protests against the grave wrongdoings/ failures, if any, of the government without taking resort to violence. But now the hartal callers give their activists the free rein to indulge in destructive activities to cower the public and this time in the evening before the hartal day the activists spread fear into the public mind by torching a number of vehicles and by terrorizing through coercive processions. During the last decade we have witnessed such enforcement of hartal to meet one party's end at the cost of human lives and properties. The present Opposition Leader Begum Zia and her GS were prompt to congratulate the countrymen for success of the hartal that took life of a promising young man and many others were injured and that damaged many private and public vehicles. What consolation do they have for the family of the deceased engineer of what gain did their hartal that took life of a promising engineer including many others injured and that damaged many private and public vehicles. What consolation do they have for the family of the deceased man or what gain did their hartal yield to them? She is awfully concerned about the well being and release of her sons (purpose of hartal had relation), but what about the mother whose son fell victim to the hartal? It only stirred and spurred the BNP activists and cadres and their leaders on to get the political atmosphere hot. Hartals of the past remind us of the havoc they did in human lives and the nation's economy. A BRTC bus load of passengers were almost killed with explosives (one or two succumbed to their injuries later). The Janakantha Bhaban was massively wrecked and many other properties here and there ravaged. Mr Jafar Sobhan's articulation in the post editorial (Friday 2nd July) has all the elements to support why a law banning hartal is the need of the hour.
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