Editorial
Widening chasm in politics
Avoid hasty action on CTG bill
The chasm between the government and the opposition BNP on the caretaker issue is clearly widening. That is unfortunate. It should have been the other way round, especially after the ruling party's exhortations to the BNP to engage in talks on the issue in the Jatiyo Sangsad. Now, ironically, it is the government which appears set to present the opposition and the country with a fait accompli: the cabinet has just approved a raft of constitutional amendment proposals, including one on abolishing the caretaker system.
Our concerns have only deepened with the submission of the amendment proposals by the law minister before the Jatiyo Sangsad yesterday.
We believe that having called on the opposition to engage in negotiations with it, the government should not have rushed into an approval of the draft amendment proposals by the cabinet in the first place. All efforts, no matter how painstaking and time-consuming, should have been expended on drawing the BNP into talks. Since the caretaker issue will have a deep impact on the future of national politics, the ruling party ought to have stayed its hand. For its part, the opposition, in the larger interest of the nation's future, should have dropped its belligerence and come forward to make its own contribution to a solution.
The haste in which the series of moves were made by the government only muddies the waters. It has now given something with one hand, namely, its offer of talks to the opposition; and then taken it away, by formally presenting its proposals in parliament. Even so, we appeal to the JS not to rush into adopting the amendment proposals but allow more time for the two sides to discuss the issue to the nation's satisfaction. If formal means of engagement are not possible at the moment, all informal moves must be made to narrow the gap between the government and the opposition. At this critical phase in national politics, the BNP must get a sense of its responsibilities and return to the JS to carry them out as the government spares no effort to engage the opposition meaningfully on the question.
We do not think the Rubicon has been crossed yet.
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