Editorial
HC's observation
When judiciary speaks in this language society needs to wake up
The concern that the High Court (HC) expressed about the country's political situation while hearing the bail petition for lawmaker and opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, who was badly hurt, is welcome. Though very rarely do such observations come from the judiciary, when they do, the politicians, business community, professionals and academics; in fact, the whole society need to wake up.
Needless to say the general public are very frustrated with the ongoing stalemate between the ruling Awami League (AL)and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The recent 48-hour hartal followed by a 30-hour one imprisoned the people in their houses bringing people's patience to an end. They are in no mood to countenance it anymore. On the other hand, police excesses on the pro-hartal demonstrators exceeded all limits.
But it is also not for the first time that a government is being so intolerant towards the pro-hartal demonstrators, regardless of their socio-political status. When the BNP was in power, they also subjected the then opposition to the same kind of treatment.
The demonstrators, too, are no less intolerant and mindless in their activities during these shutdowns. So, the court justifiably drew the parallel between the attitudes of the two major political parties towards each other. We fully share the court's concern and join it in asking the two parties to put an end to their irrationalities for the sake of normality, sanity and peace.
We have categorically termed the doing away with caretaker government as a mistake. Can it be denied that the present political deadlock is traceable to this single action of the government? But then what did really hold the Opposition back from using the floor of the House to voice their protest rather than going for the disruptive action of calling nationwide shutdown?
Why not spare the public the state of perpetual misfortune you have been pushing them through? Once again, we, in tune with the HC, call upon the ruling party and the opposition to give sanity and peace a chance instead of the battle of attrition.
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