Editorial
Why deny opposition space?
Their right to assembly and voice dissent should be protected
We are extremely disturbed by and dismayed at this undemocratic attitude of the government.
Using disproportionate police force, the government foiled opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)'s scheduled mass procession on Sunday by confining them to their central office.
In democratic parlance, such highhanded manner of dealing with opposition's political programmes is not acceptable.
It is hypocritical on the ruling Awami League (AL)'s part to try to justify what it has done by denying the opposition its constitutionally granted democratic right to voice dissent through assembly and processions.
And it cannot also get away with this behaviour using the argument that the present opposition, when in power in the past, also foiled its political programmes using similar tactics.
The government, of course, is duty-bound to protect the people's life and property. But that does not mean that the ruling party should pre-empt any legitimate attempt at taking out a procession or holding rally in absence of any previous announcement from the government banning public gathering or meeting in the city.
Actually, the government is acting hypocritically, when one of its front body, the Awami Jubo League, was holding a meeting protesting what it termed the opposition's violent politics, while at the same time the members of the police were laying a virtual siege to the central party office of the opposition.
Complete denial of a space to the opposition to voice its protest amounts to stifling a legitimate voice of dissent. They are an elected opposition, not a pushover.
The argument of pre-empting violence also is often self-defeating, because repeated denial of the opposition to exercise its democratic rights may impel it to resort to violence, both covert and overt.
When would the nation be spared the repetition of the same follies that party in power commits to the detriment of democratic norms?
We hope good sense will prevail and the government will desist from using such highhanded tactics to deny the opposition their legitimate right to dissent.
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