Editorial
BNP's "Dhaka Cholo"
Govt's unprecedented clampdown on opposition programme
We wait with a great deal of foreboding and apprehension to see how today passes. We are praying for a peaceful end of this day hoping that both the parties will act judiciously to prevent further worsening of the situation.
Regrettably, the utterances and actions of the AL are more than clear hints that it has made the BNP's 12 March programme a prestige issue and would not, under any circumstances, allow any political space to the opposition and is even willing for a confrontation with them. And that has brought about an unacceptable and unhappy situation particularly for those living in the Capital.
It has been a very miserable situation obtaining in the capital over the last 48 hours. The measures undertaken by the government in the last two days with all the state machinery at its command have made the capital look virtually like a city under siege. The near deserted roads looked as if there was an undeclared curfew. It has been most difficult for commuters to get about due to lack of public transport, putting the citizenry under untold sufferings. The Dhaka-Chittagong highway yesterday was virtually empty of passenger transports due to fear and police harassment. Not ever have we seen the government on its own cutting the capital off from the rest of the country. There has never been an instance where the government has so foolishly cut off its nose to spite its face.
However, even if everything went off peacefully today, how do we escape from the existing cloudy political situation? While the government has used every ploy to strangle the BNP's programme, what if the opposition calls a repeat of the same programme? Will the government be able to replicate all the extremely insensitive, harsh and callous measures every time without seriously harming its political credentials and without incurring people's ire further?
So, where is the end to all this acrimonies and confrontational politics that people are so fervently hoping for? We feel that the only respite lies in the two sides involving in discourse and not diatribes. And the lead must come from the ruling party. That is a must for the sake of the country.
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