National weakness?
The historic and deep-rooted corrosive hate and mistrust between the AL and the BNP is destroying the nation. This unfortunate trend is causing the nation far more losses in all respect than all the loss, misuse and wastes that happens due to misdeeds or corruption! Their viewpoints, on even simple issues, are not just poles (but many poles, if one can say so) apart! What is mid-day for one, is mid-night for the other. One wonders why this childish attitude persists; day in and day out! Is it possibly rooted in the history of the formation of these parties? It is for the readers to comprehend and try to analyse it. No one can however deny that it is destroying the nation.
The AL was born from the seed of the manifestation of opposing cultures; that religion could not bind. This led to political and cultural suppression and also economic deprivation of the majority of the then Pakistanis; physically also separated by India.
The BNP was unfortunately the still-born child of innumerable military coups and the transformation of military ambition into a political entity cobbled together by those who possibly did not like the dismembering of the then Pakistan; created on the basis of one religion. Its political objectives were clouded with negativity, rather than any forward looking objectives based on new political ideas!
Their hypothesis of Nationalism, propagated by the founder of the BNP, was more of a theoretical rather than cultural or economic basis as the root behind the idea, propagated with somewhat doubtful rationale, with some bias towards religion.
The resulting political matrix of Bangladesh;, more reactive to emotions and sentiments, as manifested by the two party leaders, is being cleverly manipulated by our large and powerful neighbour; now blessed with US tacit understanding for managing the ex-British India possibly minus Burma; which has been diplomatically and economically wooed and possibly wedded to China's southward march!
One only can wonder if and when our two parties can get themselves out of the childish attitude about which house to have for the leader and location of seats to sit in the assembly; where may be the front bench has more power (or photo opportunity!) than anywhere else!
It is indeed a pity that personal needs supersede national objectives!
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