Editorial
Another wasted week
Time for people to resist hartal
IT would be a waste of a good part of the week if BNP decides to call hartal during this week, as some fear they might. As it is, two days will have been wasted already with today's hartal called by Jamaat to protest arrest of its Nayeb-e-Ameer on allegations of crimes against humanity.
Calling hartal has become a fad it seems. Even socio-cultural organisations are doing so. Regrettably, the political parties have not bothered to pay heed to our repeated entreaties to avoid hartals and instead seek alternative ways to ventilate their grievances. We do not contest the validity of their position but the manner of airing their points which, by coercing people to close down, has had tremendous impact on the economy. The parties have shown no compunction for the people by calling hartals.
People have been pushed right back to the wall. They cannot take it anymore, particularly the poor. It will just not do for the political parties to call hartal and sit smugly in their air-conditioned rooms while some of their activists go about damaging public and private property, and those that have to work everyday to make ends meet are left to wonder why it is they that must fall victim to the degenerative politics.
In this situation, where no one is listening, the only alternative for the public is to resist hartal. And that's possible by coming out in open defiance of hartals, by refusing to be cowed down by the political goons.
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