Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Communication gap between the two top leaders stands out to be a stumbling block to the development of understanding between them on outstanding political issues – the cheif being the issue of care taker government. Despite they fought together in 1919’s anti Earshad movement for the revival of parliamentary democracy there is no love lost between them. They tried to fight shy of each other. Rather they rebuke each other trying to drive nail home in public meetings.
As the country was going through the critical stages with uncertainities hovering around political sky there was some glimmer of hopes when the Prime minister Sheikh Hasina moved out to vist ex-prime minister Begum khaleda Zia to express condolence on the death of her son Arafat Rahman Koko. We expect that when the two top leaders would meet window of discussion for negotiations on the political crisis would be open. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister wanted to hold out the olive bunch. But begum Zia whether wittingly or unwittingly did not respond to PM’s praiseworthy gesture. Such response might have paved for ironing out the difference, reducing the distance between them .
What the 20-party alliance has been doing for a long time is not a movement against the government. Acts of vandalism and arson already created panic as a result of which the masses are suffering a lot. The 20-party alliance does not stop subversive acitivities paying no heed to the call for saving the innocents from throwing petrol bombs.
They continue to go ahead with blockade and hartal programmes arguing that the government in an aatempt to sabotage peceful movement torching vehicles. Is the the boot is on the other leg? Death has already taken a heavy toll. About 30 died of arson. Even then arson spree continued. According to news paper reports:
When news broke that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was going to visit her arch rival Khaleda Zia to express condolences on the death of her son Koko, social media got flooded with status updates from crossed fingers.
But skeptics were eventually proven right when the PM was sent back from the gate of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office around 40 minutes past eight that evening. Even before the PM’s entourage arrived in Gulshan, BNP chief’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas told media that his boss, who had fallen ill after hearing the news of her son’s demise, was on heavy sedative and therefore could not meet the PM. Shimul Biswas also told media that they had expressed their gratitude to the PM for her concern and would inform them in due time when Khaleda Zia felt better to meet the PM.
They brought a condolence book in front of the office for the prime minister to sign in but she was gone by the time we reached there. Standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah told journalists that Khaleda Zia had requested the people of the country to pray for her departed son. Khaleda Zia has suffered a mental breakdown; it is very normal. She is not talking to anyone; she is using gestures only. This is a very tough time for the Zia family Moudud said, “It was a mistake not to show courtesy to the prime minister last night.”
The BNP policymaker’s remarks come close on the heels of BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi dubbing the prime minister’s visit to Gulshan office as ‘a farce, and pretentious’
Moudud lamented the episode aroud the visit of PM and the close of the gate inside the house for entrance. He said ” the gate of the office was locked from inside without consultation with any senior leader.” But(Khaleda Zia) had no knowledge of the matter. She was nearly unconscious then.”Even we could not meet her at the time. She could not be informed about the arrival of the prime minister as the door of her room was shut.
But Khaleda Zia thanked the prime minister when she woke up. When Hasina’s motorcade started for Gulshan” The BNP chairperson’s Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas told reporter “outside the office that it would not be possible to let the prime minister meet the grieving mother as she had been put to sleep by doctors.”
Given the historical legacy of bitterness between the two top leaders lack of vision, ego, personal vendentta and power-centric attitude are some of the critical factors responsible for confrontational politics.
The two political parties with differing ideologies are in the leading strings of the the two icons. The undemocratic political culture that developed overtime for their preponderating influence make it difficult to create second strings in thie major political parties.
Overcoming the crisis necessitates amity and friendship between the two leaders . They should sit together softening their stand on the open questions to bury the hatche. They shou not adopt so hardened policy rather go for taking steps in reducing communication gap despite political divide on historical reasons.
We do not want that the country goes back to the sordid era of misgovernance with the premonition signaling the reincarnation of one eleven political changeover.
The new year (2015) celebrated its beginning with a host of unpappy news. The beginning seems ominous signaling politics from deadlock to dead-end. Public sufferings, mainly of the pedestrians and paseengers, knew no bound during prolonged blocade strengthed(9 consecutive days) by hartal in some districts. Local units of BNP-led 20-party alliance and its components called separate dawn to dusk hartal in 10 districts. Stalemate has been continuing as both parties -government and opposing forces – remain intransient determined not move even an inch.
No sign of compromise. Begum Khaleda Zia, incuding part high ups, expressed determination to go ahead with the hard programme until the ruling alliance steps down even after the death of Arafat Rahman Koko. The country has been in the labyrinth of political violence. On the other hand the government takes a very serious view of the situation determined to deal strictly with with political turmoil. The PM asked the people to face terror and militans resorting to violence in the name of blockade. She expressed her farm determination to protect lives and property of the citizens.
However, we must comment that both the gocvernment and the BNP-led 20 paty allianxce should soften their stands coming to resolve the political crisis through diologue. For, the the country has punged into a deep political crisis with both the parties – a dispute almost reaching the point of no return.
Besides loss of valuable human lives with many becoming physically handicapped the economy has been hard hit. Immediately after the sudden death of Koko people expected that Begum Zia would postpon blockade that helped the miscreats to rule the roost sending many to burning unit.
In fact, Bangladesh is burning. Many belonging to ruling parties commented that Begum Zia shou realize how pain it is to receive death news of the beloved like son or daughter. This breaking news hit the headlines. Distressingly the ex-prime minister remained unmoved even an inch from her position.
This seemingly unkind gesture was criticized in the running session of the parliament. Perhaps, BNP under her leadership adopted do or die policy to make the ruling party come in terms and conditions going all the way to arrange mid term election under care taker government. Negotiation seems a distant dream with the role of party hawks who are hard nuts to cracks.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public administration, Chittagong University)
