& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Commentary

Menon case: A plea to Hasina to take a responsible line

By S. M. Ali
This is a direct plea to the leader ol the Opposition and the Chairperson of the Awunn League (AL). Sheikh Hasina 'Please, for heaven s sake call • halt to your campaign tmph eating the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the attempted aaaaasinatlon of Hashed Khan Menon. Your un substantiated charge aggra vates the mood of confrontation in the country and threat ens to create a situation that no political party — or the administration — can handle
Addressing a discussion meeting at her party's central office on Sunday. Hasina asked bluntly. "How could such a daring attack on an Opposition leader like Menon take place unless it was Inspired by the government 7“
Then, at the same meeting, reported in the press yester day the AL leader repealed her charge, originally made
last week. Ihal Menon came under attack after the 'provocative speech made by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia during the no-confidence de bate in Parliament
Finally. to quote from the same speech of Hasina. The govermnent apparently knew about tlx attack on Menon be forrliand. The head of the gos eminent was so nervous that defying all medical restrictions. she (Khaleda Zia) entered the operation theatre with TV camera to show her pseudo-sympathy for him.'
It is strong attack on the l*rtme Minister, strong but irresponsible. provocative and Inflammatory It can set tn motion — we hope. It does not — chain reactions throughout the political scene tn the country, provoke waves of anger and fear within the par tics and make Bangladesh lixjk like a country lacing a possible
bloodbath to the outside world, to our prospective Investors, trading partners and dpnor nations.
We can well imagine what kind of reports are being sent to world capitals from various diplomatic missions tn Dhaka
To accuse a ruling party of being behind the attempted killing of an Opposition leader Is irresponsible. It is more so when no proof is offered to justify the charge Here, one may suggest, tf the AL leader has the slightest evidence, even within llie realm of probability. in this regard she should take up the matter with tlx police, in her role as a law-abiding citizen and a member of Parliament. If the police should refuse to accept her complaint, six would be free to demand an explanation from the government.
Since Sheikh Hasina has not taken these steps, we can only suspect that she Is playing to the gallery, rousing public emotion against the ad minis tratton and thus making a political capital out of a dismal event, the attempted a»cassl nation of Menon
This Is nbt the way of behaving as a responsible opposition or, for that matter, as an alternative government. If Haslna goes further with her present campaign in her per sonaltsed style, she will be sacrificing her party s long term interests for devious short-term gains She may well be putting her own leadership at grave risk.
All this does not mean that we. In the modia. or people al large, are satisfied with the way the government has been conducting the inquiry 1n to the attempt on the life of the leader of the Workers Party .
Whatever has been pub llshed In the media has left many questions unanswered. The Opposition leader proba bly knows what kind of ques Hons are bothering us. She should raises them with the
admlnlstratton preferably di rectiy with the Prime Minister - and satisfy herself that the Investigation Is going on the right way In case she to not satisfied, she should feel free to say so to the public . either through the media or through her party meetings What she carinol - and must not — do is lo turn the event into a poiltl cal exercise for partisan gains
Although this plea is directed al the Opposition leader, we believe, there Is much the ruling party — e»pe daily the Prime Minister — can do to pul a halt to mutual recriminations, charges and counter-charges which con tlnue to vitiate the political atmosphere
How we wish the offer of mutual co-operation exchanged between Begum Zia and Shetkh Haslna in an Imaginary correspondence published In this paper last week would come true, thus paving the Way for stability and progress It should come true soon Tomorrow, tt may be too late
Column Bangladesh RevW-tecT by Kuldip Nayar - Pe 4.