So long as we have the political impasse we shall perhaps continue to receive friendly ad vice from countries anxious to see it resolved But even there, things are settling down to their nature. Visiting dignitaries and ioreign diplomats in deference to local sensitivities have been urging us to resolve-the crisis our selves by recourse to our own genius.

The US Assistant Secretary for the South Asian desk Ms Robin Raphel while winding up her four dav tour impressions of Dhaka told a select gathering of pressmen that she thought there should be a Bangladeshi solution to the present crisis in the country. Compromise be ing the key to a resolution of the dispute, she underlined the need for it. Uke so many of us have been doing for such a long time but to little avail sd far. In her assessment, which has the merit of academic dispassion about it. the problem is not so complicated as to be beyond the capacity of human mind to overcome. It needs to be approached creatively and happily the people of Bangladesh are no strangers to the art of trying different methods to solve their problems.

Robin Raphel met the top leaders of major political parties, called on the army chief to discuss Bangladesh’s role in the UN peace keeping operations, went to the CHT to observe the rehabilitation of returnee tribal refugees from India and left the country on an expressly optimistic note. Her visit has gone down very well not only among the government and private business circles because she has lauded the move against child labour, our reha bilitation work at the CHT and our participa tion in the UN peace-keeping efforts but also among the opposition anti the intelligentsia in general for her measured but pragmatic words on the politics of the country

One recalls that the political crisis had once moved to the centre-stage in April when the Emeka-Ninian role to facilitate a dialogue got in motion interspersed with a staggered agitation by the opposition. We seem to have again woken up to the political impasse amidst opposition calls for strikes and demonstrations. Raphel's visit, too. has stirred a fresh concern for coming to grips with the crisis. So late in the day. we cannot afford this reawakening to go waste except at our peril.