Back with a vengeance?

Sir. It seems that the hartals are back with a vengeancel Don't these politicians realise what they are doing to this country? They are not the ones who are being affected by such political unrest, it is we the people whose daily lives are being disrupted because of these meaningless hartals. How are we students benefitting from sitting at home twiddling our thumbs when we should be in an institution working towards a better future for ourselves for our country? These so-called politicians have their wards settled in some nice col-leges/universities abroad, but what about us — those who don't have the means to go to the U.S.A or any other foreign country to achieve such a degree?

We have to make the best out of what is being offered to us in our own country, and if that is being hampered, then what are we going to do in future?

So my request to the politicians is please Sirs/Madams settle your differences amongst yourselves and don't kill our future, understand that we also have a right to a decent life.

Zeenat Zaman

Independent University.

Bangladesh

Dhaka

The home truth?

Sir. The 48-hour hartal was called before the Judgement on the "Bangabandhu Murder Case'' was passed. Thus, this hartal had absolutely no connection with the verdict. The Opposition parties even refrained from making any type of comment on the legal outcome.

The foreign media also

clearly mentioned that the hartal had nothing to do with the verdict of the historic case. But. we are now seeing that our PM is making an attempt to say that hartal has been called because the killers have been sentenced. Is our PM so much obsessed with the past that nothing seems rational to her?

An Anxious Observer Chittagong.

Time for tolerance

Sir. After two years in the gaddi. it is time for the votercitizens to have a closer look at the modus operand! of Awami League — for its own good!

The party stalwarts are too much obsessed with their own ideas as to how the party and the country should be run. There may be some scope for outside contribution of ideas. The scope for reviewing feedbacks from outside observers and critics are not reflected to the public as often as expected. What is the difference between a static party and a dynamic party? Adaptation.

There is a reason for this stifled complex. The huge image of Bangabandhu shadowing every thinking and act of AL — another obsession which has been overdone during the last two years, presumably to make up for the lost time and absence of publicity since 1975.

This monomania reached Its peak in August when a natural competitor appeared on the scene to overstay: the prolonged floods — it was not sudden — and it was the worst in living memory. It was a nasty disappointment for the public as far as good governance was concerned. A party may be biased, but a government must be neutral. and elected governments are not excepted. The heart and

the head must be kept separate, on all occasions. Why we Bengalees are ruled more by the heart than by the head, although the latter is second to none? (The party is not being blamed for our cultural drawbacks.)

The party is suffering from the denial effect — being out of power for two decades. The unbalance shows, as it does in the case of a very thirsty desert traveller who spots an oasis. There is only one solution: increase the capacity for absorption — of the good and the otherwise.

The tolerance factor of AL is not very high, and it is rather unimpressive. Its behaviour pattern tends to be too aggressive and provoking, causing irritation and resentment in others. The others' count, as they are the rest of the citizens, and majority at that! This is a simple point which is overlooked time and again, against critics political or otherwise:. The critics are not enemies of the state, and should not be treated as such. Over-sensitivity is a political liability, applicable to any party, anywhere. Tolerance will never be condemned, as the benefit of the doubt ’Adil always be there.

Another drawback is the display of patronising attitude towards the non Avnaml Leaguers. This will boomerang when the party is not in power. Watching the faces and body language of the political leaders during public speeches, what stands out is the constant flow of hatred in profunion. Why look down upon the fellow beings? The coin will be returned. Goodwill and benevolence are in short supply; whftle there is oversupply of malice:.

An Observer Dhaka