***Such charges and counter-charges amply demonstrate that two major parties have largely become isolated from the larger segments of the society. Failing to face and stand equal to the real challenges confronting the country they are now indulging in a cut throat competition, in a rabid race for grabbing and clinging to power in a bid to divert the people's attention from their lapses as true democratic patriotic parties.***

HOW low and In what fearsome proportion politics In Bangladesh has ebbed and dipped will be evident from the accusation and counteraccusation by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition in Parliament Begum Khaleda Zia of masterminding each other's annihilation.

When in last month two (said to be powerful) bombs were found to have been planted in quick succession at the site of the public meeting of the Prime Minister at Kotallpara. in her home district GopalganJ, various government agencies and party functionaries made the allegation that it was Indeed an attempt on the life of Sheikh Hasina. A number of persons, reported Io be connected with the Incident, liave already been rounded up and the finger of accusation was pointed to a clandestine fundamentalist organisation. An explosive expert team from USA. Is already in Bangladesh to examine the nature of the bombs. The Home Minister admitted lacunae and slack tn the security arrangement for the P M.

When the matter Is still under Investigation, Sheikh Hasina in an Interview with BBC Bangla Service the other day has categorically said that the opposition was behind this attempt on her life.

Before the nation could recover from the shock and the accompanying hullabaloo and confusion, came the astounding claim by the leader of the opposition in Parliament Begum Khaleda Zia that there were also several attempts on her life since the Awami League came to power in June 1996. Also to BBC Bangla Service in the same vein like the

Prime Minister, she made the shocking revelation and specifically named Sheikh Hasina for herself conspiring to 'kill' her. Begum Zia referred to a recen tly-publlshcd unnamed book by what she termed as "an Awami League activist and close associate of the Prime Minister" in which it was mentioned that Sheikh Hasina wanted to kill her and had announced Taka 5 lakh find paid Taka 50,000 as advance for the Job.

Allegations made by no less a responsible person than the leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia, who was also the P M for five years, merit serious attention and consideration. These cannot be dismissed summarily as a ploy for scoring political gains over her opponent. The source of Begum Zia's allegations the book tn question and Its author should be Immediately traced and the bonafide of the claim verified, particularly when the Chief Executive of the country has been directly blamed for the conspiracy to physically liquidate the leader of the opposition.

This accusation and counteraccusation have come not only as a rude shock, but also as a great dismay to the people at large. The very first question that disturbs the minds of the common man why was BBC, a foreign broadcasting network, has been chosen for revealing such earthshaking facts and not first to the national media print and electronic? If

Begum Zia thinks that she does not have access to the national electronic media because of tight control over them by the party in power, she could have then opted for print media which are relatively Independent and not all of them toe the government Une blindly. The timing of the leader of the opposition's labeling of the

charge, which came close on the heels of the Prime Minister’s blaming of the opposition for the planting of the bombs to take her life. Is also bound to raise eye brows. If there were attempts on her life since the AL came to power why did not she divulge the same earUer? Why did this follow before the dust of the bombplanting incident could hardly settle down?

Within the short span of less than 30 years Bangladesh had Its quota full of the tragedies of poUtical killings. Two heads of state and government Sheikh Mujlbur Rahman and Zlaur Rahman were brutally gunned down. These killings in their wake brought forth political de-estabUsation on immense scales. Apart from these, there were also scores of

other poUtical killings which continue unabated. It will take, indeed, volumes to enlist the names of all those who were assassinated In gruesome manner since the emergence of Bangladesh.

Against this backdrop, the people, by and large, cannot afford to be lackadaisical and

indifferent and take easily the reports and claim of conspiracies allegedly hatched by the ruling party and the opposition to physically liquidate each other’s top leaders. Are the accusations true? If so. then there is enough reason to be scared of what might foUow.

Except for a brief period during the movement against the autocratic rule of General Ershad, relations between the two main contenders of power the AL and the BNP were never happy. After the ouster of Ershad. their differences sharpened and rivalry grew Intense. Previously. It was confined within diatribes, mudslinging, character assassination and polemics. Now it has risen to the scale of annihilation which is indicative of the fact that

their intolerance of each other has reached the peak. Such charges also smack of bad tastes on the part of both, on which there was literally a race among the honourable lawmakers of the two sides Inside the Parliament to utter surprise and shock of the electorate. Leaders are considered to be those who have the ability to lead, from whom the people aspire to get proper guidance. If the leaders themselves do not maintain modicum of decency in their criticism of each other then how can the masses arc expected to have faith and trust in them?

Pushing into backsUde the genuine problems being faced by nation such charges and counter-charges amply demonstrate that two major parties have largely become isolated from the larger segments of the society. Falling to face and stand equal to the real challenges confronting the country they are npw indulging in a cut throat competition, in a rabid race for grabbing and clinging to power In a bid to divert the people's attention from their lapses as true democratic patriotic parties. When citizens’ lives and security are Increasingly being threatened due to deteriorating law and order situation and terrorism and violence have become a routing matter, when corruption has become so rampant that even the Prime Minister expresses her helplessness to combat it. when unemployment among both educated and uned-

ucated youths has reached an all-Umc high. when the country’s market has been swamped with smuggled goods in the name of globalisation to the detriment of the growth Indigenous industries. the two major parties and I their associates are basking in 4 conccxlion and canard against each other putting a blind eye to the people's woes.

As the election nears, It is apprehended to be more Intense. All these cannot be characterised as symptomatic of democracy. Such brand of leadership cannot be expected to deliver democratic and pragmatic polity for fine-tuning the country to the needs of the new century and the new millennium. Democracy entails, accommodating and respecting each other’s views. Democracy demands that working tn close concert irrespective of party affiliation everybody should contribute his or her mite for the greater good of the nation to Integrate Bangladesh with the global progress in bio-technology. IT revolution and poverty eradication.

The basic problem of Bangladesh Is. therefore, the abject leadership crisis. So long the crisis continues, there is no hope before the country to free itself from the vicious cycle of play of those who use the country as chattels, the people as pawns and the state as their Seldom. This medieval mindset is incongruous / with the realities of the present-day world. This is the reason why the two leaders of the two major parties are accusing each other of hatching conspiracies instead of boldly facing the people to secure their mandate with appropriate priorities, agenda and policy options and show them the path of a brave new world.