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KALEIDOSCOPE

Has the AL lost its way?
**The ruling Awami League must face facts. It must come out of its delusions of power, superiority and invincibility as well as the moral high ground it claims it stands on. If truth be told, it has made a terrible mess of everything.***
The much 'dreaded' March 12 has passed rather peacefully. The inhabitants of the besieged capital
city have heaved a sigh of relief, since the continuous propaganda campaign that the ruling Awami League (AL) leaders had been carrying out over the previous weeks, that something terrible might happen on that day, did not take place after all.
What was wrong with that day? What was so dreadful about it, if one is to believe what the government leaders were constantly saying? As everyone in the country knew it, the day (March 12) was set by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for holding its planned mass rally.
And the government did everything in its capacity to create obstructions so that people from outside the city might not join the opposition's rally. The public and private transport services plying between Dhaka and the rest of the country were forcibly kept off the roads. Even within the capital city movement of the motorised vehicles were not allowed on Monday (March 12). The launch services between Dhaka and other districts, too, faced the same kind of restrictions. The government action was not just limited to halting movement of public and private transports. It mobilised its entire law-enforcement machinery for keeping the city free from what it termed 'strangers (!)'. The hotels were closed to any new boarders; the dormitories were given surprise visits by plain-clothesmen to check if any so-called 'strangers' were there. And
as if those measures were not enough, armed goons of the ruling party were let loose to drive away any pro-opposition marchers on the roads trying to move towards the venue of the rally.
It was all unprecedented. Worse still, there were even attempts at keeping some satellite TV channels like the BanglaVision, EkusheyTV and Islamic TV off the air for about three hours around the time when the BNP's rally was taking place, though in a restricted form at its pre-announced venue.
The extraordinary security measures mounted by the government through mobilising its law-enforcement machinery in battle gears could well be justified, had the government actually slapped any official ban, such as section 144 or any other restrictive order on the 12 March rally. It was not even the case that any terrorist organisation had issued any threat against the rally or against the government on that date.
In fact, the government failed to show any valid reason behind the unprecedented security measures and other matching actions it had taken to virtually paralyse Dhaka on March 12 and two to three days preceding that date. The argument, if it can be accepted at all as one, that the opposition was trying to create an obstacle to the trial of 1971's war criminals was hard to sell. That is because, the opposition did not say anything against the war crimes trial in its
programme for the rally. On the other hand, what they had been saying all through is that they were trying to press home their demand for holding the next general election under an interim neutral or caretaker government.
Whatever justifications the ruling AL was trying place in support of its warlike posture against the opposition programme could hardly stand to reason. They were, for instance, constantly harping on the Jamaat bogey. The nation was being told by the AL leaders and ministers that the followers and activists of that party as well as other extremist-rightists elements might create law and order situation in the city on the rally day. Strangely, the government was unable to produce any specific allegation against them. Neither could it give any intelligence report in support of its suspicion and fears. True, some senior members of Jamaat were facing war crimes charges in the ongoing international tribunal. Surprisingly, the government, till date, has not even officially outlawed Jamaat from doing politics, nor has it cancelled its registration as a political party. But it is crying blue murder without let-up all the same against Jammat's being a partner of the opposition and their participation in the opposition-called rally.
If the general public is to believe that the unprecedented security measures and other actions were
necessary to protect them from any subversive activity by any extremist elements taking advantage of the opposition-held rally, why is then the government not looking so worried over its own rally on March 14? It all defies common sense
In fact, the ruling AL has no credible argument to justify what it did surrounding BNP and its allied parties' rally of Monday. Even many of its sincere camp followers were dumbfounded.
The ruling Awami League must face facts. It must come out of its delusions of power, superiority and invincibility as well as the moral high ground it claims it stands on. If truth be told, it has made a terrible mess of everything.
It must realise that the ruling party and the government's only job is not to go after opposition in an endless manner. Left with only a year and a half in hand to perform, it needs also to concentrate on the election pledges it had made to its constituents and the people at large.
At the same time, it must be prepared to allow the opposition the space it is entitled to constitutionally and engage immediately with it in a dialogue as a first step towards ending the prevailing political standoff. The people already aghast at the never-ending face offs and slanging matches between the ruling party and the opposition want something better. They want to see a wind of positive change in the behaviour of the major political parties. And the ball is in the ruling the ruling party's court to give the possibility of constructive change a chance.
The writer is Editor, Science & Life, The Daily Star. E-mail: sfalim.ds@gmail.com