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Sanity must prevail over frenzy

MD. ASADULLAH KHAN
RIGHT after the announcement of the polls schedule by the GEG, the country turned into a theatre of violence. The countrywide blockade of roads, railways, and river routes enforced by the 18-party alliance caused mayhem. With rail lines uprooted and roads barricaded, transportation of goods and movement of passengers came to a grinding halt. Many people in different parts of the country died in clashes with law enforcers and activists of rival parties. Panic and despair hang over the county as people ponder the difficulties and hardship in the days to come because of the crippled state of business and transportation, and non-functioning industrial sector.
The 10th Parliamentary election, scheduled to be held on January 5, 2014, might help meet the constitutional obligations, but it will hardly heal the festering malaise, the psychic wounds and resentment flowing over the country; unleashed mainly by the BNP and Jamaat cadres.
The people, regardless of party affiliations, are protesting this violence and killing, and demanding an election with all the political parties participating in a spirit of competition but shorn of violence. How can those leaders and parties, who either want to stay in power or want to go to power but have no consideration for people's lives, safety, security, and sufferings, claim to be patriotic?
Good sense must prevail before these protests and rallies cause further damage to the economy and killing of more innocent people. The high-ups in the BNP should not take a tough stance when the whole country is bleeding. If the proposal made to the president by eminent citizens for amending the rules of business to limit the powers of the PM is accepted by the PM, it should also be acceptable to BNP, and they should participate in the election without further agitation.
By ignoring people's feelings, both the major parties stand in the way of flowering of democracy; Political leaders, either running the state or trying to come to power, are taken as repositories of trust and
hope. They must not refuse to accept some unpleasant truths like misrule, defeat, corruption, etc.
The best thing a government can do it is to treat the people's mandate as a tool for governing rather than as an asset to be hoarded for all the time. The soul-searching question for both the parties is whether they had governed the country to enrich themselves or to actually improve the condition of the suffering masses.
Even if the election is held as per schedule announced and a government is formed without the participation of all the political parties, will it be possible to regenerate the nation's confidence? The prime minister has asked her new cabinet colleagues to ensure massive voter turnout. But if violence flares up in all parts of the country, how can the election be peaceful and bring voters to the polling booth? Some newly appointed ministers said that the acceptability of the election would depend on how many voters cast their votes. In an atmosphere vitiated by tension, how can the polls time government or the EG sail the boat in the turbulent river?
The two major political parties have been feuding for more than two years. How much they have gained or won, people do not know. But they know for certain that the country' has lost a lot and will lose a lot more unless there is reconciliation. Those in the administration must be aware that the economy is heading towards an inexorable decline. Reports say that the garments sector has lost several million dollar export order.
Political confrontation continues to deal the severest blow to multiparty democracy; extinguishing the glimmer of hope. With all that has happened in the past and the problems that have gripped the country; the party that still rules should not only consider it just an opportunity but an awesome obligation to make people believe that they (people) are the masters of their destiny. We now need leaders who can inspire hope and confidence in the disillusioned people and stimulate the economy; before making promises like poverty elimination, education for all and job creation.
Pragmatic leadership could put the country' on the right track and pave the way for political and economic stability that the country' so direly needs.
The people are pleading for a discussion to restart among the leaders to enable the country to steer out of the crisis. To waste time in reaching a consensus will only allow Jamaat and radical groups to inflict more damage. Let not the innocent and vulnerable players become victims in a clash of the titans.
True, there was hardly any determined effort from the stronger side to cool tempers. Obtuse as each side has been in the lingering dispute, both are aware that the continuance of the clashes and street battles would be tantamount to economic ruination and floundering of democratic ideals that they often preach. Unless the people can live in peace and have at least one square meal a day, whom the politicians will govern?
The stakes are too high to leave the highly inflammable and contentious issues unresolved. None would be immune to the pain in the event of an all-out conflict. Worse, aggravated by self-agrandisement and party interest, party feuding could wreak havoc far beyond party interests.
In an unstable situation like what prevails now, donors fear that the political and economic chaos would swallow up funds, destroy the investment climate and hamper development works that this country so direly needs.
The country, from independence till now, has suffered from leadership crisis that ultimately led to a political culture of hatred, greed, sycophancy, animosity and lust for power and influence. The two groups - politicians and people - are from the same country, but they could well be from two different planets. The political scenario is in total conflict with the spirit of the Liberation War, and symbolises the gulf between the people and the politicians.
The people have lost faith in politics and government. Party high-ups talk glibly about the achievements of their parties during their tenure, while the people are struggling for survival. People wonder why the alarm bells that were ringing in the corridors of power in the last four years could not waken the ruling party to see the ground realities.
Bringing Ershad, the most unpredictable man in the murky politics of the country, has made the situation more cataclysmic. Just when everyone wrote him off, he is making a meteoric rise again, this time, of course, with the backing of one of the largest parties that toppled him. The fallen dictator was convicted of malfeasance by the court. This might convey a message that ethics, morality and rule of law have disappeared from the state.
The writer is a columnist of The Daily Star.
E-mail: aukhandk@gmail.com