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Extremists may gain

Int'l Crisis Group warns Hasina, Khaleda that situation close to point of no return

Staff Correspondent
Political crisis is fast approaching the point of no return and could gravely destabilise the country unless the ruling Awami League and the BNP take practical steps to reduce political tensions, says Brussels-based thinktank the International Crisis Group.
As political battle lines become ever more entrenched, the opportunities for political reconciliation are fast diminishing, according to a report released yesterday by the non-profit organisation that seeks to prevent or resolve deadly conflicts.
A protracted and violent political crisis would leave Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia the ultimate losers, particularly if a major breakdown of law and order were to encourage the military to intervene, it says.
"Though there is as yet no sign of that, history suggests it is an eventuality not to be dismissed. ”
It fears extremists and criminal networks could exploit the resulting political void with the two largest mainstream parties unwilling to work towards a new political compact that respects the rights of both opposition and victor to govern within the rule of law.
"Violent Islamist factions are
already reviving, threatening the secular, democratic order," it says.
The Group felt that both parties would be best served by changing course: the AL government by respecting the democratic right to dissent; the BNP by reviving its political fortunes through compromise with the ruling party, rather than violent street politics.
The report mentions the AL and its leader Sheikh Hasina emphasise that the absence of former premier Khaleda Zia and her party from parliament makes them "political non-entities". Yet, concerned about a comeback, the government is attempting to forcibly neutralise the political opposition and stifle dissent.
"The BNP, which has not accepted any responsibility for the election-related violence in 2014 that left hundreds dead (and saw hundreds of Hindu homes and shops vandalised), is again attempting to oust the government by force, in alliance with the
Jamaat-e-Islami, which is alleged to have committed some of the worst abuses during that period.
"The party retains its core supporters and seems to have successfully mobilised its activists on the streets. Yet, its sole demand - for a fresh election under a neutral caretaker - is too narrow to generate the public support it needs to overcome the disadvantage of being out of parliament, and its political capital is fading fast as it again resorts to violence," says the Group.
The deep animosity and mistrust between leaders and parties were not inevitable. Despite a turbulent history, they earlier cooperated to end direct or indirect military rule and strengthen democracy, most recently during the 2007-2008 tenure of the military-backed caretaker government, it says.
"Rather than building on that cooperation, the two leaders have resorted to non-democratic methods to undermine each other," observes the Group.