FROM PAGE 14

With dissent no longer throttled and certain political factions no longer hounded, this year saw huge rallies that was also a means to show their strength if only to give more weight to their demands. Hefazat-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami and more recently, the BNP, among others staged their “showdowns” in a bid to outnumber the other. But it must have been Khaleda’s funeral that witnessed a genuine outpouring of love and affection as mourners clogged almost the entire Dhaka city for hours.

This was supposed to be the year when Bangladesh adopted reforms and accordingly, negotiations and discussions went on for months under the auspices of a consensus commission. The resulting July charter, which is going to be put up in the referendum in the coming elections, understandably fell short of the lofty expectations that the young July rebels had in mind. So much so, that the party born out of the July uprising, the National Citizen Party, refused to sign it. While the reform commissions came forward with their reports, genuine reforms are still to be instituted save for one or two instances. We have to wait till after the election.

Perhaps the most outwardly visible characteristic of this year has been the mob, stemming from ever increasing intolerance and dogmatism. Faced with an equally timid administration that has been keen not to be tough, angry crowds often got out of hand. This only ended up in costing lives and property as we have seen across the country, but most recently in Mymensingh where a man was lynched and then in Dhaka where this newspaper, along with Prothom Alo, survived a violent bout of arson attack and vandalism that halted the publication of both newspapers for a day. The same night two other cultural organisations -- Chhayanaut and Udichi -- known for their involvement in theatre and music were attacked and vandalised as well. Law enforcement agencies or the government showed little resolve to address the worsening law and order.

Yet it is only with strong resolve that we can turn the page and turn around. It is with that resolve that we usher in the new year and wish every one a peaceful, healthy, prosperous and happy new year.