With the ruling party and the opposition set for a massive showdown on the streets from this week, apprehension about escalation of political violence across the country is growing. Political observers believe that prospects of a dialogue between the two sides are becoming bleaker with each passing day, as both the ruling party and the Opposition remain unyielding.
“The hope for dialogue is fading,” noted lawyer barrister Shadhin Malik told The Independent. Analysing the political situation, he said if both the parties continue to engage in conflicts on the streets, the possibility of talks will diminish.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance will organise an agitation across the country on Saturday, and on Sunday the ruling Awami League will hold a massive rally in the capital. The opposition plans three-day hartal from Monday to press its demand for a non-party election-time government.
The hartal will be followed by a “laying siege” programme, BNP insiders said. On the other hand, the ruling party made it clear that it would be on the streets during Opposition’s hartal to resist “anarchy” in the name of hartal.
The Opposition observed a three-day hartal which ended on Tuesday when the country was gripped by massive violence, leaving 14 people dead. It is believed that in the coming days political violence will claim more lives.
BNP leaders said on Thursday that they are ready to sacrifice their lives for achieving their demand for a non-party caretaker government.
But the ruling party is adamant to hold the election under an interim government to be headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also president of the Awami League. “We will hold the election by Janaury 24 as per the Constitution, whether the BNP takes part in it or not” AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury told The Independent. Matia, an influential leader of the party, said the AL will never accept the CG formula as it is “unconstitutional”.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told The Independent that the government would be compelled to accept the Opposition’s demand in the face of a massive movement.
“People are with us and the government will have no option apart from conceding to our demand” he added.
The AL is preparing for a massive rally on Sunday in the capital. Party insiders said they are expecting a gathering of half a million people. Sheikh Hasina herself was monitoring preparations for the rally. She has directed lawmakers and presidents and secretaries of the district units of greater Dhaka to mobilise party activists and supporters for the rally. Districts level leaders of Manikganj, Narsingdi and Gazipur told The Independent that at least 100 buses from each district will carry supporters to the rally.
Simultenously, the Opposition is gearing up its activists to make its agitation successful. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia urged her party leaders to be on the streets during the next hartal to boost the morale of the grassroots level workers.
In this charged atmosphere, political analysts are sceptic about any possibility of a dialogue between the two leaders.
The telephonic conversation between the two leaders had created hope among many, but after it was made public the hope was replaced by despair.
The mud-slinging by the two leaders during the conversation was unexpected.
“In their conversation, no sign of sacrifice was evident,” Md Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the Transparency International, Bangladesh noted.
-With The Independent input
