Demonstrators have been beaten with batons, shot, tear-gassed and arrested by security forces these past two weeks, and it is interesting but not surprising that it was the initial repression that has led to the expansion of the movement.

In a sense, the events of the past two weeks are a microcosm of what ails Nepal. The lack of democratic space, muzzling of press and the increasing autocracy since the king suspended democracy are regrettable.

The king has used the Maoists as an excuse, but the fact is that the pro-democracy movement is not the same as the Maoist insurgency, and it is disingenuous to try to paint both with the same brush or to suggest, as the king has repeatedly done so, that to counter the Maoist forces, he had no choice but to crack down on the pro-democracy elements and curtail democratic freedoms.

We watch the events unfold in Nepal with apprehension. Nepal is a good friend to Bangladesh, we are both members of Saarc and have a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship. More than anything else, we wish for the Nepali people to safely emerge from the twin problems of Maoist insurgency and autocratic rule.

The time is long past for the king to loosen the reins of government and to reintroduce democratic reforms, as is the demand of the people. Basic democratic rights are what Nepalese are demanding and what they deserve. It is the lack of basic democratic rights that has helped to fuel the Maoist insurgency and is now fueling the current pro-democracy wave

It would be in the best interest of all concerned for the king to take serious steps to democratisation and reintroduction of fundamental freedoms.