But the problem is with the Awami League-led 14 party alliance. They are, like "kabab mei haddi" -- out to spoil the sumptuous dish so carefully cooked by the ruling party. They want to recast the mould with major reforms of the Caretaker Government and the Election Commission in order to ensure a free, fair, and credible election. It is true that they also want that magic lamp, but apparently not by foul means. They want a level playing field to fight their case out. Who can blame them as long as they mean so? With the anti-liberation and fundamentalist forces on the right, autocrat Ershad on the left, the Young Turks in front, and the all politicized civil servants and law enforcing agencies poised to back her from behind, Begum Khaleda Zia should have been all confident to be able to snatch the magic lamp, accepting the challenge of the opposition parties. She does not seem to be so. She is not willing to go for any reform. She does not even want to talk to the opposition parties in this regard, let alone accept their demand. To the utter dismay of the people at large who wanted this (dialogue) to happen, Begum Zia is now telling the public meetings in unequivocal terms that election will be held on time and under the same chief of Caretaker Government as envisaged in the constitution. That means, Justice K.M. Hasan who was once the secretary for international affairs of BNP remains the head of the next Caretaker Government, whereas one of the main demands of the agitating opposition parties is to replace K. M Hasan by a non-partisan neutral person. One would recall, it is hardly six months back, when Begum Zia invited the Awami League leaders who were boycotting the parliament at that time to come to parliament and place their reform proposal for discussion. The Awami League accepted her invitation in good faith and returned to parliament with their proposal. Since then we have seen a lot of rhetoric, gestures, postures, and exchange of letters centering the dialogue on reform. Now it seems that all these were the part of a ploy of the ruling party to mislead the people and the opposition alike.

People expected that Begum Zia, being a public leader, would at least listen to the public demand, if not that of the opposition parties, and remove Justice M.A. Aziz from the post of chief election commissioner for his highly controversial and damaging role in preparing the voter list. Instead of doing that, as if to add fuel to fire, she has, to every body's surprise, appointed another controversial person as election commissioner without consulting even the person she is appointing.

What could be the reasons for Begum Zia to adopt such unfair and unethical tactics? Is it because she has of late started realizing that she cannot win the election if it is held in a free and fair manner for the simple reason that she could not deliver the goods to the public as promised.? The people of Kansat wanted electricity and diesel for cultivation of their land. She gave them bullets. The people of Shanir Akhra wanted drinking water. They got tear gas, rifle butts, and bullets instead. The people of Phulbari took to the streets to protect the interest of their homeland. They, too, were met with bullets.

Begum Zia promised the poor people of this country two square meals a day. Instead they got the unbearable pangs of hunger and deprivation. She promised them peace and tranquility. Instead, they got a reign of terror and insecurity. She promised them a society free of corruption and exploitation.. Corruption in the government as well as in the society is now all pervasive to say the least. The rich have exploited the poor so much so that, according to some economic experts of the country, 80 percent of the national wealth is now in possession of 20 percent of the population.

Or, is it because Begum Zia has started realizing that "you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time?" Whatever may be the reason, we are now all set for a head-on collision. The ruling coalition now seems to be fully determined to go ahead with the execution of the election plan they have so meticulously engineered over the years. They have realized that fair or unfair, win they must. BNP's second most powerful man Tarek Zia knows why. The Awami League-led opposition seems to be, on the other hand, determined to resist a farce election at any cost. Where the people stand in between, only time will tell.