Blockade hurts the economy
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's announcement on January 5 evening, of total blockade of roads, railways and waterways, was not unpredictable or surprising. She made this disclosure in presence of the media after the government confined her in BNP's Gulshan office and stopped her and her party allies from going to the party central office at Nayapaltan to hold rallies denouncing the last parliamentary polls. People's perception is that if the government had allowed the BNP to hold the meeting at Gazipur without creating any hindrance, things would not have come to such a sad pass.
Despite the fact that BNP does not have a clean past and its alliance with anti-liberation forces allowed the radical and extremist forces to rise and create instability and communal clashes in the country, the Al-led government must admit that every citizen has a right to express his/ her views peacefully. If the government claims that it has introduced multi-party democracy in the country in letter and spirit, then under no pretext can it lock up an opposition party office.
No doubt, Tareque Zia's inflammatory remarks about Bangabandhu stoked fire and anger in the rank and file of the citizenry who saw Bangabandhu in his youthful days fighting with fiery zeal for the liberation of the country. No mature and sensible political leader in the country, either in AL or any other party, has any reason to listen to such remarks about Bangabandhu made by any hyperactive leader staying far away from the country for years. Bangabandhu has a place in history that nobody can scratch out by making caustic comments about him. Many of these leaders who are maligning Bangabandhu were not even born when he stood firm against the tyrannical rule of Pakistani military dictatorship.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's call for blockade for indefinite period has caused serious disruption in people's lives and movement across the country. This will play havoc with the export-oriented industries as there is no alternative way of carrying goods to ports for shipment out of the country. Business activities suffered a severe blow during the last three days of blockade as people remained indoors for fear of violence and shortage of transport. This means that the readymade garments (RMG) industry will be badly hit. Similarly, imported goods from the seaports as well as goods from land ports across India-Bangladesh border cannot be transported to the markets inside the country. This will cause the prices of essentials to soar. Khaleda Zia and her allies should know how much the common people will be hit by this blockade. With inter-district transport off the roads, many desperately sick patients from outlying districts who need better treatment in hospitals at Dhaka can't get to Dhaka and other places in the country, and may eventually die without treatment.
With 7 persons killed so far in clashes between AL and BNP and in police firing, political fever in the country is heating up again. Apprehension, despondency and despair hang over the country as people ponder over the difficulties and hardship they have to undergo in the days to come because of the crippled state of business and transportation. The only thing they want is that they must not be subjected to such ordeals that directly affect their lives and living.
The AL government, although it came to power in an almost voter-less election, has to be more cautious and must try to garner people's support through good governance and fulfilling the pledges they made to the people. And the first step in that direction is to eliminate corruption from all spheres of national life and root out rampant terrorism.
There is need for political reconciliation, and that can come about only when BNP severs its connection with Jamaat. In a bid to reach that conciliation, both AL and BNP must refrain from distorting the history of the Liberation War or making any incendiary remarks about liberation war heroes and about each other. The present tough stance taken by the two main political parties will only contribute to prolonging the unforeseen ordeals for the citizens. We shudder to think of the disaster that the country is heading for, if there are more blockades, more hartals and continued violence.
Both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia must think for a moment how much they have gained by their ego-driven political decisions. The indiscreet actions of BNP and its allies, and the government's arrogance and highhandedness, have only heightened the crisis.
With all the upheavals that people witnessed during the last few years, they want to see the emergence of charismatic leadership in this critical period when there is shortage of everything other than greed and violence. The leaders people are looking for must try and win political allies, seek consensus and avoid vendetta. There has to be a change of governance and style.
The writer is a columnist of The Daily Star.
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