Cards, not talks
A majority of voters of the country are youths who have never seen their two top leaders, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, talking to each other.
The two usually do not attend the same programme, though they had sat for talks on several occasions in the last two decades.
Hasina, now prime minister, and Khaleda, the opposition leader, have created an image of implacable rivalry in their relationship.
The only exception occurs during the Eid festival. Interestingly, they greet each other, though not in person, by sending Eid greeting cards through their messengers.
Yesterday, Hasina and Khaleda exchanged Eid greetings ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, which is likely to be celebrated on August 9.
PM's Protocol Officer SK Akhter Hossain handed over an Eid card of the premier to M Suratuzzaman, assistant personal secretary of the BNP chairperson, at the latter's parliament office at noon, said sources at the PMO and the opposition leader's office.
Later, Suratuzzaman handed over Khaleda's Eid card to the officials at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at 1:00pm, Sayrul Kabir Khan, the BNP chairperson's press wing member, told The Daily Star.
Despite demonstrating this good gesture, they have not managed to hold talks in recent times to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
Only after the fall of HM Ershad's government, did Hasina and Khaleda have meaningful talks.
The two attended the same programme, marking Armed Forces Day, at the Dhaka Cantonment during the military-backed caretaker government's regime, and also during the current government's period.
But they did not even exchange greetings, let alone talk.
Khaleda went to Sudha Sadan, Hasina's residence, to express her condolence on the death of Hasina's husband Dr Wazed Mia. But they did not meet each other.
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