While visiting the sites of the violence our minister of state for home affairs called it 'nothing less than a conspiracy' and claimed to have been aware of it beforehand. One, however, feels intrigued as the minister stopped short of naming the conspirators explaining why wasn't then the violence forestalled. Also the possible hands in the incident of our competitors in RMG market have conjured up business leaders as well in write-ups in print media without, however, pinpointing who are they; why did they, after all, carry out the orgy of destruction when a government with all of its intelligence and security apparatus is in place. There are also complaints of the 'outsiders' taking part in the vandalism. But their identity is opaque at the best.

However, the garment labours and their leaders attributed the episode to a cumulative dissatisfaction in their minds and called the violence an expression of that. Indeed, a labour unrest in the industry is nothing new and was brewing up also in garment factories. Their grudge against the owners' treatment of the labours particularly with regards to the latters' minimum wage, working hours and conditions, safety and security, regularity of payment, retrenchment without notice were seldom redressed and reached a stage of their 'elastic limit'. The history bears testimony of labour upheavals that even changed its course. In our case neither the factory owners nor the establishment was responsible enough to address the labour problems in time. So, they were 'surprised' by what happened recently.

The labours' perspective of the crisis that erupted seems to be most credible. That their problems are still persisting in RMG factories are pointed to such credibility.

In the meantime, interesting metamorphoses are taking place in our political landscape and spanking new dynamics for socio-political changes are proliferating. The hoary pattern of leadership is apparently cast aside with 'men on the spot' taking the rein of the events with their direct involvement. They will have profound effect on our traditional politics which may gradually fade away if the surge of people's direct participation continues and a new leadership from the toiling mass emerges.

The country's power-wielders would do a service to themselves if they take a stock of the explosive issues facing the country like ensuing election, corruption, price hike and so on. Each one of these issues are capable of turning into flash points like RMG sector. The storm seems to be brewing up on these issues, the combined effect of which may be fatal.

An election is due to be held now within months. Yet the steps leading to that is fraught with dangerous prospects. Take the case only of a voter list which was subjected to so much of sleazes and the deception surrounding it has indeed been worrisome. The alliance government's compliant EC (Election Commission) is now totally shorn of moral authority after blatantly producing a fake and weird voter list disregarding, at the same time, the High Court ruling of updating the existing list. Not only that. It callously squandered away, in the process, a huge sum (60 crore taka) of public money in obstinately producing a trash -- thus losing the people's confidence in conducting a fair election.

The four-party alliance can perhaps win the election even without resorting to skullduggery and tampering with the electoral process through its cadres. If it does so its fate is bound to be sealed. It may be recalled that in 1979 Pakistan's popular prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rigged the election although his party could easily win it. As a result, he was doomed for ever. In Bangladesh also it may be easy to rig the election by tampering with its process but it would be well nigh impossible to contain the people's ire grown out of it. The EC is indulging in puerile play with the fire. Who knows that it will not flare up like ones we have been witnessing in Kansat, Shonir Akhra and now in wider canvas stretching from Savar to Ashulia to Tongi to Tejgaon. If the establishment took no lesson from Kansat or Shonir Akhra -- let it have those lessons from this wider conflagration.

Likewise, the reckless corruption at all layers of the government and society may as well spark an explosive situation at the slightest instance and it will engulf the whole country in its flame. The cruel inequality in our society might have so far worked well. But what's the guarantee that it would always be so. Languished by unaffordable prices of essentials, who knows when the seething anger of the deprived would really explode. We are sitting on the living volcanoes -- oblivious of their timing of eruption!

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.