A sign of maturity

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's acknowledgement of popular sentiments regarding a new airport at Arial Beel is to be appreciated. Coming as it does after an eruption of violence that left a policeman dead and scores of others injured, her statement should now help reduce the tension gripping the area. Moreover, her view that there will be a feasibility study before a new site for the proposed airport is selected is proof that the government has taken cognizance of the realities. Such a study should have been undertaken before the decision to build a new airport at Arial Beel was taken. The manner in which the Arial Beel issue was approached was flawed because of two basic reasons. In the first place, the airport-related decision took little note of the adverse impact a new airport would have on the environment of the area. In the second, no effort was made at all to ascertain the wishes of the local people.
The self-correction is welcome as no prestige issue has been made out of it. Sheikh Hasina has described her government as a people's government. It is therefore only proper that every time a major move touching the lives of people is made, the first priority must be to gauge public opinion. Otherwise, there would be a spilling over of hurt feelings into violence as was experienced.
Now that the prime minister has weighed in with a change in approach, we will ask the authorities to restore normalcy in Arial Beel. Homes are without their male inhabitants and markets have stayed closed since the clashes because of the cases filed against nearly 21,000 individuals in the aftermath of the incident. These cases must be withdrawn and those on the run from the law must be permitted to return to their families. For the ruling party, it is important to remember that the next three years will be critical as well as crucial for it. It cannot afford to repeat mistakes of the kind we have just seen in Arial Beel.