Khaleda's call for transition
Begum Khaleda Zia has demanded a mid-term election in order for the government to avoid what she called a disgraceful exit. She has hinted at a major uprising, of the kind that has lately taken the Middle East by storm. Such an uprising, she thinks, can be avoided if there is a power transition without delay. We are surprised by the opposition leader's reading of current conditions in Bangladesh. It is with incredulity that we observe her attempts to draw a comparison of the situation here with what has been happening in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya.
The BNP chairperson's call for a peaceful transition of power raises some very critical questions about her party's attitude to democracy. The important thing now is for the BNP to concentrate on playing its due role in parliament. There can be no short circuiting to power for anyone and especially for an opposition leader who has been prime minister more than once. Besides, of considerably greater significance is the fact of what record Begum Zia and the BNP have set where playing their proper role in the Jatiyo Sangsad is concerned. To demand, therefore, that the government step down immediately is not only ludicrous but also naivete par excellence. It is indulging in fantasy with no bearing on reality.
We believe that the BNP and its leader should be taking a long, hard look at the politics they have pursued since the last elections. The party's stubbornness in boycotting parliament undermines its loud concerns about democracy. It should be in the House to put the ruling party to the test on the issues of the day. Additionally, it has a moral responsibility to speak for its constituents in parliament. By giving short shrift to that reality and by agitating on the streets, it is giving a bad impression of itself. Again, its attitude suggests a preponderance of personalised politics where the national interest should have been. The idea that democracy is fine when a party wins elections and becomes pointless when it loses them must be binned at the earliest.
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