Army intervention never expected

Intervention of army is not expected in the country's ongoing political crisis, which should be solved politically, speakers said at the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap yesterday.
Seeking army's help from political parties indicates their “bankruptcy”, two of the four panellists told the dialogue held at the capital's Bangla Academy.
They were giving views in response to the question of a participant, "Does it mean the bankruptcy of democracy when political parties seek army's help in the case of political crisis?"
Three of the panellists also observed that the government was in “hesitation” in banning Jamaat-e-Islami.
The panellists were Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan, BNP Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Ain o Salish Kendra Executive Director Sultana Kamal, and President of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman.
Sultana Kamal said intervention of army was not acceptable in a democracy.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia said in Bogra on March 24 that army could not be an observer when the country plunged into chaos. "The army has responsibilities. It cannot act as a silent spectator.”
Noman said Khaleda made the comments in a different context, but acknowledged, along with Muniruzzaman, that political parties had to solve the problems politically.
Faruk Khan hoped that army would not be influenced by such “provocative remarks.”
Saying that the government did not take any step to ban Jamaat within the deadline set by Gonojagoron Mancha, another participant asked, "Is the government in hesitation?"
Sultana Kamal and Maniruzzaman agreed with the questioner.
She said Jamaat should be banned for their 1971 activities as well as their recent “terrorist activities.” Noman claimed that the government would not ban Jamaat.
Refuting the claim, Faruk Khan said the government wanted to follow relevant laws in the process of banning Jamaat, and the matter was now being considered.
Noman and Maniruzzaman criticised the government for recent police firing, while Sultana Kamal said law enforcers must have to abide by rules before opening fire.