TAKING advantage of blockades and hartals as part of the opposition alliance enforced agitation programme for a non-party and neutral polls-time government, Jamaat, an alliance partner, is wreaking havoc on public life with unprecedented violence across the country. Evidently, Jammaat-inflicted violence is deliberate and is designed to produce a stronger reaction from the government.
We condemn such mindless violence that over the past two weeks has claimed around 59 innocent lives, caused injuries to some 250 persons and inflicted incalculable collateral damage to public and private properties.
Two issues are involved here that must be delineated. First, the political one, which centres around the question of caretaker government (CTG), or more specifically, of how the next general election could be held in an inclusive manner where a level playing field is created enabling all parties to participate. Obviously, as a partner of the BNP-led opposition alliance, Jamaat has also its stake in this issue.
The other no less important an issue is the trial of the war criminals of 1971. But the violence being perpetrated by Jamaat to stymie the prosecution of the war criminals has no connection whatsoever with the ongoing movement on caretaker government issue. Jamaat is, in fact, exploiting CTG issue to protect its own vested interests related to the war crimes.
Even though the fact that Jamaat is in a political alliance with the BNP is understandable, yet will or should BNP own all the barbarity being committed by Jamaat? Does BNP endorse Jamaat's position on war crimes? Violence enacted by Jamaaat won't serve BNP any good; rather it may boomerang on its political cause.