Don’t let Dhaka turn into a battlefield

October 28 has finally arrived. Like the general public, we too feel apprehensive about what the day might entail, given the increasingly incendiary remarks coming from both parties in the lead-up to the day, and their uncompromising stance regarding an election-time government. The BNP has said they will resist if attacked, while the AL has vowed to be on the streets to make sure the BNP activists cannot engage in violence. Given the not-so-subtle hints of retaliation, and the close proximity in which BNP and AL rallies will take place in Dhaka, we cannot help being worried about a violent showdown.

Was this state of affairs unavoidable? The Awami League could have easily allowed the BNP to hold a peaceful rally, instead of calling a counter-rally on the same day—as the party has done whenever the opposition has organised a major demonstration in the country, making such confrontations not only a possibility but an inevitability on many occasions. We should not have to remind the ruling party that the rights to peaceful assembly and association are enshrined in our constitution. AL leaders from different city units said they were asked to be fully ready to dominate the field, and that they would not be "empty-handed." They have also promised to not allow BNP activists to spread throughout the city. In what capacity, we wonder, is AL making these statements? If law and order is to be maintained, surely the responsibility falls on our law enforcement agencies, not AL members. Besides, both BNP and AL are political parties with equal rights under the constitution. Why would one have unlimited and apparently armed access to the city, while members of another be­ stopped and harassed at every checkpoint in and leading to the city, and their mobile phones searched?

The BNP has, thus far, despite provocations from the AL, managed to keep their head out of violent waters. This time around, however, they seem poised to retaliate. We urge them to exercise restraint; the answer to their frustration does not lie in violence, but in a strong and sustained peaceful movement that has the people's support. It would do well to remember that its violent tactics in the lead up to the 2014 polls did not succeed and, in fact, alienated large sections of the public.

In this tense climate, it is the state and state apparatuses who have the most to prove today. First and foremost, they must separate themselves from the ruling party and stop acting as an extension of them. We urge them to stop harassing opposition activists and ordinary people, and unlawfully checking their phones ahead of the rally. They must play their due role in ensuring peace and security, without resorting to unlawful arrests or unprovoked violence, and demonstrate neutrality in the face of violence by either BNP or AL members.

We call upon the two parties to see reason and avoid violence at all costs. They must not hold Dhaka and its residents hostage to their whims and power play. They should not forget that a large section of Dhaka's population are day labourers or small businessmen who depend on their daily earnings. If the battle for power is being fought for the sake of "the people," then the least the parties can do is take the inconvenience, insecurity and vulnerability of the public into consideration. Dhaka should not be turned into a battlefield.