A peaceful message from a peace rally!

The ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday threatened to pour uranium on the heads of BNP leaders to calm them.

This is what he said: "They [BNP] said they will shut down Rooppur [power plant] … Two shipments of uranium have already arrived in the country from Russia. We will pour uranium over those who want to shut it down, including Fakhrul, Moyeen Khan, Gayeshwar, Abbas, and Rizvi … Whoever crosses the limit, we will calm them down by pouring uranium on their heads instead of beating them with sticks."

There was a heavy dose of irony in Quader's public remarks against his political opponents, delivered as they were from a programme titled "peace and development rally"?

What a peaceful message!

As the election is approaching and the two major political camps -- Awami League and BNP -- are standing firmly on their respective positions, these kind of remarks will only widen the gap between them.

Both AL and BNP made their firm political position regarding the election crystal clear during their respective meetings with the joint mission of the US's International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) yesterday.

AL informed the mission that there could no compromise worked out with the BNP violating the constitution. Meanwhile, the BNP said no credible election was possible under the AL government.

Hours before Quader's statement, eminent citizens at a dialogue opined that a political consensus through dialogues is now urgently needed to avoid possible violence in the days ahead.

They said political parties are at odds over the upcoming national polls and urged the government to take steps to hold the talks.

Quader's statement was nothing short of turning a blind eye and ear to the eminent citizens' concerns.

Here, I want to mention a pledge that was made by the Awami League before the national election on December 29, 2008.

In its manifesto, the Awami League vowed that if the party was voted to power, a political culture of courtesy and tolerance would be introduced.

Is this the political culture of courtesy and tolerance mentioned in the manifesto?

Putting aside the rhetoric, let's see the feasibility of pouring a solid radioactive material on someone's head.

Uranium is a very heavy metal and also the main raw material fuelling all nuclear fission reactors. So, it is not possible to pour it over someone in its original form.

So, if someone wants to pour it over any individuals, a liquid form of uranium is a must. According to the World Nuclear Organization, uranium has a melting point of 1132°C.

Also, let us not forget, any form of radioactive emission will not only kill the person over whose head uranium is poured, but also the one who pours, not to mention thousands of others who will be affected by the radiation.

So, what message was the AL general secretary trying to convey by making such remarks which are neither theoretically not practically possible?

As Bangladesh joins the nuclear energy club, has uranium become a new addition to the ruling camp's arsenal to quell opponents?

You can draw your own conclusion.