Our leaders inured to our plight

For government ministers to say that there is no political crisis is like burying one's head in the sand. If there is no crisis then why the 30 dead and more than 900 injured since January 5? 

The country has suffered three weeks of violence and one sees no end to it. And while it is well and good that the government should take all necessary measures to stem the spate of violence it must also address the fundamental issue, which is entirely political. It has thus become imperative that the two leaders engage immediately with each other to resolve the political impasse. And that requires renouncing their implacable positions that have so far wreaked havoc on the lives and livelihood of the people of Bangladesh.

However, it appears as if our two leaders are oblivious of the deleterious consequences of their respective stance on the country. Consequently, on one hand we are faced with the prospect of an indefinite blockade and strikes that has become incrementally violent, and on the other hand, the government, which is taking increasingly severe measures to clamp down on the opposition, has categorically refused to hear any of the latter's demands for talks. With neither side ready to compromise, the public is left in the lurch, besieged by vulnerability and uncertainty.

While Khaleda Zia must order her party and alliance activists to stop the violence immediately and the government must take measures within the law to stop the violence, the prime minister should immediately address the underlying political issue to resolve the current flux.