Parachuting on the middle ground

GENUINE tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights," said Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher in the mid-nineteenth century. His words may ring true even to this day in many a theatre of conflict. Bangladesh, having more than its fair share of self-righteous leaders with hubris, is a case in point.
The BNP is right in demanding early talks with AL even as the government is firmly seated in power. Sustainability of an incumbent with a fractionated mandate, if it is to be called one technically, is in question. From the BNP point of view the call for dialogue to hold a mid-term poll that allows for broad-based participation guaranteed through a level playing field has had all the right vibes about it.
On the other hand, AL feels right in discarding a non-elective arrangement in the role of an interim government to oversee national elections. They held an election to meet a constitutional requirement in keeping with the practice followed in most democratic countries. The BNP was right in demanding a neutral election time caretaker given the climate of distrust between the two parties that ruled out influence-free polls. They were 'right' in boycotting the election just as the government was 'right' in pursuing the course of election. From their respective perspectives they were each right and so the crisis has deepened beneath the surface.
After an initial pause since January 5 election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her opponent BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia have landed plonk on their very own trajectories.
Khaleda Zia has complained of a 'killer force' being in action and claimed that 300 opposition men have fallen prey to killings and forced disappearances. She has even urged the United Nations to intervene. Obviously, being in a state of exasperation, she has chosen to drum up external support aimed to bring AL across the table. This has been a customary opposition approach ignoring the domestic constituency. In the process, the path to homegrown solution remains as thorny as ever.
Note that the BNP chief while making the allegations did not substantiate these with specific particulars about the victims which would reinforce her stand before the public and exert a pressure on the government to be answerable on this count.
The AL chief on the other hand on the back of the lower court verdict on 10-truck arms haul case announced that her government will open a fresh enquiry as the names of Hawa Bhaban and BNP chief Khaleda Zia “have emerged during the probe and trial in the sensational case.” An intent of investigation, particularly a fresh one, is something that is better kept confidential and not made public before the results are in hand, one way or the other. It is not done through a town crier's beating of drums, to be sure.
This paid put to AL's pledge to starting a dialogue after January 24, marking the end of the 9th Parliament. In fact, dialogue option is veering away having been overtaken by deflective words from some ministers vowing to run for five years.
Meantime, some positive signals have been read into the BNP's opting out of blockade and hartal in preference to a peaceful mode for 'at least six months.' Thursday's hartal by Jamaat, however, raised a spectre that this avenue for bellicosity will be kept open and used when required by the BNP alliance strategists. As a matter of fact, BNP's delinking from Jamaat is to be ruled out at least in the foreseeable future. Its Islamic constituency is pretty large, Jamaat providing the muscular side of the BNP in place of what used to be Chhatra Dal, a student wing that has lost touch with youth literally because its leaders have become older.
BNP is said to be reorganising before mounting what it calls any serious agitation programme against the government. Hopefully, this will be helped by the steady enlargement on bail of imprisoned senior BNP leaders.
 “All is well that ends well” is not a healthy mantra in politics that is professedly pluralistic but fundamentally in a state of flux. If the AL thinks that it can pull off ultimate success with its unilateral ascent to power, it is being shortsighted. All is not well till it is well for everybody.
There is a moral issue here. After all the bloodletting, burning and killing the nation has invested hugely for both parties to be partnering in a way that is conscionable and corrective for the greater good of the country. No sign of contrition from those whose actions led to fatalities and destruction yet. They  owe the nation an apology and a guarantee not to repeat the same.

The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.    
E-mail: [email protected]