Undefined blockade and unanswered questions

THE 20-party alliance imposed an indefinite blockade from January 6. In an earlier article (DS January 9, 2014) I mentioned that blockades are imposed only during wars. For example, during our War of Independence in 1971, India blockaded supplies of arms and ammunition to the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh. Consequently, the Pakistan armed forces were forced to surrender on December 16, 1971 with the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state. People in Bangladesh and around the world are confused to see that an indefinite blockade has been imposed by a political alliance in order to topple the government. Nobody understands what this blockade means. What are the people supposed to do and not do during blockades? Are they supposed to stop going to work, or sending kids to school, or buying food or getting medical care for an indefinite period?

Occasionally, the leader of the 20-party alliance advises her party workers to intensify the movement without causing inconvenience to the people but does not illustrate how to do it. She also advises the people to make 'small sacrifices' for the 'greater interest of the country.' Under compulsion, people do go out defying the blockade. Consequently, more than 50 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured since the blockade started. Forty one vehicles have been torched and seven trains derailed. Ten launches were sabotaged. There is no new investment. The job market is shrinking. Farmers are unable to market their products. Without education, the academic careers of a whole generation are in jeopardy. How can a nation survive if a generation remains ill-educated? Do all these constitute a small sacrifice? What greater interests of the country will be served by shutting down businesses, factories, schools, exports and imports? Who can avert a large-scale famine in the country if production of food falls drastically due to shortage of fertilizers, diesel and seeds and we are unable to import food because of financial constraints and indefinite blockade? Who will take responsibility for the famine and the resulting deaths?

The opposition alliance denies that their workers are involved in arson and sabotage and the government agents are causing all the mischief only to put the blame on the opposition. In that case, why do they not cooperate with the police to nab the miscreants and thus expose the ill-motives of the government?

The government claims that things are normal and the law enforcing agencies are enough to bring the situation under control. In that case, why is it taking so long to restore normalcy? If the number of miscreants is very small, as claimed by the government, why are they not caught and given exemplary punishment? Why has the government failed to provide security to the lives and properties of the people? Is it not the prime responsibility of the government?

The people are not participants in this movement. They are the victims. Without their participation, the movement is bound to die down, sooner or later, like it did last year, but it will cause irreparable damage to the country. If it continues and the government is toppled, a new election is held, the 14-party alliance does not take part in the election under any pretext, the 20-party alliance forms a new government and the 14-party alliance imposes another indefinite blockade from day one, what will be our fate? Shall we not go back to square one and face a new wave of violence? In that case, should violence be allowed to succeed?

The writer is a senior nuclear engineer.