What do leaders want to display to foreign guests?

The government didn't allow BNP to hold a rally on 10 December last year in front of its party office citing reasons that the rally cannot be held blocking roads resulting in sufferings of the people. The rally was not even allowed despite holding a series of meetings. The rally was at last permitted at Golapbagh ground near Kamalapur railway station. Although democratic norms could not be maintained, the obstinate behaviour of the government could be established.

However, the government has allowed the BNP to hold a rally at Naya Paltan on Wednesday. On the same day, BNP and 36 like-minded parties held rallies at different spots in the capital. Not only that, the ruling Awami League has held a peace rally at the south gate of Baitul Mokarram National Mosque.

BNP set the date of the rally on 10 December, Saturday. It was the weekend. People had to suffer less. However, the government and the opposition are holding rallies on the streets during the office period.

People had questions, what will happen in Dhaka and outside on 12 July? If all political parties hold rallies in the traffic-congested city, the traffic system in the city would collapse. Our politics is to make all streets of the people dysfunctional, not for making it functional.

Disrupting public life, the government and the opposition are declaring their programmes, targeting the election and protecting the voting rights of the people. Both the camps want to show that they have huge public support. What are they doing for this? They have held rallies disrupting public life in Dhaka. We saw such rallies during the regime of Ershad.

At the time, Awami League-BNP said they wanted voting rights. During the BNP regime, Awami League said they wanted voting rights. Now BNP and their associates are raising the same voice during the regime of Awami League.

So how far Bangladesh has advanced? The establishment of democracy and voting rights for which so many people have laid down their lives fell through. Why can't they solve the matter of voting through discussions? Why did they need to organise counter rallies? Ballot box is the right place to prove who is popular, not the street.

If our political parties were trustworthy to the people, they would be able to arrange a fair election. Actually they give priority to show strength on the street rather than voting rights of the people.

The opposition has a one-point demand. The government has to resign before the election. The government wants to arrange elections while in power. If the opposition obstructs, the government would give a befitting reply and in the way they are not taking care that the democracy has been destroyed. The opposition parties are saying they are holding rallies being helpless. But what is the reason from the government to organise a rally on the same day. The ruling party could organise the rally another day. Their only reason is to show strength to 'foreign guests'.

The rally was held on Wednesday afternoon, but reports that arrived before noon reminded us about the10 December of last year. Police are searching BNP leaders and activists setting up check-posts on the entry points of the capital. They are also looking for BNP even on mobile phones. As the movement of vehicles is being barred in many places, party leaders and activists are entering Dhaka on foot. Ten people were reportedly detained in Narayanganj. Yet, police are not intercepting the arrival of the ruling party’s leaders and activists. They are not being searched either. What do the rulers want to show the foreigners through this?

Let the ruling and the opposition parties display their power as much as they can, but that cannot happen by holding the city dwellers hostage. This does not happen in any democratic country. If the problem exists in elections, human rights and democracy, it should be resolved through discussion. Foreign friends have long been giving this message too. Even though many foreign organisations sent representatives to assist in the discussion, that did not work. Nobody was willing to make any concession for others.  Awami League made no concession for the BNP in the past and now BNP has taken such a stance.

What is the solution then? The problem is not about elections only; the problem is about democracy. The problem is obstinacy. The problem is about not having a mindset to hear another party.  Such many movements for democracy, such a number of hartal (general strikes) and blockades were imposed, and such a number of people lost their lives, yet why was democracy not established? Why does crisis intensify when the election approaches?  People fear whether the right to vote will be established through ‘fictitious cases’ again.

Tension prevails among leaders and activists of both parties centring the rallies.  There is competition between both parties on how many people they can bring to their rallies. I have talked to people from various classes and professions for the past several cases and they are very worried about the rally of both parties. They are worried about the price of chillies. They worry whether they can return home safely with their children on the day of the rally or whether there will be any clashes in the capital.

We expect no clash will happen. At least, they will not lock into clashes to prove themselves democratic to the foreign guests.  People want rallies to be held peacefully, but more than that they want a fair and peaceful election.

*Sohrab Hassan is a joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet. He can be reached at sohrab.hassan@prothomalo.com