The country’s politics has taken a deadly turn again after the unwanted incidents that took place centering BNP’s grand rally in Dhaka on 28 October. Such a situation was not expected in the lead up to the twelfth parliamentary election. Stray incidents of violence also took place during the hartal BNP called yesterday.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other leaders-activists were arrested. This circumstance has created an apprehension among the people that the country might plunge into protracted violence if the political stalemate persists.
The country's economy is in a fragile state due to the dollar crisis, dwindling foreign reserves and high inflation. How much can the economy take the shock of a violent political situation in these turbulent times is the biggest question of the country’s business people, economists and bankers.
The economy could not bounce back due to the Russia-Ukraine war following the Covid shock. The economic crisis would further deepen if political conflict, violence, hartal and blockade continue. The common people would bear the brunt mostly if such a situation arises. The politicians must come to this understanding that political stability is the prerequisite to economic development.
Two persons including a cop were killed in the violence on Saturday. Several others including police members, journalists, BNP members and pedestrians were injured. Vehicles including ambulances and buses were torched. Arson attacks continued in different parts of the country on Sunday too.
Sporadic incidents of clash between police and hartal-supporters took place in different places and a man was killed in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur during hartal.
The people who were involved with the killing of policemen must be identified and brought to book. But it should not be weaponised to repress the opposition politicians.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was arrested from his Gulshan house. The law enforcers also raided houses of BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, joint secretary general Syed Moazzel Hossain Alal and international affairs committee member Ishraque Hossain.
The leaders-activists of the party were arrested from other parts of the country too. Such en masse arrest of top leadership would only roil the situation and weaken any chance of political compromise. There is no alternative to resolving a political crisis with political means.
The history of political violence is long in Bangladesh. In recent memory, incidents of violence took place before elections in 2006 and 2013-14. Those incidents could not do any good to our politics other than multiplying the crisis.
The government has to remember that this crisis emerged as two consecutive elections were not free and fair. A free and fair election is required for the sake of continuation of Bangladesh’s development. Also, there is a pressure from the development partners regarding holding a free and fair election.
The violence centering BNP rally has created a new uncertainty with the national election only two months away.
Dialogue is the only acceptable way to resolve the political impasse, not the violence, hartal or en masse arrest.