Bangladesh – people care little which power’s in power

Shamsul Hoque Basunia reporting on the sentiment from the street of Bangladesh. February 11, 2015

In Bangladesh, people care little about which party is in power. They want peace and security.

Every day people want to know when they will get relief. For the Bangladeshi people, talks can solve the political stalemate. The most sufferers opined in Dhaka that discussions will bring solution to the political crisis in a short time.

The violence goes on each and everyday across our Bay of Bengal country. People of all strata prefer talks. They spoke for dialogue shunning preconditions.

Contacted for his reaction, Kazi Zafarullah, an AL [Awami League] presidium member, said grassroots leaders echoed the views of the party central leaders. But dialogue is just one way of resolving the crisis, but not a mandatory means, he added.

Most local leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who are finding it difficult to continue the agitation opined they are on the run to avoid arrest.“The party high-ups have instructed us to carry on the movement till our demand is met. But the reality is different at the grassroots. They [high command] are not aware of the hurdles we are facing,” said Nazrul Islam Manju, president of Khulna city BNP.

Newsmen interviewed 30 grassroots leaders of the ruling party, and most of them are in favour of talks. Some, however, support the rigid stance of the party and government high-ups while several others declined to comment.

“Administrative measures alone cannot stop the ongoing violence. Political initiatives are also needed to break the deadlock,” said Afzalul Karim, general secretary of Barisal city AL. He said police were using authorised weapons to contain violence, but miscreants were using illegal arms to destablise the country.

Mainuddin Mondal, president of Chapainawabganj district AL, supports Karim’s view on curbing violence. “The way criminals are carrying out ambush, the administration may not be able to stop it. If dialogue could bring peace, that would be good,” he added. Abdur Rahman, president of Feni district AL, also favours a fruitful discussion while Matiur Rahman, acting president of Sunamganj district AL, highlighted people’s sufferings due to the impasse.