An analysis of The Economist, a London-based English-language weekly newspaper, has read that with the BNP’s transport blockade, and violence and repression worsening, the army may sooner or later feel compelled to act.
The article published under Asia section of the magazine’s February 7 print edition, also said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia now “seems to want to bring the country to such a pass that the army will feel obliged to intervene.”
According to the analysis, however it will be loth to do so.
“It is mindful of its reputation and of lucrative UN peacekeeping duties that might be jeopardised if the West took exception to its actions,” it added.
Calling the two top leaders ““battling begums”, the article said: “Bangladesh suffers a dysfunctional two-party system in which the two leaders, wage mutual vendettas at the country’s expense.”
“The personal animus between the two top leaders of Bangladesh has fostered a winner-takes-all politics in which the futility of habitually rigged elections forces the opposition on to the streets.”
“Now the government claims to be combating acts of vandalism and terrorism by the BNP. The opposition accuses the government of trying to create a one-party state. Both sides have a point.”
“BNP leaders are mostly in jail, in exile or in hiding. This week the government temporarily cut the electricity and internet cables to Khaleda’s redoubt, presumably to put pressure on her to call off the blockade. But she seems determined to see this through to the end,” it added.
So far, more than 60 people have died and scores have been injured in different parts of the country in violence, which mostly involved arson attacks.
Of those, a Large number of arson attacks are being conducted on highways. Hundreds of vehicles, including those belonging to law-enforcers, were burnt and attacked.
The BNP led 20-party alliance has been enforcing a non-stop nationwide blockade since January 5 in protest against the “confinement” of the party chief Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia had been kept confined to her Gulshan party office since January 3 ahead of a party rally, marking “Democracy Killing Day.”
On January 12, the security was relaxed.
But Khaleda never came out; instead she said in a press conference that she was going to stay there and the blockade would continue unless the government took the first steps towards solution.
The relaxed blockade is underway across the country amid sporadic incidents of violence, arson attacks, vandalism and arrests of BNP members.