BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia met with President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday, following her request to initiate a dialogue in order to resolve the current impasse regarding the election-time caretaker government.
The president told the BNP that all efforts to end the political deadlock must be taken within the parameters of the constitution. Legal experts say, even though the president has little constitutional power, he could play a crucial role in the matter in an advisory capacity.
Khaleda’s interest in dialogue, and in seeking the president’s counsel, was a step in the right direction as it shows a move away from the violent politics of the street that characterised the series of hartals seen in the previous months.
It is then, dismaying to see the BNP announce plans for tougher agitation if its requests to the president do not pan out as hoped. The BNP undermines its own stance by calling for more shutdowns and blockades, after having given the nation a clear sign that discussions would take place in a more peaceful manner.
If the president’s advice is not at all respected, why initiate dialogue in the first place? Conversely, once the president has been given a chance to work towards a peaceful resolution, why make more threats? We hope that the BNP stays on course, and does not once again launch into a destructive campaign of hartals, for which our country pays a steep price.
