BNP-AL handshake

Come to think of it, isn't Bangladesh the only country in the world where the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition do not meet, do not talk, do not share any forum together? I am sure that both the leaders watch BBC at one time or another where parliamentary debates at Westminster are covered; where the British Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition are regularly shown opposing views on issues of national and international interests but never failing to smile at each other. Then next door, we have India where Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee often conferring with the Opposition including Mrs. Sonia Gandhi when he is confronted with issues where India's future comes into focus. In England as well as in India, the views that the parties hold on major issues are often seriously divergent and conflicting. Yet they never close doors and work with each other. In Bangladesh, the views of both the parties on major issues are often only marginally different. Yet, they fight like one desires the total annihilation of the other and nothing less and this is most acute at the top.

While hoping that the meeting would lead to sustainable cooperation between the BNP and the AL, I feel pessimistic. I think that this dislike of the top two leaders of Bangladesh for each other has now gone to ridiculously extreme proportions. Just imagine that the picture shown in the papers of Mr. Mannan shaking hands with Mr. Jalil was instead one of the PM shaking hands with the Leader of the Opposition and this was for real. Then a major portion of what is keeping Bangladesh from opening the door to prosperity would have vanished giving our country a real chance for real and sustainable progress. I think the media and civil societies need to focus on this point as much as law and order, corruption etc, and bring pressure upon both the leaders to end their mutual dislike for each other for their continued hatred for each other, which is now known to all, is no longer a game that they are playing with each other. It is a cruel game they are playing with the future of 130 million plus people of Bangladesh.