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Image of political activists

3 February 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Shukla Mirza, Doha, Qatar
3 February 2005, 18:00 PM
. PHOTO: AFP
With a heavy heart I turned on Channel-I news to get some details of the horrendous grenade attack that killed our former finance minister SAMS Kibria. Irrespective of political affiliation, we, all Bangladeshis, are appalled by this brutal assassination and no word can justly portray our disgust for the perpetrators of this heinous crime. But I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw on television that a handful of women activists of some political parties, that called a general strike, were running after a moving vehicle and kicking it so hard that some parts of the vehicle broke off! One of them was even shouting "agun laga, jalaye dey" (set fire! burn it!). The scared driver stopped. Then those women chased a passenger of the vehicle and as soon as they caught him, they started hitting and kicking him ruthlessly.

Is this the way dignified women behave?

The political activists should be careful about their public image, otherwise general public will feel repulsed by their activities, and it will be more difficult for common people to hold politicians in high esteem. Our political leaders should give instructions to recruit as their party members only men/women who have self-respect, not the belligerent ones.

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Moreover, I do not know anyone who doesn't feel disgusted and think that our national wealth is being wasted whenever they see a bus or shop is burning. Destructive activities can make a political party unpopular. Therefore the political leaders should rein in their hoodlums during hartals, because peaceful demonstrations (e.g. the recent human-chain) are more effective.