Enkindle the lamp of hope

Strangely enough, the distressing scenario we have traveled through above provides us yet another amazing coincidental episode. This pertains to the uncer-emonious 'exist' of the commerce minister Mr Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. Notwithstanding his purposeful silence over the whole issue, it can be easier for anyone to smell something 'fishy' in such a 'sudden' deal. One might even wonder if Mr Chowdhury could be a 'scape goat' of a viciously obtrusive situation created by some of his colleagues in the cabinet and other party members.

The penultimate stage prior to his departure, if objectively analysed could provide ample testimony that the entire onus of responsibility of the unprecedented price-hike was put on his shoulders. Over the past couple of months, precisely for the first time the escalating trend in the prices of essential commodities was noticed, everyone in the ministry including the ex-commerce minister, took it for a temporary phenomenon. There was, however, no comprehensive plan to effectively arrest the price escalation. This gave the big traders opportunities to hoard and to keep on manipulating prices wishfully. As usual their material interest was in the upper hand where the miseries of the majority of the population continued to be of no consequence. At such a stage, the commerce minister was even bracketed with those greedy traders by his political opponents alluding to his own business interest.

When things continued from being bad to worse the government machinery started to make efforts at controlling the situation. The inter-ministerial committee sat a number of times with the representatives of the businessmen, trade and commerce bodies and others. A number of decisions were taken which included display of price list at the market places. The decisions even extended to slashing down of import duty on some of the items.

Unbridled hikes in prices and government's futile efforts to contain ending up in failure, gave the opposition Awami League and others a most potential front to capitalise upon in the current movement against the government. Even the younger section of parliament members belonging to the party in power expressed their bitter resentment on the issue and said to have been very vocal and unsparing in their criticism against some 'businessmen-ministers' in the parliamentary committee meeting recently. It was then anyone's guess that someone would be soon 'sized up', This group of youngmen even demanded the immediate trimming down the size of the cabinet to a paltry 30 and also to ensure that the reshuffled cabinet didn't include any businessman.

On the aspect of terrorism, yet another bone of contention for the opposition, the government party members were reported to have been equally critical. They did literally echo the public sentiments, more specifically of the opposition political parties, when they demanded in unequivocal terms removal of the Home Minister. Fortunately, the retired Air Marshal could, for now, save his face. His fate, as of now, fits in quite spectacularly to the perceptual saying: "from frying pan to fire". Some observers think that it could be a very subtle but palpable 'trap' for the gentleman to leave voluntarily before he is discredited as the new Commerce Minister. Let us see how he plays the game and applies his wisdom in determining his next course.

In the face of April 30 ultimatum from Awami League and others in the opposition, Begum Zia and her party are reported to have been working on some yet to be known 'cohesive' plan to meet the challenge 'politically'. It is not however, conceivable how the damage already done to herself and to the party itself by internal cliques would be repaired. In fact, the process of division, if not disintegration, had surreptitiously stole in when Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury was forced to step down from the office of President of the Republic.

The President's son and MP Mahi B Chowdhury, being a naturally outspoken personality, was the invariable next target of the self same mischief mongers. His first offence (seen politically, not socially) was his unusual role-playing of a host to the Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina during her visit to his Munshiganj constituency. It was reported that Mahi B Chowdhury had erected a number of arches on the roads the leader of the opposition passed through, welcoming her to his place. In his opinion , this was not a political gimmick rather, a purely social gesture to a guest of honour. But his leaders and the extremist could not digest the bitter pill.

These are the trifles down to which the flares of disaffection could be traced out. Sooner the relationship between these two entities severed. From here, the Third Force programme of Dr B Chowdhury formally emanated evincing instant interest among the intellectuals, the civil society and the members of different sections of the people. His programme for soliciting the response of the civil society was ruthlessly obstructed by the hoodlums and the police allegedly at the instance of the high-up in the government. The whole nation had the misfortune of watching the 75-year old ex-President being chased by some musclemen. Similar deterrent action in respect of Awami League meetings and rallies have been enough to accentuate public feeling against the government. Such provocative and ill-advised acts on the part of the government is even creating resentment among the party ranks.

When we talk about inter party rift we are at once reminded of the age-old tradition of such clash of personality and interest within the same party since the termination of British rule in the sub-continent. In our case too the old tradition holds on among the members belonging to the same political party. This is equally true for the parties in position and opposition. And we are used to attach more importance to such incidence occurring within the party in power. For example, we can allude to the latest instance of the bitter personal clash between three members of the cabinet on the issue of the 3rd Karnaphuli Bridge. The process of its construction was to commence immediately but in the last moment it was deferred allegedly due to the clash of interest of the aforestated three ministers. It might take another two and a half years to accomplish the project. And God knows if the present government can do it within its tenure.

These are only a few examples so far known which are enough to conclude the actual status of order in the house. The uncertainties looming large over the power centre have been unfortunately their own creation. It is only natural that fighting the adversaries in the opposition and containing inter-party feud at the same time would turn out to be very difficult. It is here that one has to be totally free from impulsive acts and to refix strategies for meeting the impending crisis. Though already too late for a respectable rapprochement with the major opposition party, any sensible attempt on the part of the government shall be a welcome augury. Let the leader pluck the courage. By such display of courage and farsightedness her unfortunate lapses could perhaps be forgotten by the people if duly and logically explained. In that case, it would be of little use to hold her political adversaries responsible for her failure. This can even be a moral and strategic victory because the nation will avert a bigger crisis otherwise.

Kazi Alauddin Ahmed is an industrial consultant.