Trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea

While people all over the country are worried about these bomb blasts and the prevailing debilitating affairs facing the country, all Awami League could think of is to stick to its single coveted agenda of "removal of the present regime," as though by some magic all the problems of terrorism in the country will disappear by achieving that single objective.

If Awami League is the lone patriotic party in the country, then why to date it has not provided the nation with a single concrete alternative proposal in any of the major crises facing the country? Yes, it has held a number of seminars and workshops mostly aimed at vilifying the government and finding ways and means of toppling it.

Awami League says it cannot "sit down with a Prime Minister whose hands are stained with bloods and who has killed thousands of leaders and workers." I understand the anger and am also able to reciprocate the sentiment, but I must admit that even then it cannot be bigger than the crisis facing the nation today.

On the other hand, as I have said on many previous occasions, and through the columns of this prestigious daily, there can be no justification for any one rightly or wrongly demanding the resignation and actively working towards that goal, particularly against a democratically elected government.

While rejecting the offer for dialogue, Awami Secretary General says that the offer is an "eyewash and simply aimed at diverting peoples attention." The venerable Secretary General of Awami League must also realize that no matter what, BNP is, and will perhaps continue to be, the second largest political party of consequence for a foreseeable feature, and hence any effort to totally sideline and ignore it is certainly not a very wise move. The way things are developing even if Awami League is on the seat of power it simply cannot be effective enough in running the affairs of the government without the active involvement of BNP.

Forgive me if I am too unduly aggressive in my deliberations, but let me say this, that I too have suffered the loss of a brother in 1971 in no less a person than Shaheed Munier Chowdhury. Today I am somewhat confused when the "think tanks" of present day Awami League are mad at Jamaat-e-Islami, the main coalition partner of the current regime led by BNP.

Jamaat existed even when Awami rulers ran the country. Awami rulers knew then as much as they do today about its role in our War of Liberation. Why no stern action was taken against the party then? The truth of it all is that Awami League at that time needed Jamaat in order for it to stay in power but now the political dimensions have changed.

I am yet to see a single instance where Awami League, as the only claimant of spearheading our struggle for liberation, has brought to trial any of the individuals involved in war crimes. Many amongst the Awami sympathizers would answer to my question by just saying that it could not be done for multiple of reasons, be that as it may, I strongly believe that at least one such trial could have taken place.

Frankly, as I see it, both Awami League and the ruling coalition led by BNP are working against the interests of the people at large. Both the parties, if anything, continue to serve the interests of their parties and their families. The leadership of both the parties is totally devoid of any real pragmatism or vision.

If BNP has murdered the secular values of the society and its administration is threatening the very security of the country, Awami League is yet to show any real wisdom in tackling the growing menace either. All its efforts are directed to the single agenda of removing this government, no matter what. The truth of it all is that, amidst all this, we the people, as the famous saying goes, are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.