Dialogue: Scepticism is rife over real progress

Faruque Ahmed

The prospect of the occasionally spoken of dialogue appears to have become bleak even before the UN assistant secretary general for political affairs Mr. Oscar Fernández-Taranco reached the headquarters in New York. He arrived in Dhaka on May 10 to encourage the government and the major opposition BNP to sit for a dialogue to agree to an election-time government modality in the wake of the scrapping of the caretaker government system by the ruling party from the constitution.
The move is aimed at holding the next Parliamentary election under the present government with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as its head. Its message is clear to the opposition which is now building up agitation throughout the country to restore the caretaker government to hold the next election.
The crisis is only deepening as the government remained totally opposed to the caretaker concept in one hand and using repressive police force to tackle opposition workers in the streets on the other. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sent a team last week in the capital with Mr Taranco leading it to foster political dialogue. But most people now tend to believe that the UN move may have been just an eyewash, because the team has failed to leave behind any sustainable move that may pave the way for a solution.
The visit of the UN team has been praised by many for its so-called success to secure agreement from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia to sit for a dialogue. As a matter of fact, Begum Zia and her party leaders have been pressing since long for a dialogue to sort out the poll-time government issue; there is nothing new in it. It is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her coalition partners who remained totally opposed to the idea of a dialogue on an interim administration.
Mentionably, the Prime Minister made a proposal for dialogue, just a few days before the Hefajat’s Dhaka siege programme on May 5, saying anywhere anytime it may take place. Analysts believe it was essentially addressed to break the political tension arising out of the siege programme of the Hefajat by diverting public attention to the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Hefajat men were brutally crushed and the Prime Minister instantly retracted from the offer. But no sooner had it happened, the UN envoy arrived in the city to press forward the chance for a dialogue. The global body is trying to promote the talks to save innocent people from bloody political confrontations and protect the future of democracy in Bangladesh. But the ruling party’s motives are different. It wants to hold pre-planned polls under it so that it can easily return to power and form government again.
However, as the UN wants a dialogue, analysts say the Prime Minister has also reiterated her earlier offer of dialogue in presence of Taranco to give him the impression that the government is sincere to the dialogue issue. Taranco even left behind some ‘language’ which the letter of the dialogue from the government to opposition leader should contain, and the government leaders agreed.
But as soon as he left the capital, the government leaders through their public statements and also by the body language made it clear that their priority lies not in making peace but to coerce the opposition to compromise.
The Minister for Forest and Environment Dr Hasan Mahmud said last week referring to the dialogue initiative that the government is ready to sit with the opposition but let there be no misunderstanding that the next “poll-time government will be headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina”.
The letter from the government is yet to reach the opposition leader when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina further made the matter clear saying she is ready to talk to the opposition but she has no way to break the Parliamentary system. She said, the caretaker system of government is not provided by the constitution, it may rather lead to a disastrous situation. Thus it again proves that the government has played double standard.
The envoy has left, so also his initiative appears to have faded away. BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in her talks with the UN envoy has underscored the need for creating an environment of dialogue. Her party demanded immediate release of the party leaders and workers from jail who are held in custody on framed up charges. Begum Zia also made it clear that the opposition wants a neutral poll-time government by whatever name it may be called. She created the room for compromise by abandoning the reference to restoration of the caretaker government.
But with the comments from the Prime Minister that she will go by the constitution and utterances of other cabinet ministers that the Prime Minister’s presence in the election-time government is a must, the chance for a dialogue has virtually collapsed. Yet the people are waiting to see what offer the government is going to make in the proposed letter to the opposition leaders for the dialogue.
Meanwhile, the government appears to have taken a hard line with BNP, Jamaat and other opposition parties. The war crime tribunal is producing death sentences to Jamaat leaders now facing trial. BNP has been denied permission twice this week to hold a rally in front of the party’s central office in the city. Another party leader was arrested last week from in front of the party office.
Meanwhile, Hefajat leaders are on the run with unknown number of their workers killed at a mid-night operation in the city’s Shapla Chattar. Analysts believe, these steps are not suggestive of a positive political development to promote dialogue. It may rather irritate the opposition to go for political agitation like hartal and siege.
Analysts tend to believe that the government is using the offer for dialogue as an eyewash. In fact it wants to destroy all scope for dialogue and befool the people to hold an election of its choice – no matter if the main opposition boycotts the election.
The last election in Bangladesh was preceded by bloody clashed in October 2006 ending in taking over of a military-backed civilian government. This time the bloody battles for power may further worsen across the country. Analysts understand that the UN has an obligation to come up to save the nation from further bloodshed and doom. Any casual approach by the UN will leave the nation vulnerable to violent clashes, bloodshed and devastation. People want a meaningful engagement and are watching the development in the ground with extreme uncertainty and fear.
Source: Weekly Holiday