Jamaat must not unilaterally hold the public to ransom. Demonstrations should be purely voluntary
Nobody gains from Jamaat-e-Islami’s stubbornness in extending its 72 hour hartal call by a further day on Thursday in protest of the verdict and sentences passed by the International War Crimes Tribunal.
If the party wishes to protest the ICT rulings, it needs to appeal cases under the law. It must not unilaterally hold the public to ransom.
We fail to see how Jamaat’s actions in calling and prolonging this costly hartal can help it win over new supporters. Costly disruption is being unnecessarily caused to the economy, and exams for 2 million children sitting for JSC and JDC may have to be delayed.
The public has endured many costly hartals over the last year. It is clear that the vast majority of people in the country do not want to see more hartals.
While there has been relatively little violence during recent hartals compared to the mayhem seen a year ago, there continue to be many reports of cars being vandalised.
The spectre of violence and intimidation associated with hartals is still enough to keep many shops closed and private vehicles off the road, with all the consequent damage this does to daily life and the economy.
People should be able to go about their ordinary lives during hartals without fear of intimidation and violence. There is never any justification for political violence and vandalism.
If Jammat wishes to hold demonstrations and ask people to stay off work, it must make clear that this is purely voluntary. It must make clear it will eschew violence and support authorities in ensuring businesses and schools stay open when they want to.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
