KHALEDA Zia's bail and the opening of the BNP's central office in Nayapaltan by law enforcers have brought in a sense of relief for the people of this country. This, along with the BNP's participation in the city polls indicate a possible way out of the painful political stalemate we, the people, have been kept hostage to.

Khaleda Zia has hopefully realised that her political strategy has failed to garner support of the people. In fact, there can be no excuse for the suffering her continuous blockade has caused. The heinous petrol bombings that have killed over a hundred people and maimed innumerable others has been a reprehensible method of continuing her movement.  Khaleda Zia's denial, moreover, of her party and its alliance being involved in this violence is hardly credible.

The ruling party, meanwhile, has demonstrated a very oppressive, intolerant side in the way they have denied their political rivals a democratic space, leaving them with little or no options. 

We hope that the sanity that the recent political developments have demonstrated will continue to be adhered to by both sides. The government must concede to giving a legitimate space to its political opponents and in turn, the BNP must stop its pernicious blockade-hartal movement that only serves to irrevocably hurt the people and the economy.

In this refreshing climate of relief the Jamaat-e-Islami's call for a 48-hour hartal to protest the SC's rejection of Kamruzzaman's review plea appears more like a ritual and is completely unwarranted and condemnable. 

We urge our political parties to move forward in the positive direction and not regress to the unwholesome political gridlock we have been experiencing since January. However, much will depend on the AL and its government ensuring genuinely free and fair mayoral polls.