Mad politics

POLITICS seems to have gone mad! It has ruthlessly been harming future nation-builders by shattering their academic life alongside killing innocent people and destroying the country's economic backbone. 

Yet, both the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP seem to have remained nonchalant even after 30 days of non-stop blockade. They have kept on taking excessive measures to counter each other by setting more bizarre precedents. Those precedents, as noted by political analysts, have been worsening further the confrontational culture in politics and making it difficult to improve the culture in future.

If we look at the recent political developments carefully we can surely say that nothing has happened suddenly. The situation has gradually deteriorated over the months because of the whimsical and aggressive attitude of both sides towards each other. The way they have been playing their cards has prompted many to presume that the top politicians have not been able to see that what is a prestige game to them is a question of life and death for people.

Our children, the future generation, have been made victims of their battle. The first day of the New Year was supposed to be a joyful day for the children because of the smell of new textbooks they get. But on the day they received the new books they had to feel the brunt of the confrontational politics as the Jamaat-e-Islami, a component of BNP-led alliance, enforced a countrywide hartal on the day.

As things got worse, they were able to attend schools for only two or three days in January. Authorities of many schools were forced to keep the schools closed in the face of increasing street violence. Anxious guardians could not dare to take the risk of sending children to schools in such a situation.

The violent politics effectively confined our children to their homes, denying them their rights to free movement and to education. Alongside the school kids, students of high schools, colleges and universities have been facing the same problem. Their academic calendars have already been messed up.

Around 15 lakh students sitting for SSC and equivalent exams have also been made victims. Calling of frequent hartals by the BNP-led alliance in addition to the ongoing blockade has forced the education ministry to defer the scheduled examinations. But the deferment could not remove the growing anxiety of students and guardians as there is no guarantee that students will be able to sit for examinations on time. They are concerned as there is no visible sign of a solution to the ongoing political impasse.

With the deadlock continuing to wreak havoc, some simple questions arise in people's minds. Aren't the students our future anymore? If so, won't we take their responsibility? What examples are we setting for our children? Are we preparing them properly to lead us in future?

The country's economy has been bleeding due to the nonstop blockade that began from January 6. All the sectors, including garment, apparel, agriculture, real estate and wholesale and retail markets, are suffering because of the blockade and hartals. 

According to Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, businesses are losing over Tk. 2,277 crore every day due to the political unrest, with the garment sector receiving the hardest blow. This means the economy has already lost at least Tk.84, 249 crore in the last 37 days due to political unrest. 

The unrest has been a big blow to those who live from hand-to-mouth. They have been struggling to earn their daily bread. They have no alternative but to come out of their homes for work, putting their lives at risk. More than 70 people were killed; most of them were innocent with no link to the politics.    

Yet, nobody knows when and how all this will come to an end. 

The government still remains rigid to bring an end to the political crisis through administrative measures, instead of political ones. The BNP-led alliance on the other side appears hell-bent on achieving its goal of forcing the government to call for an early parliamentary election under a non-partisan administration. 

Their fight is for nothing but power. One side wants to retain it and the other wants to return to power. 

Who is holding the lead in the battle -- AL or BNP? To answer the question, one needs to analyse the steps the two sides have already taken. Whatever the answer is, it will be questioned. But it is crystal clear and beyond any question that the people have lost and have been victimised all along. Who will compensate for the damage to our children, students, economy and the people in general?

The writer is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.