In spite of the given import and aura of the memorial events, these not only turned atavistic in pitting Bangabandhu's image against Ziaur Rahman's and vice versa, as if one excelled over the other, but the speeches delivered by two top leaders from their respective podiums were marked by a high voltage trading of vitriol. The exchange of invectives has been pegged to the political murders galore of which the most nerve-wracking one centred around the ghoulish gunning down of Manzurul Imam, a widely reputed Khulna Awami League leader.

Prime Minister Begum Zia harangued 'a party' saying it killed its own people to create lawlessness and unrest in the country. Referring to a 'deep-rooted conspiracy of a political party against the country, a particular party that resorted to violence', she asked the people in the massive rally to politically face the 'liars and conspirators'. Not long ago, at her speech in the Political Science Association meet she had given a call for consensus-building. As the prime minister of the country, she was expected to hold on to the positive approach without giving into knee-jerk reactive politics to the vagaries of any fluctuating temper in opposition politics. Her dooms-day predilection to opposition politics being 'destructive', a reminder of the same AL disposition in power towards the then opposition BNP, can only spread the chasm between the two major political parties as the nation reels in unabated social insecurity and economic uncertainty.

As time rolls on, a feeling takes hold that the PM can't rise above the party to be the prime minister for the whole country. What signal the police or the investigating agencies involved in ferreting out the culprits of the murder of Manzurul Imam and that of others are getting from the blanket accusation against the opposition? Police may have already been thrown off-gear or are treating the matter as a closed chapter or are going through the motions of investigation just for the heck of it.

Earlier, Hasina reportedly in a sweeping diatribe said that the prime minister herself was behind the Khulna killing of AL district leader Imam. In a blanket fashion she even referred to what she called an alliance government's plan to kill 10,000 AL leaders 'having already done to death 24,000 since October 1, 2001' when she lost power.

Now is the time to topple the government, says the Awami League. And the BNP's diatribe is: watch out the opposition for its conspiratorial role.

The two leaders' unsubstantiated, incredible and sweeping observations against each other solely triggered by the political murders syndrome has been disquieting beyond measure because a single obsession is shaking the entire polity to its very foundations. The intensity of political confrontation has scaled new heights of absurdity.

We are greatly distressed by the fact that when we juxtapose their vitriol against the deterioration in law and order or exacerbation of political confrontation, we come to the conclusion that one thing is leading to the other, as if in a bowling synchronisation effect. Need we recall that six chamber bodies recently voiced their grave concern over having their backs to the wall due to growing insecurity of life, property and business concerns. The resident chief of World Bank has added his voice to the cause saying that abduction of businessmen is likely to tell upon the investment prospects of the country.

Pray, when will our leadership learn that the type of politics they have given us can only lead them, and the whole country, to self-attrition. The voters expect much better than that from their leaders.