Snake snaps in fear because when it sees any body around, it becomes afraid of an imminent attack and so to save itself from that assumed attack it bites. So is the case with our government. It finds everybody around as its rival, as its foe and so begins to snap like a 'venomous serpent in fear'. From a school going minor boy to a middle-aged day labourer, nobody gets spared from its halting spree. The malicious atrocity of the cops and mindless arrest of the guiltless people, to some extent, profanes the sanctity of universal humanity.

Our opposition comes to the headline with a whimsical declaration of the deadline of government's fall by April 30, 2004. In my view no trace of reason and logic prevails in such kind of decision. It sounds quite ridiculous. This kind of announcement breeds nothing but some tension and confrontation in national life. And the frenzied attitude of government is a direct sequel to this kind of provocation. Who suffer as a result? Only the opposition workers? No, the entire nation. Politics is a game of sagacity; one has to be politically discreet to fight back his/her opponent in this game. Emotions, imaginations do not belong to it.

Awami League scheme to hem in 'Hawa Bhaban' on the 21st of this month and BNP also chalked out a counter programme to siege 'Shudha Sadan' around the same time. But surprisingly enough BNP postponing that siege took up an administrative stand to foil opposition's programme. What makes them do so? The most palpable cause of this step is that if they made blockade around 'Shudha Sadan', whom would they get arrested that time? The party men? That may be a rare scene in our present political scenario.

On the eve of opposition's 'No Confidence' movement the government has resorted to hyperbolic measure to fill in the cells with prisoners. The different police stations in Dhaka are spilling with detainees. By April 30 Dhaka may be turned in to a desolate city. You get out of bus, you will be put behind the bars; you embark on the railway platform, you will be ushered in to police van.... What an unprecedented example of mass treatment by our democratically and fairly elected government! News reporting of a satellite channel airs a pungent bargain between the opposition lawmakers and the cops over a female demonstrator who is seen to be snatched and dragged by the police. Now may I dare put a question to our government that will all these oppressive acts turn the 'No Confidence' in to 'Confidence'?

Politics should be employed for human welfare and human welfare signifies the mass of progress of a country. But unfortunately we have never been able to realise this fact ever since we got our independence. How long does it take for our politicians to be conscious of the real significance of politics? Or are they pretending to be ignorant for their personal gain? I don't suggest them to be super human but I do implore them to be human at least. We have had enough of the mud-slinging game of both government and opposition. No more this fruitless wrangle. It is time for all of us to wake up from our pretentious slumber to shed off all the so-called political grudges with a view to constructing an ideal Bangladesh we always dream of.

Tahseen Alam Choudhury is Lecturer, Dept of English, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet.