Leave aside, the usual hyperbolic clamours for toppling the government which is running out of its tenure anyway, with the election a year or so away, a certain sense of patient realism is discernable in the opposition's announcement of demands, which operatively, as far as the election goes, are about reform of the caretaker government system and that of the Election Commission. Some of the other components of the minimum national programme are the oft-repeated concerns of the civil society such as effective investigation into the bombings, punishment of the perpetrators, religious extremism-induced terrorism, effective working of the Anti-corruption Commission, separation of the judiciary from the executive, sky-rocketing prices etc. can be satisfactorily addressed in the next two months.

This being a catalogue of demands from the broad opposition delivered in a perfectly democratic manner cannot be treated with anything but seriousness if the government is at all interested in a political solution of the present crisis.

We believe there is flexibility in the opposition's programmes which provides a window of opportunity to defuse the crisis and move towards a more constructive political environment.

Either the government succumbs to ego-play sticking to the guns to self-peril or engages the opposition in a productive and mutually accommodative political dialogue paving the way for the general election. Rather than making perfunctory telephone calls to hand-picked opposition leaders or inviting the opposition through the media, BNP should launch a multi-pronged informal communication followed by formal approach to AL. Sooner the informal and inter-personnel channels are activated greater will be the chances for the dialogue to be held. And, to ensure that it happens, neither side should put any precondition to the very holding of talks.