The blockade had stopped people's movement as the cities and towns remained cut off from each other and there was nobody to care for the critically ill who had to be shifted to hospitals. People also found it difficult to commute from one place to another as vehicles remained off the streets. School students were also badly affected by the blockade.

The ordeal that people were made to undergo was too great to be overlooked by the political parties. It is not enough to regret the inconveniences that the blockade had created for the public. What is needed is a sympathetic understanding of their problems by all the parties concerned and an immediate resolution of the political impasse.

It is true that the parties have genuine grievances, but then it is also true that they can settle their disputes through showing a little more spirit of accommodation and making some concessions. People can only bemoan the fact that the political parties are refusing to cede any ground to their rivals.

The business leaders had expressed their great disappointment at the total shutdown, which already dealt a fatal blow to trade and commerce. And President/Chief Advisor Iajuddin Ahmed had assured them of an early end to the crisis. Obviously, now that the blockade has been conditionally lifted, nothing is more important at the moment than a quick return to normalcy, and nobody is better placed to address the issue than the president himself.

But in the 18 days since the caretaker government took office it has not succeeded in doing much beyond holding talks with the leaders of the two alliances, the results of which have not been particularly encouraging so far. Regrettably, the two alliances still appear to be poles apart as far as any agreement on the core issues are concerned.

We appeal to the 14-party alliance leadership to think of programmes other than blockade to press home their demands. The adjustment of strategies should be done in the light of the public interest that they always talk about so vociferously.