Editorial
Government's move is well-advised
But do not blame media over 'speculations'
With the military-backed interim government having decided to rescind its earlier steps regarding Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, the political atmosphere has become a lot clearer. We commend the decision of the government to step back and enable the Awami League chief, now abroad, to return home. By the same measure, we feel that its clear statement on the position of the BNP chairperson will allay much of the concern lately expressed about her future. What is obvious is that the government, by refusing to allow Sheikh Hasina back into the country and trying to compel Begum Zia into going abroad, had veered off into a direction that was patently untenable. We are heartened, though, that it eventually realized its error of judgement and did not hesitate to go for a reversal of its earlier stand. It was surely an act of courage and a demonstration of maturity.There are, however, some questions that we feel the government has raised through one of the two press notes it issued on Wednesday evening. It hinted that media reports about the status of Begum Zia had been speculative, which is another way of saying that there was no truth to the news that the former prime minister and her family were under pressure to leave the country. Our position on the issue is very clear. The reasons for speculation, if indeed there were speculations, have to do with the government itself. The meeting between Begum Zia and her elder son at an undisclosed location, the detention and release of her younger son, the visit to the central jail by Tarique Rahman's wife and mother-in-law, reports of efforts to have Saudi visas granted to the family, et al, were enough grounds for the media to believe that the administration was intent on sending the Zia family out of the country. These were open secrets for which the media cannot in any way be blamed. The media, we will assert here, were absolutely on track. Besides, by its latest reversal of action regarding the two political leaders, the government has admitted its errors. That is why this tangential attack on the media becomes difficult to understand or accept. All said and done, there is now a sense of relief that matters are back where they should be. In other words, we expect the authorities to refocus on such issues as fighting corruption and preparing the ground for holding general elections expeditiously through necessary electoral reforms. As for the political parties, the position of Sheikh Hasina and Begum Zia notwithstanding, it is necessary that they seriously look inward and undertake the internal reforms so essential for a democratization of their organizations and a concomitant strengthening of pluralist politics. We would like to strongly reiterate that the nation cannot go back to the politics of confrontation, of blame game, of mindlessly oppressing the opposition, of hartals and parliament boycott. These two leaders must acknowledge their share of responsibility for such politics.
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