The issue came to the fore when the government, on April 18, slapped an embargo on Sheikh Hasina's return to the country from her private trip to the US, while there was already an undeclared but widely reported restriction on Khaleda Zia's movement amid rumor of her being sent to exile. The mystery thickened as the government kept total silence on the matter, breeding wild speculations.

The government steps weren't, however, favourably viewed, either by the people at large or by overseas observers. This disfavour was obvious in the sullen mood of the public squeezed between continuing price hike and high inflation.

The government drew flak from the US and Britain, both of which showed concern over the situation obtaining in Bangladesh. The outside world was curiously watching the developments. An eerie calm prevailed in our civil society, at least initially.

In the view of the ordinary folk, baffled by the high drama of higher politics, it wasn't time for the power game inherent in it. Instead, the priority could have been to address the hard issues of everyday life -- further hit by the recent increase in fuel price, which adversely affects the whole spectrum of life.

When the chance of increase in the prices of utility services hangs like the Sword of Damocles over their heads, the people are indeed uncertain whether the gambit was essential at this stage. Moreover, the policy of exiling top leaders of two major political parties smacks too much of Pakistan's martial politics, which the Pakistanis themselves are desperately trying to get rid of.

In the meantime, look at the strange behaviour of the politicians! A voluble Sheikh Hasina is still obsessed with her poetic hyperbole, which is both annoying to others and damaging for herself. While it could be in the interest of the AL supreme who had just been spared an ordeal, to watch her words, she remains prone to landing herself in fresh controversy.

On the other hand, a beleaguered Khaleda Zia, who headed the country's most corrupt government till recently, seems to have garnered some public sympathy with her sheer composure and measured reticence.

The kudos is, however, due to the caretaker government for its prompt identification of emerging public mood and timely decision to reverse its earlier stance, although few know as yet whether or not the strategy of isolating the top leaders from politics is abandoned altogether, or it is merely a change of course. It is, however, hoped that the present government -- a meritocracy with a mission -- does understand that they deal with a people historically imbued with democratic impulse.

Democracy has, through the ages, created its own chemistry, dynamics and equation, which die hard even in the worst of adversities. It may, at times be noisy and messy, but does not suffer decline on those counts. But an attempt to over-regulate will surely choke it to death.

It is to the credit of the caretaker government that it is in the process of driving the dishonest and corrupt politicians out of the ring through a vigorous drive against criminalisation of politics as well as macro- corruption like extortion, land grabbing and monopoly by force of the country's trade, commerce and business.

To supplement this effort, politicians themselves will have to come forward to reform their respective political parties. There seems to be a unanimity of views of both the major political parties in this regard. In the ensuing catharsis only the very best will be churned out.

Diverse views are good in political discourse, but we are having too many of them. It is feared that they will only circumscribe the political process, and, thus, a free and fair election -- the central goal of the government.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.