The US and Chinese ambassadors have, on two separate occasions on Wednesday, made statements underlining the great imperative of holding meaningful dialogue between the two main political parties in Bangladesh to reassure the country as well as the international community about Bangladesh’s future. The United States is a superpower while China is one of few emerging powers with most strength and economic clout. They are also the time-tested friends of Bangladesh. Over time, both countries have been linked in major ways with Bangladesh in areas of trade and in extending substantial developmental assistance to this country. The ambassadors of the two countries are also known to be trying in their individual capacities to be mediators in arranging dialogue between the two warring sides in the country.
Apart from these two global powers, others wielding significant clout in the global stage and known to be well-wishers of Bangladesh, have been playing a persuasive role in easing the most unfortunate confrontation between the two belligerent sides. They include the UN Secretary General who even sent his personal emissary some months ago to set the stage for direct talks between the Awami League and the BNP. The European countries, especially UK, remain engaged in similar activities to make the two opposing sides in Bangladesh to see the very great importance of taking part in urgent talks to resolve their differences over the scheduled national elections. But so far their efforts have yielded little results.
It is not just the international community which feels at home with Bangladesh as a moderate country with a sustainable democratic system that is increasingly getting scared of the imminent danger, the people of Bangladesh too are on their tiptoe sensing the peril at hand. Meanwhile the time for any meaningful dialogue is fast running out.
To what depths of social, economic and political despair and ruination the country would be plunged into if this storm is allowed to actually blow over due to sheer human failings, should be anybody’s guess. Therefore, let us hope that the two sides will be able to see reason and find it beneficial for themselves and their countrymen to enter into a fruitful dialogue to resolve the crisis.