Cost of Political uncertainty
It is incalculable
We cannot agree more with the business leaders that the major impediment to achieving a higher rate of annual growth is the turmoil engendered by the political situation in the country.
It was not surprising that, notwithstanding the snag in infrastructural support, political uncertainty happens to be the most serious concern of the business community, because in the long run it enhances the cost of doing business. And that is why it is important that the government addresses this concern in right earnest.
It cannot be good news that investment, both foreign and domestic, has been discouraged by the looming uncertainty; neither can be anything more disheartening to know that business has been hamstrung when banks hesitated to fund projects because of the same reason. It affects too the RMG sector, only more so, and the fact that there is suddenly a fall in inflow of order from international buyers can only be blamed on the political situation in the country.
It will do well for both the government and the opposition to realise the serious consequences that the country is proceeding towards due to not only the intransigence of the two major parties but also their inability to grasp the consequences of the outcome of the position that they have assumed.
We would urge the government and the opposition to ensure that nothing happens that would hamper the country's external trade, or which impedes productivity. The capital market is only recuperating from the shock it received very recently which resulted in liquidity crunch, and one would not like it to be affected by political unrest nor would one like to see the daily wage earners as well as the fixed income group to suffer due to price shock that is only inevitable from political disorder.
The message for the government and the opposition is clear, ensure political stability. However, we want to clearly emphasise a more proactive role from the government to engage the opposition in bringing about stability.
Violence at RU
Go into roots of criminality
The sheer spectacle of the deadly weapons recovered at Rajshahi University the other day provides a glimpse into what could be happening on other campuses across the country. Observe the haul. There are machetes, axes, swords, scythes, hockey sticks, knives, chains, iron rods and hammers. All of these were recovered in the aftermath of a clash between two Chhatra League factions from the residential quarters of the students. Of course, it is nothing new in the recent sordid history of student politics. Other student organisations too have had, indeed have, the very weapons which the authorities at RU have now stumbled upon. The question which now must exercise minds, both in official circles as well as among the general public, is simple: how do student organisations come by such weapons of murderous intent?
The answer is again a simple one. There are certainly links in a chain of criminality which have regularly contributed to a degeneration of the academic atmosphere on campuses throughout the country. It is just that no serious efforts have been made to break those links or even to bring recalcitrant student political activists to account. In the case of this latest incident of a factional clash among BCL workers, strong police action was called for. Of course, a couple of arrests were made. But when there are clear photographic images of BCL activists roaming around in search of their rivals, the aim being to pounce upon them in all the violence they can muster, it becomes the responsibility of the police administration to take swift action. Dispersing violent youths through baton-charging them is not enough.
The proctor of RU has promised action on the incident. Let that action be all encompassing. While action is taken against those in whose possession the sharp weapons were found, let its scope be widened to net those who have supplied these weapons to the students. The roots of the violence must be gone into.
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