Roundup: No end in sight to Bangladesh's political standoff

There is no end in sight to the nationwide transport blockade launched by the 20-party opposition alliance, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as both the government and the BNP remain unwavering in their stances.

People's suffering due to the ongoing political strife will almost certainly continue as there is hardly any hope that the two major political parties will reach an agreement anytime soon. Already 25 people were killed and scores injured across the country since anti-government protesters battled with law enforcers, attacked rivals, torched vehicles and targeted railway on Jan. 6.

Khaleda Zia, who was freed Monday from her 16-day confinement in her office in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan, said the blockade will continue until the government can create a congenial atmosphere for a free and clean election.

Zia had been accusing the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of not being picked by the people. In the 300-seat elected parliament, 154 candidates were elected unopposed and the rest were chosen in last year's Jan. 5 voter-less election.

The current political trouble erupted as the BNP-led alliance planned to observe Jan. 5 as the "death of democracy day" while the ruling Awami League (AL) mulled commemorating the day as a victory for democracy.

The BNP-led alliance wanted a showdown on Jan. 5 at a meeting to be held in the capital. But the government did not give permission to the BNP meeting. Instead BNP chief Zia was confined to her Gulshan office on the night of Jan. 3, with vehicles, water canons and large numbers of security personnel.

On Monday, however, the government withdrew all security police and water canons and lifted the barricade.

At a press conference on Monday, Zia called for a 48-hour strike in the capital and 12 more districts, including the southeastern port city of Chittagong.

She asked the government to "lift all restrictions on democratic and constitutional rights. Make the abnormal situation normal. Give people peace and comfort. Stop the politics of provocation, falsehood and conspiracy. Return people their rights to vote that were snatched away and take steps immediately to hold an acceptable election."

Prime Minister Hasina said the BNP was at fault during the Jan. 5, 2014, vote, but the AL will not pay for the mistake.

Under no circumstances would the government hold a general election before 2019, she said, reiterating that the caretaker system would never return.

The BNP and its alliance boycotted last year's election as it was not held under a neutral caretaker government as with previous elections.

Zia, although apparently free to leave her office, has decided to stay put, with political observers believing that the end of the stalemate remains far off. Endi