The rethink was not only about the date, the originally spelled out duration of hartal and its coverage were also revised. Dhaka metropolitan area experienced a curtailment of shutdown period by four hours with the purpose of facilitating a display by the family of slain AL lawmaker Shah AMS Kibria of the banners of signatures collected from different parts of the country for an expeditious independent probe into the assassination. We appreciate the consideration shown to the demonstration plan which, we believe, would have been a success anyway, even without a hartal to precede it.

Considering tornado-hit Gaibandha's urgent relief needs it was billed for a six hour hartal. Chittagong was allowed full exemption from it -- thanks to requests by local business community and an Islamic conference in Patiya. But if special consideration could be shown to certain areas for a reprieve, why the rest of the country was subjected to the ordeal of a dawn-to-dusk hartal? Little wonder, disenchantment with the hartal yesterday was so tell-tale. Only in February, there had been two very long installments of consecutive hartals. This was followed by a rather longish no-hartal period, apparently in recognition of public dislike for the last spate of hartals. The compromise on the duration of yesterday's hartal and the exclusion of certain areas from its pale are but a fresh reflection of hartal losing out on conviction of those who call it. Indeed, it is no worthwhile political option anymore; the opposition would be well-advised to go for the alternatives to hartal they have used to some effect already.