Belying, however, such notion when the prime minister on 21 December last threw off her calibrated reticence -- long considered her forte -- and gave way to tantrum with the loss of her equanimity it was a disaster for she then spat fire and brimstone to lash out at her political opponent with the threat to sue her treason and cautioned Sheikh Hasina for not repeating her 'provocative speeches'. In no time the gauntlet thrown by the prime minister was picked up --as the offended leader of the opposition, in a quick riposte, returned the shot charging her rival for the protection of the Islamist militants and promotion of militancy by the alliance government or part thereof. The baffled public was non-plussed at the sudden eruption. A fresh consternation swept the country already shaken by an ominous rise of militancy taking its toll in last few months.

And in the meantime the country's prevailing political crisis deepened and was compounded by continuing decline in all sectors of governance. Not withstanding an upbeat mood in the BNP, proven skill in winning elections, organisational alacrity and an advantage of incumbency the government led by it has been habitual poor performer. As it was in its earlier term of rule even this time its failure have piled up beyond any proportion. In public eye its chronic inability to deliver has already made the government a liability for the nation. Look at any field of the statecraft or nation-state building whether it is health, education, industrialisation, environment, communication or banking -- everywhere there are visible signs of decay, stupor and decrepitude due mainly to inefficiency, inexperience, inaction, indecision, adhocism and expedient measures under political compulsions.

The alliance government wanted to eradicate terrorism and corruption from the country. Four years after it came to power both are raging in full fury. The terrorism was thought to be one of the ordinary law and order issues by the authority who totally ignored its socio-economic and moral dimensions. As a result, its flame might have been temporarily doused but its smoldering fire still exists. No wonder we still come across terrible incidences of terror-crimes even after the special law enforcing forces mowed down so many terrorists with their 'crossfire'.

The image, if any of Bangladesh, is smudged with an ubiquitous corruption permeating the country's body politic and social fabric with hardly a spot without sleaze. During the alliance rule alone Bangladesh topped list of the world's most corrupt countries for four consecutive years -- an index of how the BNP-led government dealt, if at all, with the monster. The corruption in Bangladesh? The less we talk of it, the better it is. Even the donors cast aspersion on our morality!

Added to these ignonimous failures are now the threat of 'Islamist militancy', a legacy of our clerics' unlicensed use of Islam for their temporal pursuit in the past. It is about to assail now the rampart of our statehood. The most dangerous dimension of the problem is the establishment's arcane nexus with the militants who revealed in more than one way their Jamaat-e-Islami background or connection. Many more dangers await us unless the BNP can remove this albatross from around its neck. Those will be in addition to our everyday trials and tribulation wrought by the government's misrule: the spiralling cost of essentials, transport, the utility services and so on and a galloping inflation.

Even as the public sufferings increase, the callous establishment is busy making hay while the sun still shines. In a last minute pillage the government heavyweights are vying with each other to grab business, contracts, promotions, plots or plum postings for their loyal subordinates either in the administration or party hierarchy. In the final year of the government the party cadres -- expecting pre-election bonanza -- are prowling the corridor of power. Amidst this relentless competition for sharing the largesse or having a bite at the national pie a consumption happy society is splashed with luxury cars on one side and sullied with destitutes on the other. There is apparently a competition to derive benefits as much as possible from the windfall of incumbency!

It's against this backdrop that the conscious citizenry, the civil society and responsible professional groups are convinced that the longer this government stays in power, the more haemorrhage would it cause to the nation which already bled enough in the past -- thanks to the exploitation it suffered for ages even in the hands of local predators. Therefore the only issue at hand in this critical hour is to salvage the nation from the clutches of predators. But understandably the people have no wherewithal as to how to go about it. The politicians also have so far failed them miserably.

No government with a vested interest has ever quitted unless hounded out through a mass upsurge. Few seems to know clearly how can that be brought about -- not even a nincompoop opposition camp. It is evident from the way it is trying to effect a fall of the government. But the antic, putting the cart before the horse, will not work. In other words no mass upsurge can ever click without organisational consolidation -- an area still untouched even by the party like Awami League. A patch-work through selective political visits, mass contact or odd press briefing will not cut the ice. The old stalwarts of Awami League cannot but be aware of the way Sheikh Mujib brought about the cataclysm that swept away once powerful Ayub Khan. To carry the message of six points to the people he moved like a messiah touching each obscure hamlet in all remote corners of the country.

That's how the seeds were sown for the upsurges of late sixties even if the sparks were provided by a few intrepid young leaders of the day who are still there in the ranks of Awami League. The present government in league with religious right who opposed our independence has over the years developed a high stake in their survival in power. With a clever combination of political skill, their fixed share of popular votes and a Machiavellian strategy it will fight back rather hard. Today's AL riddled with endless schism, indiscipline and disunity is hardly a match for the odds arrayed against it.

Awami League will have to organise itself following the footstep of Bangabandhu before undertaking any venture in present political milieu. It may be a long haul. But that's the way.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.