While the honourable PM of late has begun to condemn the perpetrators of bombings as enemies of Islam, some senior members of her party are saying that there are a number of lawmakers, including ministers, silently and openly encouraging religious terrorists. It is now evident that BNP is working on both sides of the fence and playing with people's trust. This is hypocrisy at its worst.

On the other hand, the opposition is getting ready to tighten the noose around the neck of the ruling coalition. At its mammoth public meeting held in November at the Paltan Maidan, the opposition produced a 23-point program aimed at freeing our poor country and its poor people from all its woes if it comes to power; too ambitious and too good to be true.

It will take nothing short of a miracle to achieve all that. We have seen governments come and go, and the miseries of people, particularly those in the middle and the lower middle class, including the poorer section, continue to increase with passing of each of the government.

For long I have wondered as to why the opposition wishes to remove this government when there is less than a year left for the present regime to complete its tenure? Until now I was at my wit's end.

I think I solved the mystery. Just consider this: if that happens the opposition can work out its own ways and means, change any statutory laws it so wishes and pave its way for winning the elections.

Frankly, to cut a long story short, its ultimate goal is to be in the seat of power just like BNP. Awami League and BNP are essentially two sides of the same coin. It is all very fine and even justified to say that this government is tacitly supporting terror acts around the country, and all must seriously condemn the administration, but does any one believe that the coming of the opposition into power is going to put a halt to terrorism?

I doubt it. If anything, the incidences might increase instead of decreasing. To any intelligent mind, the reason for such an assumption should be easy to guess. The way things stand today it will be a gross mistake both politically and otherwise for the opposition to merely condemn the ruling coalition and fold its hands without helping the government's efforts.

As I say this; please rest assured that I am no fan of the present regime. But I believe that at least on this particular issue the opposition should do all it can to make a joint strategy with the administration in dealing with this scourge. Believe me, this religious terrorism is here to stay and we shall have to live with it, but given a proper strategy we should be able to contain it, if not anything else. Terrorism has become and will continue to be a problem, not just for the ruling coalition, but also the opposition, and the nation at large.

The attitude of our political parties has always been to be in the seat of power, no matter what. To that extent there is little real difference between our politically elected governments and a dictator. The only difference is that these politicians have the natural advantage of acting under cover of democracy through so-called elections and through use and abuse of the Parliament, and so on and so forth.

Looking through the window of my flat on the seventh floor, day after day, I am simply appalled by the horrendous sight of a jungle of concrete all around in the shape of multi-storied high-rise buildings of residential quarters represented by all kinds of clothing popping out from each of the "pigeon holes" and hanging on the iron grills of the verandahs, so narrow one can hardly move in and out.

Once in a while, a relation or a friend comes for a social visit, and as they take a tour of my newly constructed flat, they too come to my bedroom and cast their gaze at the lights burning in flats in the adjoining high-rise buildings, and congratulate me for being fortunate enough to be living in such a wonderful flat from where I am able to, at least "look around."

I am somewhat confused and do not know how to react. While all this was taking place, my mind was racing down to the workings of that perennial enemy of the people, namely Rajuk. Rajuk officials have allowed both landowners and developers to plan, build, and construct these high-rise buildings in complete disregard of various statutory provisions of our national building code.

It is high time for politics to be permanently separated from religion. The other day I heard someone talking about introducing of Shariah law in the country's administrative machinery, a perfect recipe for disaster. Many of the lawmakers of the present regime should be declared as enemies of the people and the state. I am now fearful that the "godfather" of the world might be thinking of stepping in to compel change, something that I had predicted, as inevitable almost over one year ago.

Shamsher Chowdhury is a freelance contributor