Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia are the two undisputed leaders of our country. The two parties they head are the two biggest political parties and over the last three general elections it has been proven over and over again that each of them command more than 35 per cent votes, together accounting for nearly 70 percent of the loyalty of our voters. By any account these are massive expression of public confidence in them.

The mistake they both made right after winning majority seats in parliament is through developing the dangerous idea that the other party disappeared or became devoid of public support. It is the same mistake, repeated over and over, that made both the BNP and AL to ignore each other when either of them came to power. The case of this invariable disdain lies at the root of most of our present political problems. Even in 2001, when BNP and its allies got two-thirds majority seats in parliament, the AL had gotten 41 percent of popular votes. BNP totally ignored this fact.

This is not really the time to recount how the BNP or AL has repeatedly gone wrong. This is the time to spell out how they can finally get it right. Therefore, our ardent appeal to both leaders is that please do not continue to live in the world as if other does not exist.

Khaleda Zia is wrong when she says election should go ahead without regard to which party participates in the elections (meaning the AL) and which party does not. An election without the AL will not be a credible one, and it will neither be acceptable to the nation nor to the international community.

Sheikh Hasina is wrong when she says that she will enforce an indefinite blockade till her demands are met. A blockade harms the very people she hopes to represent, and an indefinite blockade makes it infinitely worse.

Therefore, the first thing we ask of both leaders is to remember that they in no way can ignore each other during their talks with the President/CA. We understand that both leaders have their points of view, they have a huge list of complaints against the other, and that they have made many unkind remarks about each other. We also understand that over the years they have become personally bitter about each other. We also understand that all their political problems, including personal issues, cannot be solved in today's meeting. We understand all that.

But, they must have to understand that howsoever they may feel about each other, however far apart their views might be and whatever their political differences may be, in the final analysis they are LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE and they MUST LISTEN to what the PEOPLE WANT. And the plain truth is people are SICK and TIRED of the political bickering of the two leaders. They are tired of the attempts to manipulate the election, they are tired of the corruption and the presence of criminals among the lawmakers and political workers. They are also tired of the blockades, hartals and disruption of normal life. Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina can stop all these, and they must stop all these- if they have any feelings for the people they claim to speak for.

Therefore, the need of the moment is to compromise. Each of them will have to move away from their entrenched positions. Each of them will have to understand that the points of view of the other side have some merit and that neither of them enjoys either the monopoly of truth or of virtues. They both have made mistakes, severe mistakes at that, for which we the people have been paying dearly.

Their compromise will aim at clearing all the impediments towards a free and fair election, which must be held and if possible in time, or at best as soon as possible through consensus.

The points of compromise should cover: a) making the election commission more credible; b) getting the voter list more correct; c) turning the election related administration more neutral; c) saying no to blockades, hartals and all moves that harm the economy.

These compromises should not be seen from any partisan point of view. These are the minimum requirements of any election that can claim to be free and fair.

The moment of moment of truth has now arrived and both leaders must have to seize the opportunity. This is the test of their leadership. Leaders show new paths. Only power hungry people stay entrenched in their myopic world even when they see their country is being destroyed.

The President/CA must provide the environment for frank talks. He must insist that both leaders have to compromise for the sake of people. He cannot just be a silent host. He will have to play a proactive role in which he will have to insist that the nation cannot continue to suffer the consequences of what these two leaders and their parties are doing.

The nation pins hopes on today's meetings. We urge both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to rise to the occasion.