Politics beyond egotism

Citizens of the country, irrespective their occupations, are passing through a hard time due to extreme political unrest. Political violence has reached an intolerable state and no one is feeling safe as the fallout from violence is seriously affecting the normal life of people in all walks of life. As a result, democratic norms and values are fraught with tremendous challenges on the one hand and on the other the country's economy is faced with frightening speculations.
Neutral observers view the present unwanted sufferings of the citizens as nothing but confrontational stance of the ruling and opposition parties. In other words, absence of tolerance among the major parties is considered the key factor to unleash unrest and untold miseries to the people.  Despite national and international criticism over absence of political tolerance, nobody is apparently prepared to heed to this.
Literally, political tolerance means accepting and respecting the basic rights and civil liberties of persons and groups whose viewpoints may differ from one another. Political leaders have the responsibility to practise political tolerance in their words and actions. A tolerant mind refers to broadmindedness and it is said that a tolerant person is rewarded at the end of the day.
A culture of tolerance involves debate and dynamic exchange of opinions and arguments whereby people can learn from others, get closer to the truth, and benefit from a vibrant public life. Developing a culture of tolerance is a long term undertaking and is necessary for the democratic process to play its role.
On the contrary, political intolerance is bred by a deliberate willingness to restrict the rights of a group or groups because of differing views. It represents a threat to democracy since it discriminates against and may even silence certain sections of the population. Intolerance, no doubt, creates a closed society, which narrows citizens' perceptions of their rights and obligations, eventually shaping their behavior not befitting for democratic culture.
Undoubtedly, politics in Bangladesh in the current period is far from any semblance of tolerance. Outright rejection of dissent from opposing groups/parties is the rule of the game here. The intolerant posture of the two major parties over the polls time government is a glaring example of the cost that the commoners pay through their nose. BNP leaders are determined that they will not participate in the national polls until and unless 'impartial and non partisan' government is installed. In opposition, AL is adamant to hold the elections under what it calls 'all party government' headed by the prime minister.  
  In the wake of the prevailing turmoil, the whole nation is waiting for the political parties to be calm and tolerant, for the sake of the suffering millions.  It is only after the major parties showed signs of interacting with each other and tried to be accommodative that the people could heave a sigh of relief.
Political parties may have ideological differences, but for the greater interest of the country, they should get along the path of self-control and tolerance overcoming their stubborn egotism, the root of all evil. In the present state of affairs, there is no exit point to resolve the political gridlock without being tolerant.
The writer is senior lecturer, Northern University of Bangladesh. [email protected]