Hartal and Our Bangladesh Economy

Introduction: Hartal means closing, obstacles or enclosures. Closing of offices courts and shops in order to agitate common people is Hartal. In the lexicographical sense it is the closing of shops. Mills and factories, stopping any kind of public work in offices and institutions. Stopping of transports for a definite period is to express protest or discontent against the govt. It is observed by a body of people under political parties. Political parties go on a hartal with people when they have any grievance against the govt. When other means of settling disputes fail, they generally resort to hartal to realize their rights. Causes of hartal: People arc getting conscious nowadays. They read newspapers; listen to speeches delivered by political leaders and others and in this way they can realize that they are being oppressed by the existing govt., job authorities and other institutions. The authority does not easily meet the rights of general people. Even to their legitimate demands, the authority often turns a deaf ear. The political leaders with people are then compelled to go on strike. Kinds of hartal generally are of two types short-term and long-term. Short term hartal lasts for some hours of a day or one day. On the other hand long-term hartal lasts for two, three, or even some more days. Again when a group of workers strike in sympathy with other sufferers, it is called sympathetic strike or hartal. Lock-out strikes take .place when the employers refuse work to the workers. They keep the doors of their industrial establishments closed, and try to coerce the workmen to come to terms with them. Hartal among students: Nowadays hartal among students is not uncommon. When they feel that the authorities of their institution have done any injustice, they remain away from the institution and demonstrate in the streets to draw public attention. Sometimes students of universities and colleges resort to hartal when the govt. or the public leaders do something which they consider to be harmful to the country. Hartal and democracy: [hartal is a recognized device of politics. In the democratic politics it is a legal means and a basic right of men. When a government becomes despotic and the common people are fed up, the political parties in opposition may call hartal. But this hartal should have co-operation from all classes of people. Again in a truly democratic and welfare state the aim of the supporting and opposing parties of hartal is Identical, I.e., preservation of national interest and public well-being. But the political condition of our country is not stable. People are not respectful to democratic values. In such circumstances no good result can be expected from hartal. Hartal and our political parties: In our country both the party in power and party in opposition are led by narrowness. The party in powers objective is to remain in power In any way and to monopolies that power as much as possible. The opposition parties want to seize power as quickly as possible and for that they try to dislodge the elected govt. before the end of their term through hartal. In this government opposition relationship it is irrelevant to think which party is in power and which is in the opposition? Hartal and our economy: Hartal causes hardships to poor workers and their families. Their children suffer for want of food. It causes less production which badly affects the economy of the country. It has no positive influence upon the socio-canonic development of the country. According to the information of Bangladesh is Human Development Report. 1991 the economic loss of one days hartal is approximately taka 386 crores. Again the impact of hartal on public utility services like railways. Buses, municipal service and postal service cause serious consequences. In the World Bank Report hartal has been marked as the crisis of Bangladesh for which all her development work is being impeded. Indeed, it is needless to mention that hartal culture has been a serious problem In the economic development of Bangladesh. Its root lies in the so-called democracy and political groups of the country. It is a matter of great regret that Bangladesh has not found the face of development till now. The inconsiderate activities of political leaders and irrational hartal have demolished the economic backbone of our country. So it should be stopped. We should make an auspicious political scene to keep abreast of the world politics. Conclusion: Hartal has become a national trouble for our country. Considering the interest of the nation and the country hartal cannot be supported. No peace loving people of the country expect the destructive activities of hartal. All the enlightened people of the country must find out the measures to prevent this most destructive cause of our economic backwardness. Otherwise our future generation will not forgive us for our dreadful indifference.