Two important news items have drawn my attention. a) Preparation for dialogue and b) The secretary-general of the mainstream BNP’s opinion that the judges are not getting the required freedom to act independently and freely. My opinion on these two issues are:
   a. The chief adviser is planning to address the nation soon to outline the government viewpoints and guidelines for dialogue with the political parties. Some new stakeholders like ‘Shusil/Nagarik Samaj’ and ‘farmers and workers’ have recently been added. The list might include more stakeholders like the women activists, NGO and, most importantly, the religious groups. The working group of advisers has already met one former adviser who is termed as an expert on the issue. Now we will have to wait and see how many more experts are added to the list. By the way, it is a big relief to know that the army does not consider it necessary to be formally present in the dialogue.
   The way the political scenario is prevailing in the country together with the preparatory phase of the dialogue, I cannot but conclude that things are still very much diluted on both the sides, and the internal situation looks like:
   I. The political-match and math are inconclusive, especially the political agenda and philosophy of the government are not progressing as were planned and expected by the government. The major political parties, including the left-wing ones, are not agreeing to all the proposals of the government.
   II. Ironically, the former president and chairman of the Jatya Party and few newly-created parties are providing moral support to the government to try its plan for a ‘new Bangladesh’.
   III. The government is concerned about very low public support and its legitimacy. However, a group of ‘super politicians’ and some members of the Shusil Samaj are keeping their morale high by finding loopholes for them to continue as the filler of the political vacuum.
   IV. The chief adviser is planning to address the nation soon. I do not think there is any reason to put high expectation on his address and wait for the guidelines. The working group of the advisers have already indicated by their statements and deeds that nothing tangible to proceed with the dialogue can be achieved unless the political parties, the BNP and the AL in particular, agree to their plan of operation of democracy which is likely to be a model of civil-military coalition of government or a national government as often described by our ‘super politicians’.
   v. Some upcoming factors (the religious groups calling a big demonstration on 15th July for adaptation of Islamic law in the country), bureaucratic character and limited statesmanship quality of the working group of the advisers might lead the political dialogue to a stalemate. They are perhaps not concerned about it because they are a group who seem to like the idea of ‘management by crisis’.
   VI. The idea of putting all stakeholders together in one meeting divided into several sessions has a catch. The AL and some other like-minded parties have already expressed their position of not to sit with the Jamaat-e-Islami in one table. The government is yet to clarify the issue.
   VII. The idea of the revival of the hybrid model of ‘Basic Democracy’ cannot be ruled out. The Election Commission is waiting with open hands and open heart to support the model.
   b. Independence of judiciary: the secretary-general of the mainstream BNP is an aggrieved person and might be biased on this issue. But there is already a strong feeling that political interference is a hurdle in making the judiciary fully independent.
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