Sixteen foreign envoys on Tuesday urged Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson to hold talks for a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The diplomats of foreign missions in Dhaka from Australia, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States sent separate letters to the two leaders last week. They said the international community is concerned as the political situation is pushing Bangladesh dangerously to a deepening crisis. The envoys sought Prime Minister's help to de-escalate the political impasse, which is responsible for killing more than 115 citizens, and to engage constructively with the opposition. A 10-member delegates of the Western envoys also called on BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Tuesday evening to discuss the matter.
Earlier UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had tasked his deputy Oscar Fernández-Taranco to    liaise with the Bangladesh government and the opposition. The UN chief urged PM and BNP chief to engage constructively for a peaceful end to the crisis. US Secretary of State John Kerry on February 20 called for government action to peacefully end the turmoil. He also condemned the targeting of civilians by political parties and stressed the need for opposition parties to cease such attacks immediately. The European Union also deplored the ongoing violence against innocent citizens of Bangladesh and reiterated its call for dialogue to break the current political impasse. Pierre Mayaudon, ambassador and head of EU delegation to Bangladesh, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister on February 12.
We found reasons to be more hopeful when the European parliamentary sub-committee on human rights came to the conclusion after a visit to Bangladesh that it is useless to go about appealing for dialogue among the political leaders and solution lies in arranging a free and fair election.
The crisis needs confidence building efforts among the political leaders who are not interested in such confidence building among themselves. The politics is all about intolerance and annihilation. So the confidence building or restoring peace efforts cannot come from the politicians themselves through mere persuasion. That is the reason why our people néed help from outside friends and the present collective move of the diplomats has raised hope of a peaceful solution.
If there is any reason for the absence of the Indian diplomats from any such move is not known to us. But as the nearest neighbour it is most desirable for us to know the mind of India about the crisis in Bangladesh. India helped in our liberation war for democracy so it is expected India will not remain a neutral spectator when democracy is dying in Bangladesh.
 Many in Bangladesh are appalled to find the government ignoring the election demand as if it is not important for the government to face election as promised. The government is most anxious to tell that the opposition has no public support, they are anti-liberation and terrorists. Surely such an opposition alliance cannot have any public support. So why the government should find any suggestion of election unacceptable is a puzzle. The people   are seeking an answer though  not easy to find.
The immediate and urgent responsibility   of the diplomats as well wishers  of our people, who are in the midst of an initiative to see  peace is restored, is to have a peace plan for implementation. The people must be given the chance to sort out the serious allegations the government makes  against  the opposition  alliance.
We are, like many others, most worried to see the country is facing  bloodbath  and destruction  in a leaderless situation.