Manju sees no pickup in anti-govt movement

He also termed "too early" the reported moves toward unity or a single platform of the opposition parties, saying the government has three more years to complete its term.

Talking to UNB on the political situation, Manju said the "so-called" gloom in politics is 'actually more a state of mind than reality'.

"People who are not in power always feel gloomy and heavy in heart. This happens in any democratic country in the world," said the JP leader. But in developing countries like Bangladesh, this "gloom and heaviness in mind is felt more acutely because the winner takes it all".

He observed that party or parties in power have access to all benefits: they command the administration and even allegedly, sometimes, the judiciary.

And party or parties who are not in power do not have access to resources and administration. Although they did not have majority to form the government, they had considerable seats in parliament.

Bangladesh, he said, is a poverty-ridden country. "No matter how much the government can do with the limited resources for people, the opposition can go to the majority people and pit them against the government."

He apparently parried a question about law-and-order situation, a pain in the neck of government too. "Law and order is a relative matter and such concern about it had always been there since independence of Bangladesh."

About newspaper reports on a possible merger of the Jatiya Party factions, Manju said, "I have never agreed on merger. All parties feel the necessity of forming electoral alliances. So, those who have no alliance are talking about the formation of an alliance and such phenomenon has also developed in Indian politics."