The year was 2013, and Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh, had picked up the phone. She was calling Khaleda Zia, her arch-nemesis and the head of the opposition, in an attempt to convince her to end yet another round of violent strikes and demonstrations that had brought the country to its knees. The conversation went like this: Hasina: “We don’t want to quarrel.” Zia: “You are quarreling.” Hasina: “You are the only one doing the talking.