Leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party of Bangladesh, have been focusing on London-visit as they met the acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman there. Many others are prepared to meet him there. Their visit aimed at seeking attention of acting chairperson, registering their name in his good book, raising their name in own constitution and ensuring nomination ahead of next national election.

Some of them had posted their photo taken with Tarique Rahman on social media when they met him and making the party men informed about their visit. Most of them had gone there with own accord, according to more than one sources of the party.

Besides these, former ally of BNP, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Andalib Rahman Partho, also met Tarique in London and uploaded photos of the visit on social media.

When asked about it, some of the leaders of BNP policy making forum said, “Those who went to visit party chairperson, went in their own accord and none was invited by Tarique Rahman. They all want to make their position in the party stronger and tried to ensure nomination in upcoming national election. In addition, they want to inform the party men that they have very good understanding with party high command.”

BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu told The Bangladesh Pratidin about the party leaders' visit to London, "Meeting is a big aspect of the communication between the leaders and the activists. Since the leader lives in London, party leaders and workers will also go to London - it is natural. But those who can afford it are going to London. Many others went to London for personal work, and then came to meet the leader. Many people can also go to London for organizational work. They can go to London for various reasons. Through this, organizational activities become more dynamic.”

BNP Publicity Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie recently returned to Dhaka after visiting London. Regarding the meeting with Tarique Rahman in London, he told The Bangladesh Pratidin, 'Actually, our visit to London was not election-centric. We are in a movement. He (Tarique) is leading and guiding from there. Our objective is how to accelerate that movement. The Acting Chairman asked for prayers from the countrymen. He called for all-out preparations to make the ongoing movement successful.”

Zaheer Uddin Swapan, convener of BNP's media wing, who met the acting chairman of the party in London, told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "I went to UK as a special guest at BNP's Independence Day programme. The acting chairman of the party was the chief guest there. He met me there. At this time, the contents of BNP's media wing and other issues were also discussed. He gave some guidelines. That was my intention. I can't say why others are going.”

A member of the BNP Standing Committee, on condition of anonymity, told TheBangladesh Pratidin,  “All those who are going to meet our Acting Chairman are taking pictures with him and posting those pictures on social media to convey the message that his position in the party is very good. Apart from this, he wants to convey the message that the relationship with the acting chairman is very good and he is the only candidate in the upcoming elections in the concerned constitution. In fact, most are personal visits by leaders, not organizational visits.”

 In this regard, BNP's central organizing secretary and member of the party's international affairs committee, Shama Obaid, told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “No matter what level a leader or worker of the party is on, he can go and meet his acting chairman. It is a very normal event. In this they are energized at double-triple rate, get more motivation in organizational activities. Apart from that, our movement is going on in the streets under his (Tarique) leadership. He is also giving guidance in that regard. So there is nothing negative about the leaders visiting London. This is a completely positive thing.”

Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman has been serving as the party's acting chairman since BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was convicted in a corruption case on February 8, 2018 and went to jail. He is managing the team from London. The BNP MPs, who won the 11th National Assembly elections, announced that they would not take the oath, but in the end, they took the oath on the decision of the Acting Chairman and on his instructions, they resigned from the Parliament on December 11 last year.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on May 18 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque