Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is celebrating its 45 anniversary on Friday, September 1. On this day of 1978, former President Ziaur Rahman, formed BNP based on Bangladeshi Nationalism and 19 points. However, the party has been going through the hardest time right now as tough to toughest challenges are ahead of them. Their main challenge is to fulfill their one-point demand of holding national election under neutral government.

 According to the policy makers of BNP, they are literally fighting for existence. This opposition party, who is waging movement on the streets, is fighting for the demand of national elections under a neutral and non-partisan government of their choice while maintaining party discipline. Like-minded political parties and alliances have also announced a simultaneous movement to overthrow the government. Through this, they want to shake the stance of the ruling government and restore their strong position.

 BNP has completed 45 years of its establishment on Friday at a time when the chairperson of the party Begum Khaleda Zia is undergoing treatment in the hospital after being seriously ill while in prison. Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman is in exile in London. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with four members of the highest policy-making forum standing committee are undergoing treatment in Singapore. In the absence of two top leaders of BNP, Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, the standing committee is handling everything. The members of this committee are leading the party from inside and outside. They are continuing the street movement and they have taken this movement as a struggle for existence.

When asked, senior joint secretary general of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "The biggest challenge facing BNP now is to bring back the lost democracy of the country by establishing people's right to vote. But that is not possible with the current fascist Awami government in power. That is why we have announced the program of a one-point movement to bring down the government. All the opposition political parties and organizations of the country along with the democracy-loving people have united. BNP will be able to realize this demand of the people by taking all of them together. This is the biggest challenge of BNP.”

Party leaders say that BNP has many other challenges apart from the one-time realization of the fall of the government. This includes - resisting or confronting the Awami League government if it wants to organize a one-sided national election like it did in the past, implementation of simultaneous programs on the streets, to arrange for the party's top leader Begum Khaleda Zia to be released from prison and sent abroad for better treatment, Keeping other opposition parties in the field by organizing their own party is also an important challenge for BNP leaders.

Senior leaders are now considering the next election as the biggest challenge for BNP as they did not get any success even after participating in the 11th national election. Therefore, if the government does not accept the demand for elections under a non-partisan government, they want to decide the matter on the streets.

In this regard, BNP Chairperson's advisor and Dhaka Metropolitan North convener Amanullah Aman told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "There is only one challenge in front of us now. That is to bring down the current fascist government and restore people's right to vote and establish democracy in the country. In the 1990s movement led by national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, we overthrew the dictatorial Ershad government through a mass movement and established democracy. This time under the leadership of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, we will ensure the downfall of this government through the one-point movement and restore democracy by demanding elections under a non-partisan government.”

According to related sources, BNP is preparing for the national elections in addition to the movement aimed at achieving the demands of a neutral government during the elections. The party will take part in the elections after the demands of the neutral government are met. BNP leaders say that since they have a clear decision not to go to the elections under the party government, they have no other option but to meet the demands of a neutral government during the elections. So this movement is an existential challenge for them. With this challenge in mind, the party has started a simultaneous movement on the streets with like-minded alliances and parties.

Foundation Anniversary Program: BNP has started a program on Thursday on the occasion of its 45th anniversary. On this occasion, members of National Standing Committee, Executive Committee, assiciated and Affiliated Organizations and elite intellectuals participated in the central BNP discussion meeting at Dhaka Mahanagar Mancho in Gulistan of the capital. BNP has decided to hold various programs across the country including the capital Dhaka on Friday on the day of its founding anniversary. At 10:30 am, wreath laying and Fateha will be read at the grave of the founder of the party, former President Ziaur Rahman Biruttam in Sherbanglanagar of the capital. Central and organizational members along with the standing committee will be present on the occasion. A colorful rally will be held in front of the central office in Nayapaltan on the initiative of BNP at 3 pm. The rally will pass through Fakirapool Mor, Notre Dame College, Shapla Chatwar, Ittefaq Mor and end in front of Rajdhani Market. All levels of leaders and workers including members of the Standing Committee, Central and Affiliated Organizations will participate in the rally.

Similarly, it has been decided to celebrate today's foundation day with due dignity in all units of the party across the country at their own convenience. The units will conduct discussion meetings and other programs as per their convenient time. All levels of leaders and workers of BNP and its affiliated organizations have been requested to make the mentioned programs successful.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on August September 1 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque