BNP is facing a big challenge staying away link-minded parties from participating in the upcoming elections alongside reviving the leaders and activists in the current political situation.

Party insiders said the BNP wants a successful movement to oust the government by any means. For this, it is trying to keep abstain from participating in elections by the like-minded parties. In particular, those parties are mulling participating in polls, and the BNP is sitting with them. The process is termed a challenge by the high-ups. On the other hand, it is also a big challenge to the party to revive the partymen after the announcement of the election schedule by the election commission recently. In this situation, the BNP wants to make a bonanza of the movement by facing these challenges and hurdles. For this, the high command of the party has been conducting top leaders of the other opposition and like-minded parties.    

“The win of the people is knocking on the door. Democracy will be established in the country and its people will be freed,” Rizvi added.

He also called the people from all walks of life including party leaders and activists to observe BNP’s every political programme including hartal on Sunday and Monday.   

Sources said BNP high-command think they have successfully disconnected the whole country from the capital Dhaka by their blockades. However, they didn’t have success in the capital as everything was normal in Dhaka city during the recent blockades. This time, BNP wants to cripple the capital Dhaka. For this, they have already instructed all self-hiding leaders to join the next tough programmes like hartal. The same message has been sent to the high-ups of the like-minded parties. BNP is hopeful about the next well-planned programmes.

Jamaat and other like-minded parties also called hartal on Sunday and Monday. The high command of the BNP is mulling more tough movements in future along with their allies. They also hope more power from home and abroad will join their movement which will be a surprise.  

On Wednesday, the election commission announced the schedule of the 12th parliamentary elections. Besides BNP, the Left Democratic Alliance, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, BJP, NDM, AB party and some other political parties have rejected the schedule. Protesting the schedule, they have called hartal for the next two days.   

Meanwhile, the US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has issued letters to three major parties of Bangladesh--Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party calling for a dialogue without any condition. In this situation, the BNP has no option but to go for a tough movement after the announcement of the election schedule without political consensus.

Considering the current situation, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has been sitting with the central and district-level leaders in the last week. In these meetings, divisional secretaries, assistant organising secretaries, city units and leaders of all units have been given clear instructions to make all political programmes successful, said the party sources.

Wishing anonymity, a standing committee member of BNP said their only goal is to give back the ownership of the country to the people. For this reason, they have chosen the path of blockade and hartal to oust the government.

@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 18, 2023 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.