Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) firm determination to turn around and bring qualitative changes within the party, remains far away mainly due to bitterness among the party ranks and files.
Besides, the party has repeatedly failed to strengthen its ongoing anti-government movement as most of its high-ranking leaders including district and municipality units’ presidents and secretary reside in capital Dhaka. They still remain untouched with the grassroots’ leaders and workers. These leaders are now becoming very active to get party tickets for contesting the upcoming polls.
So, the BNP’s senior leaders have backtracked from its rigid decision as it is reportedly going to participate in the next parliamentary polls in a bid to come out of the quicksand of blunder the party sank into after the January-5 election of 2014 and December 30 election in 2018. A story headlined ‘BNP to take part in next JS polls’ published in this newspaper on Tuesday says majority of top leaders in BNP, including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, are in favour of taking part in the election for the sake of the party’s existence and as per the willingness of the party’s grassroots level.
As crack developed between BNP’s Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman currently living in exile in London and top leaders in Dhaka over participation in the next poll. Tarique Rahman has already declared that BNP would not participate in the election under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government while the party’s stalwarts think there is no alternative but to join polls for the existence of the party.
This time, the BNP will not do
the same mistake again
considering its
existence in the
politics
Tarique wants to foil the upcoming 12th parliamentary election in Bangladesh at any cost and, that is why, he has directed his party's unruly leaders to unleash anarchy across the country. But, the party’s senior leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir do not want anarchy. Rather they are willing to take part in the next general election.
The then opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia also used to go to her designated office at the parliament with protocol and security provided by the government. The BNP MPs also enjoyed various benefits as the members of the parliament. They were also the members of parliamentary standing committee.
But when the party boycotted January 5 polls in 2014 and December 30 polls in 2018, its senior leaders were completely disconnected from the parliament and failed to enjoy all facilities as one of the two major political parties in Bangladesh. If the party will not join the 12th national parliamentary polls, it will fall in more vulnerable situation in Bangladesh politics.
So, this time, the BNP will not do the same mistake again considering its existence in the politics. It is nothing rather it is a political strategy of the party to put tremendous pressure on the incumbent government to get support from the foreign country.
On the other hand, country’s peace-loving people and pro-liberation forces want to get rid of the curse of frequent terror acts patronised by what they say ‘BNP-Jamaat clique’. Country’s people are now very cautious about choosing their next government as they do not want to witness the repetition of killings, corruptions, irregularities, and patronising of war criminals again.
Therefore, we think BNP leaders will participate in the upcoming elections coming out of the wrong politics. BNP could not oust the government by waging movements, agitations, demonstrations, blockades and sit-in programs.
They will fall into deep depression being failed in the field again. Country’s people want to have a strong opposition party in Bangladesh. It is important for the accountability of any country’s government.
