by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla in The Daily Star, Nov 4, 2023
Despite the arrests of its top leaders, the BNP is determined to continue its movement until the demand for election under a non-partisan interim government is met, say several party leaders.
The party, however, plans to bring changes to its strategy because a tough programme like blockade may lose effectiveness if enforced for a long time. Besides, the BNP also risks losing “public sympathy”, which it earned over the years, for such programmes that inflict sufferings on people, according to them.
The party leaders said they are now planning to announce some fresh programmes.
“There will be a variation in the programmes. They may include siege to establishments and hartal,” said a senior leader, wishing not to be named.
The BNP is likely to refrain from any protests or demonstrations on November 7 which it observes as the national revolution and solidarity day.
Following its October 28 rally, the BNP observed a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal and enforced a three-day blockade. It is also going to enforce a two-day blockade from tomorrow.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, a number of party leaders said people do not like it when a blockade continues for days, and that is what happened during the BNP’s movement ahead of the January 5 election in 2014.
Contacted last night, Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of the party, said, “We will continue our democratic movement until the government bows down to the will of the people.”
On November 1 night, the BNP standing committee held a meeting and discussed the latest political situation and chalked out a strategy for its movement.
The committee members said the government foiled the BNP’s October 28 rally with a plan to hold the national election excluding the BNP and its like-minded political parties.
They also discussed how police began arresting opposition leaders and activists after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina termed the BNP a terrorist party and said its leaders must learn a lesson.
They also expressed fears that law enforcers will continue to arrest BNP activists until the election and no one will be released before the polls.
The Election Commission is likely to announce the polls schedule this month, and the election may be held in the first week of January.
“This is why we do not have any choice but to continue our movement,” said another senior BNP leader.
The BNP claims at least 4,847 leaders and activists, including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, two standing committee members, three joint secretaries general, have been arrested over the last 11 days.
Many party leaders have been staying away from their homes to avoid arrest.
Since most of the leaders are either in jail or on the run, there is a risk that activists would get confused, said insiders, adding that that is why the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman regularly talks to district-level leaders and coordinates the movement.
Moyeen Khan said the policymakers of the party also coordinate the overall opposition movement for “restoration of democracy” in the country.
“The BNP is a party with a democratic base whose strength lies in its grassroots workers, and mid and local-level leaders in addition to the top leadership… ,” he added.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/next-course-movement-bnp-looks-options-other-blockade-3460816
