by Riadul Karim in Prothom Alo, Dec 26, 2017 at 21:06 hrs
The country’s principal opposition political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) finds no way but to launch a strong street campaign in the election year 2018.
Talking to Prothom Alo, several senior leaders of the party said they think the party will have to face bigger difficulties if it boycotts the next general election no matter in whatever situation the polls will be held.
So, they said, the party would be preparing for the polls along with street agitation, demanding a party-neutral election-time government to ensure that the polls are free, fair and credible.
The senior leaders said the party would take to the streets throughout the year on various issues like demanding fair polls, anniversary of the 5-January controversial elections, verdict in cases against its chairperson Khaleda Zia and the six city corporation elections.
They said Khaleda has also asked party men to prepare for both elections and street agitation. Senior BNP leaders have already started visiting the party’s 77 organisational districts.
The BNP leaders said they think the court might convict Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and a government move for splitting the party as well as the BNP-led alliance would follow the conviction, in order to put BNP in difficulty.
Talking to Prothom Alo, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said Khaleda will be acquitted if the judgement is based on evidence.
He said they think their arch-enemy Bangladesh Awami League (AL), which has been ruling the country since 2009, will try to influence the verdict.
Asked if the BNP will announce any street agitation programme if Khaleda is convicted, the BNP leader said it is too early to devise a plan in this regard.
Another policy-making level leader of the party said it’ll be very difficult now to realise any demand given the current state of the government and the verdict against Khaleda may bring difficulties further for the party.
Again, there is no possibility of the party’s second topmost leader Tarique Rahman, Khaleda’s son now exiled in UK, retuning anytime soon.
Moudud said although BNP has been asking the government repeatedly to reach consensus over the type of the election-time government, the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) is apparently unwilling to do so.
Against this backdrop, party policymakers think there is no alternative to street agitation.
Talking to Prothom Alo, another standing committee member of the party, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “The next year will be the year of democracy and the year of getting back voting rights.”
He said the people of Bangladesh will build resistance against the conspiracy of occupying state power.http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/168552/BNP-finds-no-way-but-to-take-up-street-campaign
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