BNP plans street agitation in Sept
Party to push for Khaleda release, next polls under neutral govt
RAFIQUL ISLAM AZAD
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), arch-rival of the ruling Awami League (AL), plans to take to the streets in September to realise its demand of holding the next general election under a neutral government and free party chairperson Khaleda Zia, according to party leaders. The movement would be held for a short period before the announcement of the poll schedule as the Election Commission has said it would declare the schedule in October.
The BNP, now busy with July 30 elections to the three city corporations in Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet, is unlikely to take any major political action in August because of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. However, grassroots-level leaders have been asked to prepare for the movement to realise the partys demand.
Some BNP leaders said the party might not take up any major political programme in August as the ruling AL observed the month by holding various programmes of mourning to mark the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. So, the party chose September to launch its planned street agitation along with observance of its 40th founding anniversary on September 2.
Other leaders accused the government of unleashing repression on party leaders and activists and provoking them to take to the streets. In that case, they warned that the party might be compelled to take to the streets before Eid.
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said he felt there would be no major programme in August, the month of Eid-ul-Azha. Certainly, there will be programmes in September. There will be a programme before the announcement of the poll schedule to realise our demand for holding the next general election under a neutral administration after freeing our chairperson, he added.
The former minister said they were currently busy with the three forthcoming civic polls. The party was treating its participation in the polls as part of its ongoing movement, he added.
The next course of action will also be taken at a proper time, he noted.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said they were conducting a democratic movement and taking part in the civic polls was part of the whole scheme.
He warned that if the government continued to carry out attacks on party activists across the country, the BNP might consider taking to the streets even before Eid. We wanted to reach an understanding on the current political stalemate. But it seems that the government is compelling the opposition to take to the streets, he added.
Dudu warned that they would take up whatever programme was needed to fulfil their demand of holding the next general election under a neutral administration. He made it clear that the solution to the current political impasse must be found before the announcement of the poll schedule.
BNP Organising Secretary Fazlul Haque Milon said people were ready to take to the streets to fulfil the partys demand of releasing chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is currently serving a five-year prison term after being convicted in a graft case, and holding the next polls under a neutral government.
He claimed people were about to explode against the misrule of the AL-led government and repression on opposition leaders and activists. In case of a call for a democratic movement, people would be more than ready to vent their anger, he added.
The BNP, which had boycotted the last general election, has been demanding that next general polls be held under a non-partisan and neutral government after the release of Khaleda Zia. It is also demanding dissolution of Parliament and deployment of the Army.
