The BNP is weighing the necessity of launching a fresh movement at an appropriate time to force the government to hold the next general elections under a neutral administration, according to party leaders. The party is making preparations and selecting appropriate candidates for the next general elections. But it is also getting prepared to take to the streets anew, if the government persists in its stance to hold the polls under the present regime, said the leaders.

The BNP, which had boycotted the January 5, 2014 elections, wants to formerly place a proposal this time for an election-time supportive government at a convenient time and carry out a mass contact programme in favour of the demand. Finally, the party would launch a movement, taking people with it, if the government did not concede the demand, the leaders added.

Talking to The Independent, the party rank and file expressed similar views about the party’s next course of action especially after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently rejected the possibility of holding talks with the BNP over the next polls.

The party policymakers assume that the ruling Awami League will not accept the demand easily to hold the polls under a neutral government and will try to hold another January-5-like election with the help of the law enforcers. The party is chalking out its next course of action, keeping this in

mind, they said. “We will continuously focus on our demand to hold the polls under a neutral government. It is their (AL) business as to what extent they will accept it,” said BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

He said the people would give a fitting reply if the government tried to hold the next polls by undermining democracy and disregarding public opinion.

The former minister said they would determine their next course of action in the light of the government’s attitude after the BNP placed the outline of the much-talked about election-time supportive government.

“We have already demanded the creation of a level playing field for all the stakeholders and the holding of the election by dissolving the present parliament. We will place the framework for the election-time supportive government at an appropriate time,” he said.

“The party will then launch a mass contact programme in favour of its demand. And the next course of action will be fixed observing the attitude and behaviour of the government,” he added.

Dr Mosharraf said the AL deceived the people and undermined their opinion during the January 5 “lopsided elections”.

“We believe the same incident will not recur this time. People will take to the streets to restore their voting rights and we will stay beside them,” he added.

Another standing committee member, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, said the people wanted the government to hold the next elections under a neutral administration, as they did not want to see a voter-less poll again.

The situation will determine the type of programme the BNP would to take for the restoration of the rights of the people. We all know there are apprehensions of being implicated in false cases, being sent to prison and made victims of enforced disappearances for trying to restore the rights of the people, he said.

Replying to a question, he said movements in the past had not been held in an organized manner. Hence, this time the situation would dictate what type of programme should be adopted to realise the demand of the people, he added.

BNP vice chairman Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, along with taking preparations for the next polls, the party was making preparations for a movement to force the government to hold the next polls under a neutral administration.

“The BNP has no alternative but to take to the streets, as the government wants to hold a January-5 like poll by taking the help of the police force and implicating opposition leaders and activists in false cases,” he said.

Organising secretary (Rajshahi Division) Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu said the party would formally place the demand for a neutral government to hold the next polls.

“Despite this, if the government does not take any initiative for talks, the only option would be to launch a movement. Nobody knows which way the situation will then turn,” he said.

The former minister said if the government did not heed the demand, the people would force it to accept it.

“The party is making preparation both for the next polls as well as a movement to realize our demand,” he added.

The BNP, which is neither in government nor in Parliament, had boycotted the January 5, 2014 elections, as its demand for holding the polls under caretaker government had not been met. The party launched two movements before and after the polls but failed.

As result of the agitations, many people were killed and thousands injured in the pre- and post-poll violence. BNP leaders including party chairperson Khaleda Zia had been implicated in many cases as the government adopted a hard line following the violent programme of the party.