AL in dilemma: To suppress BNP now or later

Awami League Flag. Prothom Alo File Photo
Awami League Flag. Prothom Alo File Photo

Ruling Awami League (AL) is in a dilemma as to whether it will repress the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or allow it to observe peaceful programmes uninterrupted, calling for the release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

BNP chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, now in jail, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on 8 February. Since then, the BNP leaders and activists have been observing peaceful political programmes to press home their demand of releasing Khaleda Zia.

According to AL policymakers, if the ruling party obstructs BNP from observing its peaceful programmes, Khaleda Zia and BNP may win public sympathy. But at the same time if AL lets BNP observe its programmes, the party may get the opportunity to reorganise, they said.

The AL leaders also said that the BNP has been trying to prove itself as a peaceful party and its leaders and activists’ participation in the BNP programmes has increased recently. If this continues, BNP may gain strength before the next general elections. And so the ruling party is in a dilemma over allowing BNP’s programmes, they also said.

Ruling party insiders said that BNP went all out to foil the 10th parliamentary election in 2014 by observing programmes like general strikes and blockades and the government got an excuse to repress the opposition party then.

But over the past few months, the BNP has displayed its stand for peace. The ruling party thought that the BNP would launch violent demonstrations after its chairperson’s imprisonment, but it did not do so, they observed.

According the AL leaders, the ruling party has taken a number of counter strategies to frustrate the BNP’s tactics. First, AL leaders would project the BNP programmes to free Khaleda Zia as contempt of court. Secondly, law enforcers would continue the ongoing arrest spree of the BNP leaders and activists. And thirdly, the government would not allow the BNP’s street agitations if Khaleda Zia is released on bail. 

Awami League presidium member Muhammad Faruk Khan said BNP lacks seriousness to legally prove Khaleda Zia innocent and to obtain bail for her.

The main goal of the BNP leaders, rather, is to gain public sympathy by alleging that Khaleda was not given due facilities in the jail, he noted.

The AL leader argued BNP will get sympathy if the party lawfully proves Khaleda Zia innocent.

Faruk Khan observed their movements, either violent or peaceful, will go in vain.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia landed in the abandoned central jail after a makeshift court convicted her and sentenced her to five years in jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on 8 February.

Amid tight security and presence of a huge number of law enforcers in the capital, a large number of BNP leaders and activists joined the motorcade of Khaleda Zia on her way to the court on 8 February, which stunned the ruling party.

After the judgement, BNP announced two-day demonstration programmes to press home their demand to release Khaleda Zia.

Then BNP peacefully observed a human chain, a sit-in programme and a hunger strike.

BNP has been avoiding any clashes with the law enforcers while observing their protest programmes.

The principal opposition of the country announced a three-day protest programme on Thursday.

The BNP will collect mass signatures across the country on Saturday. On 18 February, the party will submit memorandums to all deputy commissioners’ office, and will stage demonstrations in all the district and metropolitan cities, except Dhaka, on 20 February.

BNP wants to hold a public rally in Dhaka on 22 February. The party has already sought permission from the authorities to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan or in front of the party’s Naya Paltan central office.

Insiders of the government said there is little possibility that BNP will be given permission to hold a rally in Suhrawardy Udyan. Permission may be given to hold the rally may at Naya Paltan, the insiders said.

AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the law enforcement agencies and the government will decide on whether or not permission will be granted to BNP to hold a rally. It is not the business of Awami League, he added.

According to AL central leaders, BNP has realised violence cannot be used to force the government to step down or to release Khaleda Zia.

BNP is trying to use Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment to garner public sympathy, the leaders observed.

Simultaneously, BNP wants to unite and organise the party before the national elections slated to be held at the year end.