The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been out of the state power for the longest period of time in its 37 years’ political history.
One of the leading political parties in the country, the BNP has recorded 8 years 11 month and 25 days being out of ruling position, breaking the previous 8 year 11 months and 24 days’ record.
Of its 37 years in politics, it had been in power for several times and had also served as opposition in parliament on a number of occasions, but after the 5 January 2014 general election, the party, for the first time, has been out of parliamentary politics as it is neither in treasury bench nor in opposition in parliament now.
For the last time, the party was in the main opposition in the parliament between 2009 and 2014.
Earlier, in 1996-2001, the nationalist party was voted as an opposition party in the parliament.
The main counterpart of the party Awami League came in power after 21 years on June 23, 1996.
According to the present constitution, which has been amended for 16th time, the next national elections will be held any time between 1 November 2018 and 29th January 2019.
There are nearly three years to go before the next elections, if the BNP fails to compel government to hold a new election in the meantime.
The BNP has already ‘failed’ to topple the government as its three-month anti-government nonstop movement came to an end in April 2015.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia said the party will reinforce its anti-government movement after reorganizing the party leadership, but the government said it has no plan to hold national elections before the constitutional timeline.
BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman said BNP is a party of the masses. The party led the nation in many crises, he added.
The BNP senior leader thinks that international conspiracy and the party failures are behind the BNP’s blackout in power.
BNP joint secretary general Md Shahjahan said whether a party will be in power is a democratic practice. If the democratic process prevails, it’s not any matter of concern, but democracy is absent in the country’s politics. Working for the country should be main purpose of politics. Party workers are going through terrifying conditions.
Founder of the BNP, Ziaur Rahman, assumed in power on 7 November 1977 on the background of a series of coups and anti-coups after the massacre of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975.
Ziaur Rahman founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on 1 September 1978 during his regime.
On 30 May 1981, Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in a coup. Later, on 24 March 1982 the then General Hussain Muhammad Ershad came into power overpowering the then vice president Justice Abdus Sattar. The BNP then had been out of power for over eight years till 20 March 1991 when the Khaleda Zia-led BNP came in power again.
The BNP ruled Bangladesh for a total of 14 years and three terms since its birth.