BNP plans to organise events with relatives of jailed leaders  

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is planning to organise an event engaging relatives of sentenced and jailed leaders 'deprived of justice' in a bid to draw attention of the High Court.   

This particular programme may be executed in Dhaka in the near future. 

Information on this development was gleaned from discussions with several responsible leaders of BNP and their like-minded allies.

The leaders indicated that the introduction of such a event is being weighed to introduce a shift in the ongoing hartal and blockade strategy.

The BNP's primary emphasis lies on preserving party unity and solidarity. Concurrently, there is a concerted effort to bolster the effectiveness of the ongoing movement.

The party will continue its hartal and blockade programmes. Simultaneously, the BNP is contemplating organising a nationwide protest march on the last day of filing nomination papers, scheduled for 30 November. 

BNP insiders have expressed concerns that the government may be moving towards holding 'one-sided' elections forcefully. Consequently, BNP's policymakers advocate for the continuation of a stringent programme until the last day for the submission of nomination papers on 30 November.

Following this, a new programme is slated to be implemented leading up to the polling day on 7 January. During the initial part of December, it is anticipated that there might not be a sustained strike and blockade programme. 

During this period, some participating parties in the simultaneous movement are proposing alternative events such as protests and rallies. Larger programmes are in the planning stages around 7 January. 

It's worth noting that the majority of BNP's offices nationwide, including the central office in Naya Paltan, have remained closed for almost a month since the grand rally in Dhaka on 28 October.

Many central leaders are currently in hiding to evade arrest as they face accusations in various cases. Given this challenging situation, the leaders aim to navigate through the last day of submission of nomination papers.

According to sources at the BNP, the government's attempts to influence the two new parties, Trinamool BNP and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), through pressure, intimidation, and enticement have not yielded significant success so far. The number of individuals joining these two new parties is reportedly not substantial. 

Given this scenario, there is a speculation that the government may resort to pressuring key leaders of BNP to run as independent candidates in the election or join Trinamool BNP and BNM. This fear has led many individuals to refrain from publicly declaring their intentions until the last day of submission of nomination papers. 

However, during a virtual news briefing yesterday, BNP's senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, stated that the ruling party (AL) cannot coerce principled and patriotic politicians.

He highlighted that political leaders are being recruited into the ruling party with promises of financial gain and the prospect of becoming Members of Parliament, often through the state intelligence agencies. Some of these politicians, acquired through financial transactions, have reportedly expressed concerns about their future. 

In light of the overall situation, there is consideration to reopen the central office of the party in Naya Paltan after 30 November. BNP leaders are keen to meet the challenges that may arise from the police during proposed protest and meeting programmes. 

The 48-hour blockade programme initiated today, Sunday, is scheduled to continue until six in the morning next Tuesday.

This marks the seventh blockade programme enforced by BNP, with the primary one-point demand being the resignation of the government along with the prevention of the 'one-sided' schedule for parliamentary elections. Following the 48-hour blockade, sources suggest that another programme, such as a hartal or blockade, may be announced. 

However, Saiful Haque, the leader of the Ganatantra Mancha and the general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, said to Prothom Alo, "If the continuous strike-blockade programme becomes a habit, it will not be effective. We are aware of this. Therefore, discussions are being held on how to move the movement forward by involving people, avoiding sabotage and violence by the government.” 

According to an official source from BNP, there is a growing concern among the party leaders regarding the ongoing arrests and sentences in old cases. BNP asserts that in the last one and a half months, 582 leaders and workers of the party have been sentenced to various terms.

Since the announcement of the schedule for the 12th national election on 15 November, over 4,200 leaders and activists have been arrested nationwide, with 16,125 leaders and activists facing charges in 138 cases. Additionally, more than 16,215 leaders and activists were arrested in four to five days before 28 October. In this challenging situation, BNP is grappling with arrests on one side and trials on the other. 

In response to the challenging situation, the policymakers of BNP are devising a humanitarian programme in Dhaka that involves the family members of leaders and activists who have been sentenced and imprisoned without 'justice.' The primary aim of this programme is to draw attention of the High Court. 

Selima Rahman, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, noted that the upcoming programme might take a somewhat unconventional approach. In a statement to Prothom Alo last night, she said, "The government has pushed BNP into a warlike situation. However, we are unarmed. Regardless of how much the government provokes violence, we are committed to peaceful programmes; that's what we will carry out." 

*This report, originally appeared in Prothom Alo print edition in Bangla, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat