BNP set to float new idea of ‘national government’

Amid the debate of the opposition parties over an interim government and a national government during the election, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going to unveil a new idea of the ‘national government’

The idea is that if BNP and its allies secure a majority through a free and fair election, the party insiders have said, the national government will be formed with them.

That means even if top leaders of patriotic democratic parties lose in the election, they would also be included in the national government.

A reliable source of BNP said BNP will float this idea of national government soon, by taking initiatives to unite all democratic parties.

Political parties would be told that there would be no national government before the election and it will be formed with the inclusion of leaders of all patriot and democratic parties based on the results of the election.

And for all of these, a nonpartisan and neutral government is necessary for holding a credible and acceptable to all. The national government will be formed in accordance with the polls results.

Sources said BNP wants to from a larger coalition with all anti-governmental parties soon keeping the idea of the national government. Party’s top leadership observes society and values have eroded severely in the past 10 years.

All state and constitutional institutions are on the brink of collapse due to the politicisation by the government. Democratic and voting rights have been snatched away.

Amid such a situation, only change of power will not do anything good. It is necessary to repair society, constitution and law enforcing agencies. As a result, it is necessary to create a unity among all patriot and democratic forces. All will have to find out where reform has to be carried out.

BNP policymakers said the party does not want to do this work alone and they should not do so.

Party sources said its acting chairman presented the new idea of a national government at an event organised by UK BNP on Tuesday on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the independence. After that BNP leaders and activists started campaigning for the idea on social media. BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud and central leader Zahir Uddin Swapan attended the event as chief speaker and special guest.

BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud told Prothom Alo on Wednesday, “We think Awami League has destroyed the democratic institutions of the country in such way and if we win the election, well will form a government of national unity to overcome it. There are many small parties in the country and they also have competent leaders; even they do not win the election we will include them in the national government. And we will form a bicameral parliament.”

BNP has long been trying to bring all anti-government parties under one umbrella. The party leaders also held meetings with at least 30 political parties including 20-party alliance, Jatiya Okya Front, Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD).

The formation of this coalition is yet to work. Debate arose amid the effort to form the coalition over whether the polls-time government would a neutral government or a national government.

The 20-party alliance and two top leaders of Jatiya Oyka Front ASM Abdur Rab and Oil Ahmed opined for a national government. Prior to this, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founding trustee Zafrullah Chowdhury expressed his stance on the national government.

ASM Abdur Rab told Prothom Alo on 22 March that those who will wage movement for the fall of the government based on the national unity, they altogether will from a national unity government for an interim period during the election. This was his proposal but it is not final. And, the matter will be finalised after discussing with all, he added.

BNP policymakers thought about leaving Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of 20-party alliance, out of the larger collation. They were thinking about different strategy to involve Jamaat in the movement. Yet, BNP has no clear outline on whether Jamaat would be in the collation, with whom the larger coalition would be formed and what process would be followed. In particular, there are debates and differences in opinions inside the BNP on whether Jamaat would be in the coalition and not. Now question has also surfaced on what would be the Jamaat’s position in the new idea of the national government.

When asked whether Jammat would be in the national government, Zahir Uddin Swapan living in London told Prothom Alo on Tuesday night that the agenda that will be set by everyone for reformation of the state and if Jamaat agrees to it and if it becomes acceptable to everyone; then all will decide the matter altogether.

BNP is coming up with the idea of national government amid the debate and discussion whether the election would be held under a party government or a neutral government or a national government.

Regarding this, Zahir Uddin Swapan told Prothom Alo that an participatory, free and fair election can only be held under a non-partisan election-time government.

And winning that election, BNP will not form a party government rather they would form a national government and the vision of that government will be to turn this collapsed state into a democratic and humanitarian state, he added.