The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is preparing for its 28 October rally in Dhaka ignoring the warnings of the government, mass arrests and cases by police, party leaders said.
BNP leaders said now their goal is to make the rally a success peacefully and that the party would not engage in the clashes in advance either. The party leaders and activists have been instructed accordingly.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke about a road march from this grand rally during the final phase of the party’s one-point movement to oust the government. There is talk about whether the party would take position on the streets in Dhaka from the rally.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the journalists after a joint press conference on Sunday, “We have asked (the party men) to return to their respective places after the 28 October rally and to wait for the next course of the programme.”
Several party leaders said the 28 October rally will end with announcing the next course of the programme and they are moving ahead with such plans.
Meanwhile, BNP sent a letter to the police seeking permission to hold the rally in front of the party’s central office in Naya Paltan.
If the police recommend an alternative venue, the party will then decide it through a discussion.
Several leaders said BNP, however, would try to hold the rally on 28 October and if the party faces any obstacle centring the rally, it will resist and try to take to the streets.
BNP Dhaka city unit member secretary Aminul Haque told Prothom Alo over the phone on Sunday afternoon that they want to hold the rally peacefully, but if they face any obstacles, they will resist.
BNP mulls laying a siege to the secretariat from the 28 October rally, but the programme is yet to be finalised.
Party leaders said they will start non-stop programmes after the grand rally, and the party will adopt the next course of action after observing the ruling party and police’s reaction to the Dhaka rally.
For this reason, all party leaders and activists have been instructed to take all-out preparations.
Saying that the rally is a part of the party’s broader movement, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said they will announce non-stop programmes after the rally.
Ignoring police raids
A party leader who stays on the frontline during the party programmes told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that a message on “Power first, prison behind” has been given to the grassroots.
Since police created obstacles during the big event of the party many times in the past, this time they are paying heed to it.
This leader said they have chalked out the plans and set alternative strategies to face all kinds of obstacles.
No matter how big the obstacle is this time leaders and activists will not retreat and they will try to implement the party decision defying all challenges.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday also talked about police raids at the joint press conference on the Dhaka rally. He said 47 fictitious cases have so far been filed after the announcement of the grand rally. A total of 12,730 were accused in these cases and 460 of them were arrested.
Party leaders and activists have been instructed to stay alert on arrests and newly filed cases, as well as implement party programmes ignoring the fear of being arrest.
Participating in the party programmes
Porthom Alo talked to six important leaders of BNP and its associate bodies. A leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal said they have received messages from the centre that they must join the rally under any circumstance. They also receive messages in a couple of days on what steps should be taken if the grand rally is barred from happening.
A senior leader of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal told Prothom Alo they are working to bring 500,000 leaders and activists of Jubo Dal at the 28 October rally in Dhaka ignoring mass detention, arrests and other obstacles.
A mid-level BNP leader said they have all kinds of preparation and they will decide when the time comes. He said, “Our backs have been pushed against the wall. There is no option to look back. This time, they are taking plans considering the weaknesses that they face during previous party programmes.”
‘Resistance, if any strike hits’
To date, BNP top level has been advocating for peaceful programmes, but this time the party wants to move ahead with a different strategy. Most of the party leaders and activists expect the government will not obstruct the party from holding the rally as situations have changed to a great extent due to global pressure, and in case any obstacle is created, they will build up a resistance.
BNP central assistant organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh told Prothom Alo they also have different strategies over this last phase’s programme, and that could be learned two or three days prior to the programme.
At least eight leaders of the party’s various levels said this time the situation comes to such a level where it will not happen that the government will prevent them and they will go back home.
Most of them who will come from various districts to join the rally in Dhaka will not return and participate in the next programmes of the party.
After talking to BNP leaders, it seems the party wants to observe the reaction of the law enforcement agencies and the ruling party first and will set the next course of action.
*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna