BNP’s Dhaka sit-in lacked coordination, questions raised

BNP held its grand rally in Dhaka following much drama and within a very short span of time. The very day after the rally, the sit-in at Dhaka’s entry points was declared. The massive rally on the previous day did not have much impact on this programme. Participation was poor.

According to several senior leaders of the party and other leaders at various levels, it was learnt that the sit-in programme lacked coordination. As a result, the five-hour sit-in on Saturday, the day after the grand rally, did not quite take off. Now questions are being raised at the field level about the public rallies scheduled for today, Monday, at districts and cities around the country, following a series of programmes at a city, district, union and division level, culminating in the grand rally at Dhaka. Many apprehend that the leaders and activists around the country may feel frustrated as they had wanted Dhaka-centered programmes in the final stages of the movement.  

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, however, told Prothom Alo, “This is not a part of the movement’s programme. It is a protest against the attack by the police and Awami League hoodlums. It is not enough just to protest in Dhaka alone. The people must know about this. We have not announced the programme of our movement as yet.”

The Dhaka sit-in programme of Saturday is now being discussed all over the country. Political observers, even BNP’s activists and supporters, feel that while the Friday grand rally in Dhaka had boosted the morale and enthusiasm of the party leaders, activists and supporters, the lackluster sit-in on the next day served to dampen the success of the grand rally. Discussions are dominated by weaknesses in the sit-in programme rather than the success of the grand rally. Many analysts see this as a dent in the opposition’s one-point demand for the government to step down.

Five leaders of BNP, including a standing committee member, vice chairman and advisors, spoke about the matter. They all admitted a glaring weakness in the sit-in programme. But questions are arising from among the grassroots leaders and activists as to whether this was due to organisational weakness, lack of coordination among the leadership or anything else. Speculations abound as to why thousands hadn’t gathered at the sit-in points just a day after such a massive grand rally.

BNP leaders at a policymaking level say that the objective of the sit-in programme on the day after the grand rally, has been achieved. They wanted to see the reaction of the law enforcement agencies and Awami League towards the one-point demand sit-in at juncture when the US, the EU, UN and other international quarters are focusing attention on Bangladesh’s political situation ahead of the election. The government is assuring the international agencies and the foreign governments that it will hold a free, fair and unbiased election. That they are not repressing the opposition leaders and activists in any way. On the other hand, BNP wants to show how the government is denying the opposition of its rights to stage political programmes. The sit-in programme is the latest example. Despite arriving at the venue to take u the sit-in programme, they could not do so due to the attacks launched by the police and ruling Awami League.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dhaka city south BNP member secretary Aminul Huq said, “We wanted to have a peaceful programme. The police and Awami League jointly attacked us. All the media saw how brutally Awami League attacked with rods, hockey sticks, knives, cleavers and choppers, but they couldn’t show this.”

BNP leaders feel that alongside the government’s old strategies of attacks, cases and setting fire to buses, their new tactic is assault and then put on a display of hospitality. Two major leaders of BNP, Gayeswar Roy and Amanullah Aman, were picked up from the programme, beaten and then shown hospitality. Party leaders say that the people understand that this is just a new drama of the government. They are not duped by it.

Other than the carelessness and coordination weaknesses in the sit-in programme, there were also differences over holding the programme on the day after the grand rally, party sources say. But the party’s top leadership wanted this programme. Many feel this was one of the reasons that the sit-in was not as expected. Also, alongside BNP Dhaka city, adequate cooperation was not seen as hoped for from Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swechachhascebok Dal and Chhatra Dal.   

According to sources, there were quarters within the policymaking leadership who were not in favour of a sit-in at this stage. They reasoned that the leaders and activists who had come in from all over the country for the grand rally, were exhausted. Many of them had been staying here and there in Dhaka for three days or so. They were thus against the sit-in at this time. There are some who feel that leaders at a higher level had been careless about the programme. Even later into the night it hadn’t been determined which leaders would lead the sit-in programmes at the various points. Many of the standing committee members, vice chairmen and other leaders also failed to carry out their responsibilities.

However, a standing committee member of BNP told Prothom Alo, “Perhaps what happened at the sit-in programme is something to be disappointed about, but we are not disappointed.”