'We are not searching for people from BNP'
Two former leaders of BNP, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Taimur Alam Khandakar, joined Trinamool BNP and are installed in the top leadership of the party. This has created a stir in political circles. Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury has taken over as the chairman of Trinamool BNP and Taimur Alam as secretary general. There are speculations as to whether their party is the new 'king's party'. Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, suddenly the talk of the town, speaks in an interview with Prothom Alo's Qadir Kallol.
You and another former BNP leader Taimur Alam Khandakar have both joined Trinamool BNP and come to the party's top leadership. Is this actually a 'king's party'? BNP and other parties have taken a stand against contesting in the election under the present government. On the other hand, there is talk that the government is forming several king's parties to make the election seem inclusive. Has any quarter launched your Trinamool BNP into the fray as part of this process?
The last king's party that had been launched in Bangladesh was Dr Yunus' Janata Shakti. There was no opportunity for any king's party after that in Bangladesh. In no way are we any king's party. It is a complete misconception that we have formed this party with anyone's support or shelter. We stand on our own feet. When Nazmul Huda formed Trinamool BNP, he did so on his own accord. That is why we have our limitations -- organisational, financial and workforce. We will go ahead. We are not a king's party. We are a party of the people. We are a completely independent party and we will proceed ahead with our ideology.
But when you left BNP in 2015, you had said that you were retiring from politics. So why have you entered politics again and joined Trinamool BNP?
My political career began in 2008 with BNP. Then for various reasons I resigned from BNP. In my resignation letter I clearly wrote that since I am a freedom fighter, patriotism runs in my veins. If I am in good health, if I have the opportunity to serve the country and the people, I will work for the welfare of the people.
At one point of time I got involved in the politics of Bikalpadhara. Basically it was because of Professor Baduddoza Chowdhury that the party appealed to me. He had been the president. He had a role in the founding of BNP yet that party humiliated him. Bikalpadhara had new things to say about the society and the system of government. It was with those considerations that I went to Bikalpadhara, but they failed to reach their objectives. And so I left the party.
After leaving Bikalpadhara, you were inactive for long in politics.
I was not in the political field, but I kept watch on politics. And I had a long-standing close relationship with Nazmul Huda. He had been humiliated and ignored in the old party (BNP). He was one of the founders of BNP. BNP is in a movement now for elections under a non-party government. It was Nazmul Huda who had drawn up the outline for this back in 1994. He had been a minister of the BNP government at the time. Awami League had been in a movement for a caretaker government. When Nazmul Huda came up with this proposal, BNP removed him from his position as minister and from then he broke away from BNP. After several attempts, he finally formed Trinamool BNP.
Trinamool BNP was registered as a party a few days before he died in February. After he died, his wife Advocate Sigma Huda invited me to work with them. I then joined Trinamool BNP on certain conditions I put forward for a political stand against bad governance, corruption, criminalisation, and so on. Since we have now taken to the field, our first task will be to build up the organisation all over the country and give it an organisational structure.
You were in BNP before and now in Trinamool BNP, similar names. Was this with the intention to confuse the voters? This could cause a reaction within BNP too. How do you see that?
This is nothing new. In India there is Congress and Trinamool Congress. That doesn't mean this is to confuse the voters. We will try to stand on our own strength. We will work with as many seats as we can manage to win in the parliament on our own strength.
Your words indicate that you intend to contest in the election. But there is conflict over the system of the election-time government. BNP is in a one-point movement for the resignation of this government. Ruling Awami League, on the other hand, is heading towards the election. So this means you all are going to join the election.
Frankly speaking, it was Awami League and Jamaat that raised the demand for a non-party government in 1993-94 during the BNP government rule. It was Nazmul Huda who came up with an outline for this back then. But the fact is, this is not in the constitution. There is no time or scope to amend the constitution now. Awami League is with an absolute majority in parliament. They are not under any pressure. I feel there is no need to amend the constitution now. If it can be possible to ensure that the public administration and the law enforcement agencies perform their duties neutrally and for the election commission to boldly use its authority, then it will be possible to have a free, fair and inclusive election. But those factors must be ensured.
Will it be possible to create such an environment?
I think it will be possible.
That means you are in the election fray.
We are preparing for the election. I will contest too. We will try to field 200 to 250 candidates.
Will you contest from a seat in Sylhet?
We will discuss the matter in the party and decide later.
Have you had discussions with the government about participating in the election?
No, there have been no discussions. In 2018 the government held dialogue before the election. If the government has dialogue with the political parties this time too, we will certainly join. We will have dialogue as a party. We are also preparing for dialogue with the election commission. If other parties or alliances want to hold dialogue with us, we will hold talks. We can talk if their ideology matches our aims to establish non-communal politics.
BNP is alleging that so-called parties with nothing but a name have been given registration. The government wants to use these parties to hold a fixed election. They say you too are a part of this process.
I said, I am not a part of that. We got our registration long ago through the court. We are a party that stands on its own feet. Why will we join a fixed election? The people are ready to vote. They could not vote in 2014 and in 2018. They want to vote this time. That environment must be created.
Do the people have a chance to vote in the prevailing circumstances?
The people are ready to vote. Look at the local government elections. There was huge turnout of voters and the election was highly competitive. If you look at the Gazipur city corporation election, it was the candidate contesting against Awami League who won.
But there is a difference between local government and national elections. There are questions surrounding the 2014 and 2018 national elections. That is why there are apprehensions about the forthcoming election, many say. What would you say?
I feel that the people will be able to cast their votes this time, particularly if the new parties stand on their own strength. The people are ready to vote and the election will be a competitive one.
Trinamool wants to field candidates in 250 seats, but how many district committees do you have now?
We have 12 district committees. Nazmul Huda had also made a human rights group. His people are all over the country. We are endeavouring to form Trinamool BNP committees in all districts.
You and two top leaders of Trinamool BNP were in BNP politics. So before the election, the new parties including Trinamool BNP will try to lure in people from BNP and other anti-government parties. That is what is being discussed. Are there any such plans in place?
Such speculations may be in the market, but we are not searching for people from BNP. We are looking for youth, for people from all professions and those who want to contest in the election. But their ideologies must match ours. The people are looking for something new.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you very much too.