BNP to manage polarisation of its choice?

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants to unite ‘all political parties’ to establish Bangladesh as a democratic and welfare country, said BNP leaders.

The BNP standing committee has finalised the draft of a 15-point demand to achieve its goals, said two standing committee members.

“Parties outside the government said the country cannot run in the way it is now being run. They are also criticising the activities of the government. They want to come out of the crisis. So the issue of a greater unity has emerged,” BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman told Prothom Alo.

Different parties have different demands and accommodating all the demands, the unity would be forged at the end of this month, the BNP leader said adding all the parties have to make compromises in the process.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a programme recently said BNP wants to forge a greater unity even if it has to make compromises. The BNP-led 20-party alliance has supported the party's initiative to forge the greater unity.

BNP claimed that it has progressed in its discussion with Gano Forum and Jukta Front (United Alliance) to forge its greater unity.

In a programme of Gano Forum at the National Press Club, these parties discussed on common issues.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said every party now needs every party. The issue of the national unity has come to the fore as everyone has realised the matter, he said adding the proposals of all parties are being considered and under the process a national unity will be forged.

The main opposition BNP has planned to place its demands to those parties that want to be united, the BNP policymakers said adding they would be able to make a polarisation in politics.

According to the draft, BNP’s six-point demand to join elections has also been included in its 15-point demand.

The BNP has planned to forge a national unity to bring a check and balance in the state power and to stop vindictive politics, the BNP leaders said, their 15-point demand is the reflection of their expectations.

They said a fair election has to be organised to restore democracy in the country. An environment has to be created so that the voters can vote freely, they insisted.

The tasks, which would be accomplished on priority basis if voted to power, have also been mentioned in the 15-point demand, the leaders added.

BNP’s 15-point demand includes unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the election schedule and the reconstitution of the election commission, among others.

The other demands include release of all opposition leaders and activists, the formation of the election-time neutral government through discussion, deployment of army with magisterial power at the polling stations, refraining from the use of EVMs in the polls, establishing a check and balance in the state power, ensuring the independence of the judiciary through fair recruitment and establishing the rule of law in every sphere of the state.

*This report has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.