Govt to go slow about ‘Greater Unity Process’

The ruling Awami League will not meet the five-point demand put forward by the newly formed opposition parties’ alliance ‘Greater Unity Process’.

The demands include dissolving the parliament before the election, a polls-time neutral government by 30 September thru a dialogue with the political parties, reforms in the election commission and ensuring that no opposition men will be arrested before the elections.

The government does not want to go hard on the newly formed alliance, rather they would prefer to observe the situation before taking any decision.

The Awami League is currently trying to measure the strength of the alliance. They would single out the weak points of the alliance and criticise them in their speeches and statements. The strategy is to portray the alliance as 'insignificant' before the countrymen.
Other allies in the AL-led 14-party Grand Alliance have been asked to follow the same strategy.

A meeting of the Grand Alliance was scheduled for Monday, to be held at the Dhanmondi AL office. The meeting was to discuss the issues further.

"They have not come together to establish democracy. They have come together to hatch conspiracy. They are trying to create another 1/11 like situation," social welfare minister and Bangladesh Workers Party chairman Rashed Khan Menon said at a congregation held in Babuganj, Barishal on Sunday.

AL policymakers think the unity may not sustain as parties of different ideals have joined the alliance.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the biggest party in the alliance, is not in the driving chair. This leaves the BNP as a ‘bankrupt party’ and the AL plans to carry out mass campaigns highlighting this.

Though the Grand Alliance leaders gave speeches criticising the Unity Process, several top AL leaders said the rally and the declaration of the alliance in presence of the leaders from right, left and moderate wings have stirred discussions.

So their demands may increase pressure on the government for implementation.

The five-point demand stated at the Saturday rally include demands that have been placed by the BNP and several other parties before.

A senior leader of the Awami League seeking anonymity said the same demands had been put forward before the 5 January election in 2014. The government did not meet those demands then. And there is no reason to think that the Awami League will meet the demands this time around.

The opposition parties either have to compel the government to meet their demands or else they have to take part in the election according to the constitution, the AL leader said.

The ruling Awami League considers that Gana Forum, Bikalpa Dhara, JSD and other parties of the Unity Process lack in field level organisational strength and the principle role therefore lies to the BNP.

There are a huge number of cases against the BNP leaders and activists. The BNP men would be arrested as soon as they come to the field and try to do something, feel the ruling party leaders.