BNP alliance on the brink of a break

The 20-party alliance led by BNP is on the brink of a break. It is alleged that the government is making all out efforts to create a rift in the alliance in order to render BNP psychologically weak and to isolate it before it launches its anti-government movement.

Several leaders of the alliance have said that the government is trying to take at least five parties away from the alliance. They say that along with intelligence agencies, a number of retired military officers are also involved in this effort. It is almost final that the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Bangladesh Islamic Party are leaving the 20-party alliance.

BNP Chairperson and leader of the alliance Khaleda Zia is aware of the matter. She is considering strategies to counter this ploy.

Even before the 5 January election efforts had been made to break the BNP-led 18-party alliance. Key leaders of the allies had been offered positions in the cabinet to lure their parties to the election. Those endeavours had failed and now fresh efforts are being made.

This time, party insiders feel, the government aims to weaken the party by piling cases upon the senior leaders. They also plan to draw a number of parties away from the alliance.

National Democratic Party (NDP) and Bangladesh Islamic Party have called a joint press conference for today, Saturday, at noon. It is expected that they will announce their decision to leave the alliance.

MA Rashid, secretary general of Islamic Party, tells Prothom Alo, "We have been a long time in the BNP alliance but have not been given due respect. We were part of the movement for caretaker government but could not achieve anything. We must take up something new for the sake of the people and for democracy."

Alamgir Majumdar, secretary general of NDP, has not finalised whether they will announce their departure from the alliance on Saturday. He says, "Nothing has been resolved about our interests in the alliance. At the press conference we will criticise BNP, the main party of the alliance."

There are also speculations that Bangladesh Muslim League, led by Zubeida Quader Chowdhury (Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury's sister) and Atiqul Islam, are also preparing to leave the 20-party alliance.

On 24 August, National People's Party (NPP) chairman Shawkat Hossain Nilu declared that they would be leaving the alliance. Earlier, National Awami Party (Bhasani-NAP) led by Sheikh Anwarul Huq, left the alliance. BNP had already shunned him by not including him in the alliance meetings.

There are reports that the parties who plan of leaving the 20-party alliance, will join together to form a new alliance, the Democratic Nationalist Front. This will officially be announced on 25 September.

An intelligence agency is reportedly behind the formation of this new front. A powerful advisor of the government is supervising these moves and has been in direct contact with leaders of BNP's allies over the past few months.

Tariqul Islam, member of BNP's standing committee, says, "The government is instigating a break in the BNP-led alliance. They want to weaken BNP before future movements." He says such efforts were made in the past, but to no avail. The people are conscious.