Electoral compromise or initiative to avoid unwarranted situation?

A confusion has arisen among the local leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, who were waging movement against the former government simultaneously, over letters BNP recently sent to the party leaders in six areas.

The letters directed the local leaders and activists to assist six leaders of allies, who were in the simultaneous movement, in their political activities.

The local level leaders from both sides are not clear whether the letters hinted at seat compromise in the coming parliamentary election or an initiative to keep them close.

BNP on 22 October sent the “very important” letters to the presidents and general secretaries of six areas to help six leaders of like-minded allies in public campaigns and organisational activities in their areas.

The letter, signed by BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, mentioned that the six leaders played an active and important role in the movement against the fascist Awami League.

The letter also asked them to issue necessary directives to convey the message among the leaders and activists of upazila, pourashava and thana units of BNP and its associate bodies of relevant constituencies.

The six leaders are - Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president ASM Abdur Rab, Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, president of a faction of Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque and general secretary Rashed Khan and Bangladesh Jatiya Dal chairman and 12-party alliance coordinator Syed Ehsanul Huda.

ASM Abdur Rab want to contest in the parliamentary election from Lakshmipur-4 (Ramgati-Kamalnagar) constituency while Mahmudur Rahman Manna from Bogura-4 (Shibganj), Zonayed Saki from Dhaka-12 and Brahmanbaria-6, Nurul Haque from Patuakhali-3 (Galachipa-Dashmina), Rashed Khan from Jhenaidah-1 (Sadar-Harinakundu), and Ehsanul Huda wants to contest the election from Kishoreganj-5 (Nikli-Bajitpur) constituencies.

The letter created a mixed reaction among the local level leaders of the BNP. Though the leaders, who wanted to contest the election from those constituencies did not react openly, they could not accept the matter.

Observing the mixed reactions from the party leaders, the BNP headquarters sent another letter to the local level leaders in all districts. It asked the party’s top leaders to assist the top leaders of other like-minded political parties, which waged movement against the misrule of Awami League simultaneously, so that they could arrange organisational activities without any kind of obstructions.

The instructions of the second letter also have created mixed reactions among the party leaders.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna who wants to contest election from Bogura-4 (Shibganj) constituency, however, told Prothom Alo Wednesday night, “I haven’t received any letter. BNP also has not informed me of anything.”

Several top leaders of BNP and the allies said the leaders of the like-minded parties faced obstructions from the probable candidates of BNP while organising meetings and rallies in those areas.

Later, they sought help from the top leaders of BNP in this regard. Following this, the initiative was taken to avoid any untoward incident and to facilitate their public campaigns unobstructedly.

The letters could be issued from the strategic point of maintaining the political alliance with the like-minded parties in the pre-election period, said political analysts.

Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Nurul Haque told Prothom Alo that the top leadership of BNP sent the letters so that the leaders of the alliance political parties could engage in political activities without any obstruction. Despite this, he alleged, he was facing hindrances in running political activities in his constituency, Patuakhali-3, from the local BNP leaders and activists.

Hasan Mamun is a member of the BNP’s national executive committee who is active in the politics of Patuakhali-3 constituency.

He told Prothom Alo that this letter has no relation with the election. Some rowdy people obstructed Nurul Haque when he went to various places for programmes. Nurul Haque was attacked in Ulaniya during the previous fascist government. BNP wrote the letter for cooperation so that no one can repeat such an incident. This is nothing else.

BNP contested the national election of 2018 forming a partnership with two alliances - one was Jatiya Oikya Front and another was a 20-party alliance.

Of the two alliances, Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum, an entity of the Jatiya Oikya Front, was given seven seats, Nagrik Oikya was given five, ASM Abdur Rab’s JSD was given five, Kader Siddique’s Krishak Sramik Janata League was given two seats. Apart from this, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was given 25 seats with the symbol of paddy sheaf.

Speaking about the letters, field level BNP leaders said had those letters meant for seat sharing issue, such a letter would have been issued to the leaders of the constituencies of LDP chairman Oli Ahmed and secretary general Redoan Ahmed, Bangladesh LDP’s chairman Shahadat Hossain Selim, JSD secretary general Shahid Uddin Mahmud, Gano Forum’s Subrata Chowdhury and so on.

Speaking about this, BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told Prothom Alo Wednesday night, “The reason for the first letter was to stop problems that the top leaders of several like-minded parties were facing while public campaigning in some areas. As confusions arose over the letter, we have issued separate letters in all districts asking our leaders to assist the top leaders of like-minded parties in their organisational activities.”