BNP holds meetings to convey message of oppositions’ unity

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has completed this phase of discussions with the 39 parties and alliances that are involved in simultaneous movement against the government.

The discussion ended with a meeting of Oli Ahmed led Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Friday.

The senior leaders of key opposition, BNP, have been focusing on taking programmes with new strategies in line with the proposals of the allies, said several relevant leaders of the allies of BNP.

The prime objective of this meeting after the last parliamentary elections was to convey to the people this message that the opposition parties are active and united in their endeavour.

At the same time, fixing the ways and programmes how the oppositions would unite on the streets was another objective of the meeting.

However, a debate among some of the allies has started over the questions regarding the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and “anti-India”, said the relevant people. This has made the top leadership of BNP a bit embarrassed, they added.

But the BNP wants to move ahead, sidestepping the two issues for the sake of a wider unity and interests of the movement in the coming days.

Wishing not to be named, a leader of Ganatantra Mancha told Prothom Alo that the current status in the movement of the opposition parties is the simultaneous movement of some parties and alliances on the one hand. A number of parties are also waging movements outside of the simultaneous strategy. The status should remain this way. There is no reality of a united movement including Jamaat. This will create division.

Several parties including the 12-party alliance and Oli Ahmed’s LDP, however, have proposed to include the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the future movements.

Oli Ahmad spoke against those opposing the inclusion of Jamaat in the movement at a press conference held at the party office in the capital’s Moghbazar Saturday.

Speaking about this, Oli Ahmed told the media that he advised the BNP what he considered better. This cannot be said in public.

Ganatantra Mancha is an important ally of the BNP in the simultaneous movement. It is learnt that they have sought assurance of two things from BNP. To democratise the decision-making process regarding movements and programmes in the future, and for this, to empower and strengthen the liaison committee of the two sides.

Putting emphasis on the issue, Saiful Haque, one of the top leaders of the Ganatantra Mancha and general secretary of the Biplobi Workers Party, told Prothom Alo, “We have seen in the past movements what happens in any major movement if decisions are not made through the liaison committee. In such cases, if the decision is wrong, there is no opportunity and time to correct it.”