Awami League is seeing the clashes between the police and BNP as an opportunity to place BNP under further pressure. The ruling party feels that the death of a policeman, the attack on the residence of the chief justice, setting fire to vehicles, has put BNP under pressure. The ruling party will attempt to ensure that this pressure is not lifted up until the election.
In response to BNP’s hartal (general strike), Awami League has called for peace rallies in all cities o the country including Dhaka, as well as in all upazilas and thanas. The party leaders say they aim at rendering BNP’s hartal a failure. Awami League men will remain on the streets today to ensure that BNP’s hartal cannot succeed. If they can ensure the hartal it a failure, then it will be difficult for BNP to come up with new programmes.
The ruling party leaders are relieved that Saturday’s clashes were with the police rather than with Awami League leaders and activists. Sources say that it was understood that BNP’s movement would not remain peaceful eventually and so Awami League had been on alert. It is a relief that the blame did not fall on Awami League, the leaders feel.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Awami League’s organizing secretary in charge of Dhaka division, Mirza Azam, said BNP have killed a policeman, have created chaos, attacked the chief justice’s residence. The law enforcement will not spare them. Awami League will remain in peaceful position on the streets till the election he said.
Awami League has been on the streets with programmes countering BNP’s programmes since December last year. The ruling party had been aggressive before Saturday’s programme and the party men had been told to come prepared for any circumstances. Many of the leaders even instructed the activists to bring along heavy sticks. The party men did so on Saturday, openly bringing alone bamboos, plastic pipes, hockey sticks and planks of wood to the Awami League rally. There were not many banners seen this time.
Awami League sources said there had been apprehensions that clashes may break out during the two programmes, but the ruling party leaders did not want the blame to fall on them. They were on alert. Bringing the sticks to the rally was part of their precaution and basically to strike fear among the BNP leaders and activists.
Sources at a high level in Awami League have said that BNP has wanted to keep Awami League under pressure with its one-point demand for the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. And Awami League was waiting for any slip up BNP made in its programmes and to capitalise on that. They will use yesterday’s clashes between BNP and the police to put pressure on BNP so that it cannot rise up before the election schedule is announced. Meanwhile, arrests of BNP men with continue.
A central leader of Awami League, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said whatever is to be done now will be done by the law enforcement. Awami League will remain on the streets with its political programmes. They will make statements from all levels that BNP’s narrative of being peaceful was just a façade. They are as violent as before. Awami League will also use the attack on the chief justice’s house, the death of a policeman and the attack on the police hospital to mobilise public opinion against BNP.
Awami League sources say that there had been attention focused from home and abroad on BNP’s Saturday rally. The western diplomats in Dhaka had been focused on it too. That is why Awami League wanted to display public support for its party rally on Saturday. The party leaders feel they have been successful.
Awami League policymaking level leaders say that BNP has managed to gather huge crowds at its rallies in recent times. But when the police turned aggressive yesterday, they dispersed within a short time. Awami League is pleased that BNP will not be able to pose as a threat before the next election.
Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif told Prothom Alo, “We have long been saying that BNP is a terrorist and violent party. They proved it once again yesterday.” He said, if Awami League had not been on the streets on the days of BNP’s programmes, there would have been chaos from long before. They will have to pay the price for yesterday’s anarchy, he said.