BNP wasn't prepared for such an incident
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had no preparation for any incident where the government would resort to provocation to foil their grand rally in a planned manner, even after giving them permission, BNP leaders have said.
BNP had a plan to set a final date for the resignation for the government at the grand rally, but that has not been possible.
Before speeches by important leaders including the chief guest, the grand rally was foiled by attacks and clashes.
The BNP leaders think the grand rally has been foiled to stop the united movement of one-point demand of the opposition parties ahead of the national election as the government had an apprehension from the beginning that there would be an eruption of public wrath against the government. The government had a fear that such a grand rally or gathering may turn into a tide of people. To stop that, a situation was created in a planned way to foil the grand rally by utilising the law enforcing agencies.
In a statement sent to the media on Saturday night, Mirza Fakhrul said police and goons of Awami League in a planned manner opened fired and carried out attacks. Jubo Dal leader Shamim Molla has been killed. This planned chaos and armed attacks are unprecedented and despicable.
BNP has called dawn-to-dusk hartal nationwide on Sunday protesting against the incident. Alongside the partner parties and alliances involved in simultaneous movement with BNP, Jamaat also extended its support.
Sources at the BNP policy making level said the hartals may be extended if today's programme is obstructed or there are any big clashes. Such programmes will not be extended if the hartal is peaceful.
A programme like laying a siege to the secretariat may be announced. All the opposition parties will observe this programme simultaneously.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, a leader of the opposition party involved in the simultaneous movement, said BNP will get results if the party can maintain the continuity of hartal programmes. If the party is stopped, the government will benefit ultimately.
BNP has been observing peaceful programmes like meetings, rallies, demonstrations, road marches for long. Many of the leaders and activists were not happy over these programmes one after another. A portion of the party urged to go for hartals and blockades. At last they had to enforce hartal.
BNP leaders said the government always tries to foil any massive rallies of opposition parties resorting to different instigation or tricks. The BNP was more or less aware that the government might try to create a chaotic situation over the grand rally this time too. But the BNP leaders thought that the authorities might affect the BNP grand rally by attacking the rally of Jamaat. Or, the government might create chaos at the end of the BNP programme. But the BNP leaders could not at all perceive that the government would foil the rally using sound grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas.
Several BNP leaders, however, maintained it is not true that the incident has ended or harmed the anti-government movement of BNP or opposition parties. Rather the ongoing movement and the grand rally gave BNP three successes. One is that they united all opposition parties against the government. Secondly, holding mammoth rallies and finally garnering support of democratic world. Also, the government has exposed its heavy handed approach towards the opposition by foiling the grand rally and using the police members.
BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told Prothom Alo last that the incident has laid bare the government’s weaknesses such as its isolation from the people. The government has no courage to do anything with the people. The ruling party has taken a stance against the people using the state force.
Such a strategy can work only temporarily, he said.
The BNP, however, has worries over the death of a policeman, setting vehicles on fire and attacking the chief justice’s residence. Some BNP leaders think that the government would put the blame of these incidents to BNP and the government would use these incidents to arrest and harass BNP men anew.
But a major portion of BNP policymakers said the government might put the blame for the death of police and torching vehicles on BNP, but these facts won’t convince those whom the government needs to convince.