BNP wants to hold strong mass sit-in programme

Like the mass rally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants to hold a strong mass sit-in programme, the second initiative of their simultaneous movement, as well. The programme will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, in every division of the country, including Dhaka. According to the sources in the party, different sorts of organisational preparations have been taken to ensure a mass gathering in tomorrow’s programme.

In Dhaka, the mass sit-in programme will be held in the Naya Paltan area of Dhaka from 11.00am to 3.00pm. However, the BNP is yet to get the permission from the police to hold the programme as of Monday.

Notably, BNP has embarked upon a simultaneous movement with a 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and holding the election under a non-partisan and neutral government and a 27-point proposal to reform the state.

After holding the mass rally, the party has announced a sit-in programme in 10 divisions, including the organisational divisions, as the second programme of their simultaneous movement. The Ganatantra Mancha, the 12-party alliance and likeminded nationalist alliances have announced to hold the programme separately along with the BNP.

The next programme under this simultaneous movement will be declared from the mass sit-in programme. The party has asked the Ganatantra Mancha, the 12-party alliance and likeminded nationalist alliances for their consent regarding the possible next initiatives under this movement. Many have proposed organising a long march towards Dhaka and holding rallies at the district level.

Sources in the BNP said the members of the standing committee had been especially assigned to ensure a peaceful and disciplined programme. Actually, the programmes will be led by the senior leaders of the party in 10 divisions.

Already, some instructions have been issued from the central office of BNP to make the programme a success. The other central BNP leaders, who have not been assigned to lead the divisional programme, have been instructed to take part in the programme from their own areas.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, BNP central vice-chairman Abdul Awal said, “We want to turn the ongoing movement into a mass revolution. Apart from the party leaders and activists, a massive number of non-political persons have taken part in all the previous programmes of the BNP in recent times. We are assuming that the movement is leaning towards a mass revolution.”

According to the sources in BNP, BNP has sent a letter to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) seeking the permission to hold the sit-in programme in front of the central office of the party in the capital’s Naya Paltan. BNP vice-chairman AZM Zahid Hossain and legal affair secretary Kaiser Kamal sat in a meeting with the DMP commissioner at his office yesterday evening. It has been learnt that several other top officials of the DMP were present at the meeting.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, AZM Zahid Hossain said, “We have asked for the permission to hold the four-hour sit-in programme peacefully in front of our party office. They (the DMP) are making us different excuses in the name of public suffering. Lastly, they told us that they would inform us in this regard on Tuesday.”

The sources concerned say that the police said at the meeting that as Wednesday is a working day, a sit-in programme on the streets that day would result in public sufferings. Following that, the BNP leaders countered them with a question that won’t the two programmes announced by the Awami League on the same day create any public sufferings. After that, the DMP officials told them none would be allowed to hold programmes on the streets on Wednesday

Jamaat-e-Islami held a mass rally simultaneously at the call of BNP. However the party will not take part in the mass sit-in programme. According to the sources in the party, marking the establishment of the military-backed caretaker government on 11 January 2007, the Jamaat will observe "democracy killing day" on Wednesday, 11 January. They will hold discussions in all divisions, including Dhaka.

Asked about organising separate programmes this time, Jamaat's central nayeb-e-amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told Prothom Alo, "We are still in the simultaneous movement. However, there is a slight difference in the programmes organised this time. The main goal of the simultaneous movement is to hold programmes on the basis of consensus and carry it out. The BNP, as a big political entity, is deciding about the programmes alone. As a big party, Jamaat too will hold programmes in its own way."

This is the first political programme of the opposition in the new year. Therefore, the BNP wants to create a hype through this programme.

Speaking regarding this, BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said, "The massive gatherings in the recent programmes of BNP indicate that the people do not want this government anymore. We want to turn it into a mass revolution by engaging more people."

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam and standing committee member Mirza Abbas came directly to Naya Paltan after being released from prison yesterday. A large number of leaders and activists greeted them there.

At that time, Mirza Fakhrul said, "The government won't be able to suppress the movement by arresting and torturing us. The people of the country have woken up to claim their rights."