The government has decided not to allow the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to wage a movement with its full capacity, and instructed the law enforcement agencies to suppress the party strictly if its leaders and activists try to take to the streets.
Besides, the leaders and activists of ruling Awami League and its front organisations have been directed to remain standby.
According to Awami League and government sources, the law enforcers have recently been instructed from the government’s upper level to tighten control over the BNP programmes.
Following the move, the police opened fire on the BNP procession in Narayanganj on Thursday. The law enforcers’ stance will remain the same for the next programmes called by the opposition.
The BNP would have been allowed to hold their programmes without any hindrance for some more days had they remained away from staging showdown in participation of thousands of people.
The BNP took to the streets with various programmes since the beginning of the current year. The government’s top level assured that the authorities will not restrict their activities. In the following days, the BNP, with few exceptions, executed all their programmes without facing any hindrance.
But the situation turned on a dime in late August when the ruling party and its associate bodies turned violent on the BNP programmes and the law enforcers started putting pressure on BNP.
Why was the BNP allowed to hold programmes uninterruptedly? Why has the government changed its stance suddenly?
The Awami League leaders and cabinet members do not have any specific answer to these queries.
However, Prothom Alo talked to five Awami League leaders and three cabinet members regarding the issue and revealed some reasons.
According to them, the BNP started holding big rallies after the authorities loosened its grip. An overwhelming number of people are seen attending the BNP rallies in Dhaka and suburbs. If it continues, there is a fear that BNP may organise its units across the country and wage a movement to bring down the government.
The intelligence reports also said that the rush of people is increasing in the BNP programmes. The current situation developed a feeling in the BNP men that the ruling party will not be able to deal with them if the police remain silent. It may send a wrong message to the Awami League activists and this is why the government has decided to rein in the BNP.
A ruling party leader and cabinet member, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that the BNP would have been allowed to hold their programmes without any hindrance for some more days had they remained away from staging showdown in participation of thousands of people.
But they have tried to present themselves as the prime force in the field. Against such a backdrop, the BNP will be subdued strictly after bringing allegations that they are hindering the country's progress and seeking to create anarchy by attacking the law enforcement agencies.
Another source of government and ruling party said prime minister Sheikh Hasina is going to India on a crucial state trip on Monday. The BNP had been holding programmes for 10 straight days since 22 August, protesting against the hike in the prices of daily necessities and fuel oil. But they extended their protest programme until 10 September.
The government sees conspiracies behind the extension as the prime minister will be on her India trip during the period.
Specially, the BNP might have an intention to show its popularity to the international communities, the sources said, adding that these issues prompted the government to adopt a more careful stance.
In this regard, Awami League presidium member and agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque said the BNP started attacking the police in the name of the political programme and the government cannot give them a chance to create anarchy.
It is holding peaceful programmes in many places and no one is restricting them, the AL leader added.
Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a meeting of the party’s executive committee on 7 May, hinted not to obstruct the opposition rallies across the country. She also told the party leaders in a closed-door meeting that the opposition should hold their programmes freely.
Later on 23 July, she joined a party event virtually and said publicly that if the BNP even plans to besiege the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), they will not be stopped.
In a meeting with the party's organisational secretaries at the Ganabhaban on 14 August, the prime minister reiterated her assurance that the opposition would be given a chance to hold their programmes without any hindrance.
It was said repeatedly from different levels of the ruling party and government that the opposition rallies will face no resistance.
The BNP held a massive gathering in the capital on 11 August. Its rallies outside Dhaka also were attended by an overwhelming number of people.
In such a situation, the ruling party activists turned violent outside the capital and the police also adopted a tough stance.
Asked whether any instructions have been given to the field-level cops from the police headquarters to suppress the movement of the opposition, deputy inspector general (management, media and planning) Haider Ali Khan said there is no reason to suppress the movement of the opposition party. When a movement turns violent, the police are compelled to fire tear gas shells to control the situation.
The BNP had been holding programmes across the country since 22 August, protesting the increase in prices of essential commodities and the killing of two leaders of Chhatra Dal and Swechchasebak Dal in Bhola in police firing.
In the last 11 days until Thursday, the ruling party activists and police have attacked 37 programmes of BNP at different places while houses and businesses of BNP leaders came under attack at 14 places.
Meanwhile, a Jubo Dal activist was shot dead in Narayanganj on Thursday.
Govt took a chance to see BNP’s strength
According to law enforcement agencies sources, they were instructed not to create hindrance to the opposition rallies in early May. There was no central instruction over the two deaths in Bhola.
But the incidents of Narayanganj and other areas that took place in the last two days are the aftermath of a top-level instruction. The law enforcers were directed to warn first and open fire if necessary. The instruction was meant for ensuring that no one dares to take to the street.
Awami League and government sources have some other explanations as to why BNP was given a chance for holding programmes for a short period.
Some said that the government took a chance to expose the actual strength of BNP as the party did not hold any events since the last parliamentary polls, except for some indoor meetings and seminars. They held only a few programmes under the party banner.
Some others said the law enforcers gained a clear idea about the BNP leaders’ strength, popularity and how long they can go against the government. The police now will identify the possible threats and neuter them through pressure and lawsuits. Besides, they are collecting information about the BNP leaders at all levels.
It is evident from the ruling party leaders’ statement that the upcoming programmes of BNP will be stamped out in the coming days. Jubo League, the youth front of the ruling party, held a nationwide rally protesting the attack on police by the BNP men.
Speaking at a rally in the capital’s Farmgate area on Friday, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash declared that they will respond to all anarchies from the day. Also, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told an event at Dhaka University that they will confront the opposition if elements of violence are added to their programmes.