BNP has two aims, to reorganise and take up a movement

BNP has fixed two aims for 2021. It has taken up initiative to complete reorganising its committees throughout the country. It also plans to take up several programmes throughout the year, marking the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.

It also wants to create a unity with the other anti-government political parties and launch into a movement against the government.

BNP’s decision makers think much may take place at a party level in national politics before the next general election. That is why its top leaders have for some time focused on reorgansing the party.

They want to finalise the party’s committees as well as those of its affiliated bodies and fronts. There is also focus on ensuring unity within the party. The top leaders are now reaching out to the senior leaders who had become disgruntled and inactive. As part of this move, the top leaders have contacted the party’s senior leader Maj. (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed.

Recently a show-cause notice had been issued against the BNP vice chairmen Hafizuddin Ahmed and Shawkat Mahmud for violating party discipline. Hafizuddin had been critical of certain decisions and policies of the party. And Shawkat Mahmud had suddenly organised a gathering in Dhaka calling for the fall of the government, without consulting the party.

The show-cause notice sent to Hafizuddin Ahmed drew sharp criticism within the party and outside of the party too. Earlier, Shah Moazzem Hossain, another vice chairman of the party, had questioned the competence of the party’s top leadership during a TV interview. He later, however, apologised in a letter for the remarks he had made.

Sources within BNP said that there had been no further discussion in the party on the show-cause notices issued to Hafizuddin Ahmed and Shawkat Mahmud, or on their responses. The party leadership has decided to let the issue drop.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “An step has been taken up to consolidate the party. The distance created with Maj. Hafizuddin has lessened. He is with the party.”

Meanwhile, the BNP district, city and thana committees are being reorganised. Work has begun on reorgansing Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchhashebok Dal. This had been stalled for about six months due to the coronavirus outbreak. Now the reorganisation of these three fronts is nearing completion.

Fazlur Rahman, president of BNP student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, speaking to Prothom Alo, said that in many areas there had been no Chhatra Dal committees for 10 to 12 years or the committee tenures had expired. Now about 90 per cent of the reorganisation work of Chhatra Dal committees at a thana, pourashava, upazila and college level, is complete

After lying low for long, BNP is now carrying out programmes, including human chains, on various issues in the capital city Dhaka and elsewhere around the country. The party leadership is planning on programmes throughout the year. They are planning to take up various issues, particularly focusing on the country’s 50th anniversary of independence. The meetings and seminars being planned will highlight the independence struggle, the contribution of BNP’s founder and former president Ziaur Rahman to the country’s development, as well as his ideals and ideology.

Party sources said the 50th independence anniversary celebrations will commence from March next year and will conclude on 16 December. So far 10 divisional and 15 issue-based committees have been formed to commemorate the golden jubilee. An ethnic minority coordination committee has also been formed. It has also been decided to celebrate the golden anniversary in UK, Europe, America, the Middle East and various countries.

BNP standing committee member and convenor of the party’s national committee to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, told Prothom Alo, “Our programmes will be year-round. These will include rallies, seminars, publications, exhibitions, documentaries, processions, cultural programmes and so on.”

BNP leaders have said that in 2021, alongside consolidating the party, a major focus will be on forming a large anti-government alliance and taking up a movement. Discussions have been held in this regard with leaders of several parties outside of the 20-party alliance and the Jatiya Oikya Front. Draft recommendations have already been drawn up for the proposed platform.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, “There is no environment for a democratic party to carry out its politics under the present authoritarian political rule. It has become difficult for the political opposition to function normally. We are trying to form a national unity with all parties and have begun talks to this end.”

Political analyst and former chairman of Jahangirnagar University’s department of government and politics, Dilara Choudhury, said that BNP would get response from other parties if it wanted to build a large alliance. But, she added, it will be hard to launch a movement. At the same time, there is no alternative to this.

*This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir