BNP backs Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran as Awami League turns critical

The BNP, which had called Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran H Sarkar an ‘agent of the government’ when a mass movement began three years ago to demand capital punishment for war criminals, has changed its stance.

The BNP, which took the side of the Hifazat-e-Islam, had dubbed the agitators ‘atheists’ and demanded their disbanding.

Now, parties have switched sides after Imran has criticised the arrest of Shafik Rahman, a veteran journalist.

Awami League supporters are now vocal in their criticism of Imran after party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wajed Joy termed the Mancha spokesperson an ‘opportunist’ in a Facebook post.

In contrast, BNP supporters, who had so far been opposed to the Ganajagaran Mancha, are beginning to rally in Imran’s support.

Even Farhad Mazhar, a Hifazat-backer and staunch opponent of the Ganajagaran movement, has written in Imran’s favour.

In another development, Hifazat leaders, who have been aligned to the BNP, are now praising Sheikh Hasina’s ‘firm stand’ in favour of Islam.

Imran, a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader of the Rangpur Medical College, became the spokesperson of the Ganajagaran Mancha in 2013 by virtue of being the convenor of the Blogger and Online Activists Network.  

He soon became a familiar face across the country by stirring up a tempestuous movement demanding the death sentence for war criminals.

Imran protested the arrest of journalist Shafik Rahman, known to be close to the BNP.

In a Facebook post he wrote: “I don’t subscribe to Shafik Rahman’s political ideology. But I want a halt to the foul political game of suppressing those holding a different view.”

Joy gave a call to shun Imran, calling him a ‘liar and opportunist’, and Imran retorted by describing Joy’s move as a ‘threat to the freedom of expression’.

Awami League presidium member Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, in a Facebook post, likened Imran’s ‘arrogance’ to stand up for Shafik Rahman as his swan song.

He alleged Imran was now attacking the government in the language of war criminals and BNP chief Khaleda Zia.

Other Awami League leaders, too, have tried to run down Imran in their Facebook posts.

But columnist Farhad Mazhar has written strongly in Imran’s defence.

He said Lenin had, in effect, issued a subtle death threat to Imran.

Read detail in Bangla