Published : 08 Aug 2023, 03:09 AM
Updated : 08 Aug 2023, 05:03 PM
Shafiq Ahmed, a member of the BNP’s youth front Jubo Dal in Rangpur, came to Dhaka on Jul 28 to attend the party’s rally. He has not returned home as he wishes to go back only after toppling the Awami League government.
Like Shafiq, most of the grassroots activists of the opposition party hope to reach that goal of ousting the government, which they could not do over the past one and a half decades.
To translate that dream into reality, they demand the central leadership hold strong Dhaka-based programmes only.
The BNP left power in 2006 and could not form a government since then.
Following a two-year rule of the army-backed caretaker government, the Awami League came to power by winning the general election in 2008.
The Sheikh Hasina government has been ruling for the third consecutive term since then.
The election-time caretaker government system was dropped from the constitution in 2011, leading the BNP to stage protests for its revival.
The party tried to foil the 2014 election by boycotting it and most other elections under the Hasina government, but the tactic has not been successful to meet the opposition party’s demand.
The BNP contested the 11th general election in 2018 but refused to accept the results, alleging vote rigging.
Only seven of the BNP contestants won their seats but last year all of them resigned from parliament as part of their anti-government movement.
As the 12th general election nears, the BNP has become vocal again to establish a non-partisan caretaker government.
But the BNP activists are unwilling to see a repetition of their failure in 2014 after launching a “final push” to oust the government.
Many of them believe their protests were stronger in other districts, but not in Dhaka.
And that was a boon for the Awami League, they think.
“We won’t be able to topple the government with mere rallies and human chains. We need such events that won’t allow them [Awami League members] to look away,” said Jahangir Alam, a Jubo Dal activist who came to join the Dhaka rally from Noakhali’s Begumganj.
“The Dhaka streets should be full of people – we need that kind of event.”
BNP activist Sohrab Uddin from Gaibandha agreed.
“The protests should be tough and continuous,” he said.
“The BNP supporters from across the country are looking forward to seeing protest events in Dhaka. If you check the facts about the rally held on the 28th of July, you’ll see half of the participants came from outside Dhaka. All they want is a huge protest.”
The BNP and its allies on Jul 12 announced the movement with the sole demand: the resignation of the Hasina government and the formation of a non-partisan caretaker government after dissolving parliament before the election.
To strengthen their movement, the BNP held the rally on Jul 28 and sit-in programmes at the entrances to Dhaka on Jul 29.
Although they could not hold the sit-in protests properly because of clashes with police and Awami League loyalists, the presence of enthusiastic opposition activists injected hope among BNP leaders and supporters.
“Before the election in 2014, a strong movement brewed up across the country but when it reached the crescendo, we found that the movement in Dhaka wasn’t strong enough,” said Sonia Akhter, a leader of the BNP’s wing for women Mohila Dal.
“Our organising power in Dhaka is much better now than it was at any point in the past,” she claimed.
“Now it’s time to target Dhaka for our movement. We don’t have any other option if we want Sheikh Hasina to step down.”
Omar Shafin, a member of the BNP’s student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said they were “ready to challenge” police as well as the government because they had “no alternative”.
“We’ve been pushed to the edge. We’re in trouble with cases on false charges against us. I’m named in 67 cases. It won’t benefit us to reach an agreement with this government. We want strong movement on the streets. Whatever we want to do, we must take the streets. Otherwise, we’ll be finished,” he said.
Although the activists demand a strong movement, the BNP has been going through one of the toughest periods in its history for quite some time.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, convicted in graft cases, was released by an executive order from the government and has been staying home sick.
The party leaders get to meet her only occasionally.
After Khaleda was convicted, her elder son Tarique Rahman, senior vice chairman of the party, became the acting chairman of the BNP.
He too, left the country after being accused in multiple cases during the caretaker government. Tarique has been living in London with his family since then and was convicted of graft and other charges.
Awami League leaders have questioned the BNP’s capability to run a movement being a party “devoid of leadership”.
They brushed aside the BNP’s demand for a caretaker government and made snide remarks about its one-point movement.
The BNP leaders, however, continued to plan their moves to oust the government.
Their plan is to bring different organisations of professionals under a banner and strengthen their movement.
The United Lawyers Front has been formed already with lawyers from different groups.
“We must bring all groups and organisations under a banner and push Sheikh Hasina’s government,” said Gono Fforum’s Subrata Chowdhury, one of the key leaders of the lawyers’ front.
“Student, youth and worker wings of every political party must unite and hit the streets to reach that goal. We don’t have much time left and must speed up.”
As there are only a few months left for the general election, the BNP leaders also want to go for a Dhaka-based protest programme in line with their activists’ demand.
“Our sole demand is that Sheikh Hasina and her government step down. Parliament must be dissolved. We’re already on the field and will continue our protests with new events,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
