Abdur Rahman Jahangir, UNB Staff Writer
Dhaka, Sept 5 – The opposition BNP is getting ready to launch a ‘brief but effective’ simultaneous movement with other opposition parties in October next to force the government to release Khaleda Zia and hold the next national election under a non-party administration.According to BNP insiders, the party is also preparing to join the 11th parliamentary polls by invigorating its rank and file with the movement.
As part of the preparations for the polls, BNP is going to form around 40,000 committees based on every polling station in 300 constituencies across the country to foil any attempt to rig the vote.
Talking to UNB, senior BNP leaders said they are now working out strategies and programmes to wage the movement, mainly in the capital, so that they can get results by 10-15 days by paralysing the city.
They said their party will announce the ‘harsher’ action programmes the day the Prime Minister will form a small election-time government to carry out only routine works.
Before launching the movement, the BNP leaders said, they want to take almost all the political parties, now out of the Awami League-led 20-party alliance, into its fold to mount pressure on the government to concede to their demands.
A BNP standing committee member, wishing anonymity, said they are making a draft of the framework of the national unity with other parties. “We can wage a united or simultaneous movement after the understanding with the political parties.”
“Once the election-time government is formed, we think, the current regime will lose its importance, and there’ll be a change in the attitude of law enforcers. At that time, we’ll launch the movement and make it a success by 10-15 days,” he said.
The BNP leader said their party senior leaders will start visiting different districts very soon to give their party grassroots rank and file necessary directions for waging the movement and make them ready for the election.
Contacted, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said three is no option for their party other than going to the polls following a strong movement. “I can tell you we’ll surely wage a strong movement, no matter what. Joining the election without a movement will be useless for us.”
He said their party is preparing for a fruitful movement, and it will urge people to take to the streets at the right time. “We’ve got a plus point that people are with us. If we can take to the streets, people will spontaneously join us.”
About the national unity with other parties, the BNP secretary general said there is a good progress in it. “We’re in discussions about its framework. I hope, there’ll be a national unity.”
Once the national unity is forged, Fakhrul said, all the parties may launch a simultaneous movement with almost the same demands.
He also said they are inspiring their party leaders and activists to take to the streets braving bullets, arrest and repressive acts.
Besides, Fakhrul said, they are preparing for a vote revolution on the polling day of the 11th parliamentary election. “Our party leaders and activists will guard every polling centre. There’ll be a strong directive for our party men not to leave the voting centres under any circumstances.”
The BNP leader also thinks the government will not able to hold another January-5-like election. “Can the government afford another farcical election ignoring the tremendous pressure by people and foreign friends? The government is under serious pressure by the global community to hold a credible and inclusive election.”
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said movement is the only option for their party to free Khaleda Zia from jail and ensure a credible election under a non-party administration. “We’re getting ready for taking to the streets. We must go to polls after freeing Khaleda Zia. We’ll carry out the movement for freeing our leader and establishing a non-party neutral election-time government.”
BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said their party is taking all-out preparations both for a strong movement and the election.
He said BNP’s all possible MP candidates have started working in their respective areas to prepare the party leaders and activists so that they can resist vote fraud and rigging ‘by Awami League’. – UNB
