Will start movement on Aug 22 thru nationwide programmes
Mohammad Al Amin: The major opposition BNP is going to start its movement through nationwide programmes that will start on August 22 as the party has planned to intensify their movement in phases.
“We are carrying out peaceful movement and will do so. If the government obstructs our democratic right, then they have to face its consequence,” BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told the Daily Sun.
BNP insiders said the party is formally starting to take to the streets through the nationwide programmes on different issues and the movement will be intensified in phases ahead of the next parliamentary election.
They are also taking preparations to face the ruling Awami League in the street through the programmes which may create a confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition.
“The Awami League leaders’ speech threatening to face BNP in the street reveals their intention of confrontation which means that they want to obstruct our democratic right. If it happens, then they have to face consequence,” Khandaker Mosharraf, standing committee member of BNP, said.
BNP sources said the party is making outline of their movement to realise their demands, including permanent release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia and holding the next parliamentary election under the election time non-party administration.
Though the party earlier planned to take to the streets just before the next national polls, it is changing their plan and start taking to the streets as the ruling Awami League has declared to remain in the street. The details of the movement plan may be discussed in the BNP standing committee meeting scheduled to be held on August 22 and the movement outline will be finalised after talking with other opposition parties, a senior BNP leader said.
Talking to the Daily Sun, BNP vice-chairman Mohammad Shahjahan said the party will start its movement through nationwide programmes from August 22 and their movement will be intensified in phases.
“We will start our movement programmes from August 22 across the country. The programmes, including procession and rally, will be held at grassroots level like union and ward areas of municipalities in protest against the price hike of fuels and essential commodities,” he said.
The BNP leader who is coordinating Chattogram division team said divisional coordination teams have been formed by the party to make their programmes successful. “The programmes will continue until realising our demand. At the same time, our movement also will be intensified in phases,” he added.
The party sources said BNP is going to start the movement programmes on public issues with the target of rejuvenating the party leaders and activists, ensuring their presence in the street and ensuring public participation in their movement programmes.
Talking to the Daily Sun, a central leader wishing not to be named said the party’s movement outline will be determined depending on the situation but their ultimate target is to oust the Awami League government and to realise their demand of election under non-party government.
Few other central leaders said they think that it is the high time to take to the streets with movement programmes on public issues as people are now unhappy with the government due to increase in prices of essential commodities and fuel and fertiliser prices.
Letters signed by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi have been sent to the top leaders of union, upazila, district and city units, mentioning that protest procession and rally will be held from August 22 across the country.
The grassroots leaders also have been asked by the party central command to ensure their presence in the programmes and present the country’s ‘sorry’ state and ‘failure’ of the government in the events.
BNP sources said the party is going to warm up in streets with the programmes aiming to launch tougher movement at the beginning of the next year to realise the demand of poll-time neutral administration. The party has also a plan to go for simultaneous movement with other political parties on the issue.
At the same time, the party high command is also working to convince foreign powers to put pressure on the government to realise their demand for caretaker government.
BNP is now sitting with different opposition parties and after completing the meetings, the party will place a framework for waging simultaneous movement to oust the incumbent government and to realise their demand of poll-time non-party administration.
“After completing talks with political parties, we will make framework for movement. We will do unitedly whatever is needed to restore people’s rights,” BNP’s another standing committee member Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku told the Daily Sun.
Asked whether they will go for confrontation with the ruling party, Mohammad Shahjahan said, “We do not want any confrontation and chaos. Awami League will try to prolong power by applying muscle power. But they will be washed away by the mass upsurge finally.”
