Photo: Collected
The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have boycotted the upcoming upazila polls as part of plans to organise a big movement. It is clear to the party leaders that they cannot get what they want without organising such a movement. Communication is also increasing between the party members.
BNP and Jamaat leaders have said that they have prioritised the demands of the people. To get back democracy and people's voting rights, they need to be on the streets and there they will get united.
According to sources, the BNP started to run alone after the election of the 11th National Assembly. Before the election, the BNP and some other parties formed Jatiya Oikyafront under the leadership of Kamal Hossain. The parties participated in the election stepping out from the demand of a neutral election under a caretaker government. Losing the election, the BNP network starts to isolate.
The joint front broke before the 12th National election. After that, the BNP started a simultaneous movement with several left and right-wing parties. In the beginning, Jamaat Islami carried out the program of the movement simultaneously. Later on, the Jamaat starts and carries on the campaign without taking any advice from the BNP.
Even so, refusing the 12th National Assembly election, both parties were in the same movement. As a result, the government could cast the vote much more normally. However, there is controversy over voter satisfaction at the centres.
This time BNP has called for not participating in the Upazila elections. BNP is on a hard line with the four-phase upazila elections and expels some party leaders who have bought the nomination form. Although there was no announcement to participate in the Islamic protest program, the party declared the candidate to participate in the election unofficially. However, Jamaat has also stepped out of the Upazila elections at last.
There is a lot of talk in the town on equal footing between the BNP and protests in election polls. From different sources, both parties said that before the last parliamentary elections, the BNP kept its distance from Jamaat to get support from India. Therefore, thinking about the relationship with India, BNP did not do any programs with Jamaat although kept a good relationship with different left parties.
After a lot of calculations, it was still not possible to discuss the eclipse equation in the one-stage rally on October 28. But BNP was not beneficial. Rather the root-level leaders think that it would have been more strength if Jamaat was taken as a co-host in the movement all over the country.
Therefore, both parties think of movement and urge in the upcoming days. In the last Ramadan, the top leaders of BNP and Jamaat were present in BNP’s Iftar party on the occasion of the announcement. After it, BNP leaders were also present at Jamaat’s Iftar party. So a lot of sources ensured communication between team members.
In this regard, the Member of the central committee of Jamaat Islam and secretary for Islamic Campaign, Advocate Matiur Rahman told the Daily Messenger that thinking for the sack of the party, after a lot of discussions, Jamaat has moved away from the Upazila elections. In fact, it is no special connection with the BNP rather it is quite natural that whoever will be on the streets to promote communication or talk about democracy will be united.
Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of the military, said that there is no alternative to go to the streets and highways to liberate the country. That's why BNP was and is with everyone on the side of the road.
Messenger/Disha
