Photo: Daily Messenger
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is facing a profound crisis regarding its political direction and future leadership. The party's chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia, has been imprisoned for an extended period and is currently under house arrest. Meanwhile, the convicted former chairman Tarique Rahman remains a fugitive residing abroad. With the BNP out of power for nearly a decade and a half, discussions about the party's future leadership are intensifying both internally and externally. There is an active search for an alternative leadership to succeed Khaleda and Tarique.
Political sources say that since Bangladesh has been under women's leadership for a long time, if there is any change in the ruling government's approach, BNP will also finalise women's leadership as an alternative to Khaleda Zia. The prescription for women's leadership is present for all major parties from the diplomatic and political circles.
Reliable leaders of the party say that since Khaleda Zia has become quite weak due to illness and old age, she has hinted to the party's top leaders several times that she will not take on major responsibilities. Since then, a kind of nerve battle has been going on within the party. If BNP's fortunes changed in the 11th or 12th parliamentary elections, Tarique Rahman planned to bring his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman to the forefront. But now that a major chapter has ended, he has planned to bring his daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman instead.
In this case, Khaleda Zia is also thinking about internal matters. A decade ago, she had informed the party high command that she would not bring the daughters-in-law into politics. But she has changed her previous thinking based on her experience in jail and house arrest. During her difficult times in jail and house arrest, Khaleda Zia's companion was the wife of her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, Sharmila Rahman Sithi. She came from abroad repeatedly and looked after Khaleda Zia.
Reliable sources in BNP say that before going to jail, Khaleda Zia gave the permanent committee a detailed plan on how her release would happen. But the BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul and the leaders of the permanent committee failed completely in the movement for her release. After that, she sent a special message to Tarique Rahman through Koko's wife Sharmila Rahman. She provided a plan for the movement and the 11th parliamentary election. But for unknown reasons, Tarique Rahman did not implement it. Since then, a section of the party has alleged that the BNP high command, including a large portion, followed a minus process through Khaleda Zia's sentence. There are allegations that during Khaleda Zia's imprisonment, two national elections took place, and Tarique Rahman was involved in large-scale seat trading. And Tarique Rahman marginalised most of those who were Khaleda Zia's followers. In the end, out of fear of being expelled, no one spoke against Tarique’s decisions.
Several members of BNP's executive committee said that Tarique Rahman is now trying to bring his daughter to the ultimate political leadership in the future, moving away from his earlier desire to bring his wife into politics. On the other hand, Khaleda Zia wants to give a top position to Sharmila Rahman Sithi, the wife of Arafat Rahman Koko, for being by her side during difficult times. She was satisfied to have Sharmila by her side during her long imprisonment.
A BNP vice-chairman, who didn’t wish to be named, told The Daily Messenger, “The party leaders and activists would not accept anyone's leadership outside the Zia family. That's why there is no alternative to the Zia family's leadership in BNP. Tarique Rahman is the party's first choice. In this case, if diplomatic issues are involved, Khaleda Zia may consider women from within, according to her interests. In that case, Zubaida Rahman may not come forward, but her daughter Zaima Rahman and daughter-in-law Sharmila Rahman may be considered.”
When asked about this, Begum Selima Rahman, a member of the BNP's standing committee, told The Daily Messenger, “I don't know, nor have I heard, that Khaleda Zia or Tarek Rahman are grooming anyone for future leadership. Who will come in the future, we will see in the future. I don't know anything in advance.”
“The BNP's leadership is still intact; the government has failed to break this party. There is no crisis in the BNP,” she added.
It is worth noting that the last council of the BNP’s national executive committee was held on March 19, 2016. According to the BNP's constitution, the national executive committee is to be elected during the national council, and this committee serves a three-year term. However, no council has been held in the past nine years.
Messenger/Howlader
