Though most of the party’s central leaders have apparently gone into hiding amid a crackdown following the October 28 violence, BNP leaders may take to the streets again after the announcement of the schedule for the next polls to intensify the ongoing movement.
Talking to UNB, some senior BNP leaders said they have already prepared a strategy to carry out a non-stop movement with harsher programmes like hartal, blockade and laying siege to the Election Commission and different government offices to halt any lopsided election.
They said their party also took the opinions of the like-mined parties about what to do if the election schedule is announced and most parties suggested enforcing blockade or hartal without any pause.
As per their strategy, the BNP leaders said soon after the announcement of the schedule for the next election, the opposition parties will first give a 48-hour ultimatum to the Election Commission (EC) to cancel the schedule and create a proper atmosphere for a participatory election under a neutral administration.
Read more: Fire Service records 9 arson attacks in the country in 10 hrs
If the EC pays heed to their ultimatum, they will then try to show their strength on the streets across the country with their action programmes.
According to Article 126 of the Constitution, it shall be the duty of all executive authorities to assist the Election Commission to discharge its duties.
The BNP leaders said they would closely observe how the EC exerts the powers enshrined by the constitution to take control over the state apparatus, including the law enforcement agencies.
They said they would also observe the role of the EC in stopping the mass arrest of opposition leaders and activists and releasing the arrested party senior leaders and workers.
BNP claimed over 10,770 opposition leaders and followers were arrested centring BNP’s Oct 28 grand rally and subsequent hartal and blockade programmes.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, vice-chairman Barrister Shahjahan Oma, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, chairperson’s adviser Amanullah Aman, and joint secretaries general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Kahirul Kabir Khokon were arrested following the party’s grand rally and violence.
Read more: Chinese envoy’s remark on polls doesn’t reflect people’s aspirations: BNP
Among the 19 members of the BNP standing committee, Jamiruddin Sircar, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Begum Selima Rahman now remained active in politics. However, they are now staying in safer places secretly to avoid arrest.
Three standing committee members including Salahuddin Ahmed and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku have been staying abroad.
The other party policymakers either died or remained inactive due to physical illness.
The other active members of the BNP executive committee, including the vice chairmen, joint secretaries general and organising secretaries are also on the run and guiding the party leaders and workers from hideouts.
A party standing committee member, wishing anonymity, said they will come out of their secret places once the polls schedule is announced to boost the morale of party workers to strengthen the movement.
He said they have a plan to isolate Dhaka from the rest of the country by making the blockade programme more effective through increasing picketing on highways and roads at the district level.
“Our party won’t participate in the parliamentary election under the current government. So, after the announcement of the schedule, our all leaders will come out on the streets and join the movement,” the BNP leader said.
“After the announcement of the polls schedule, all the state machinery, including the law enforcers, will be under the control of the commission. So, the Election Commission’s role will be more questionable, if the arrest of BNP leaders and workers continues even after the polls schedule announcement. Besides, questions will be raised in the country and abroad about the sincerity of the Election Commission in conducting fair, free and impartial elections,” he said.
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said the government may think BNP will be weakened if the election schedule is announced. “But it won’t happen. We have seen examples of cancellations of elections after the announcement of the schedule. “BNP will deal with all situations staying on the streets. People won’t this time allow the government to stage a drama in the name of election.”
Another BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said BNP's movement for the restoration of democracy and voting rights will not fail this time. “If the schedule is announced, we will have no choice but to continue the movement. We’ll force the government to meet our demands through a fierce mass movement.”
BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said their party will not retreat from the movement under any circumstance.
"If a one-sided schedule is announced ignoring the opinion of the opposition parties, it will prove that the government and the Election Commission are not serious about a fair and acceptable election," he said.
Read more: 152 BGB platoons deployed across the country amid BNP-Jamaat's latest blockade