The BNP and its allies attempted to cause problems for the government through their anti-national politics and bootlicking of foreigners, but their plan backfired, said  Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.  The AL leader made the remarks while speaking with reporters at the ministry’s conference room at the Secretariat on Monday.  “The BNP wanted to cause problems for the government through its contradictory politics, anti-national activities, and bootlicking of foreigners. But it backfired on them,” he said.  “Because they believed they could make a fuss on December 10 in front of Nayapaltan. They failed and came to terms with their strength and capability,” he went on.  He also said that the BNP would continue to attempt to destabilize the country this year. Also Read: AL workers thwart BNP's attempt to sow chaos: Hasan Mahmud Mentioning that the government dealt with the sabotage of BNP in 203–15, he also said, “We know what BNP wants to do and how much they can do. We also know how to handle it." “We are prepared, it won't be hard for us,” he added.  He also stated that, in December last year, the BNP took two imprudent decisions. “One is that they were stubborn about holding their Dhaka rally in Naya Paltan. Another is that the party forced its members of parliament to resign,” he said.  "Both decisions caused them political losses,” added the minister.   “These issues created internal problems, and because Khandkar Musharraf is unable to address them, he’s just making loud noises.”  The BNP and 32 other like-minded opposition parties staged a procession of showdowns Friday in different parts of the capital, by way of the first joint program in what is being billed as a collective movement to take down the incumbent government and set the stage for free and fair elections. They also separately announced sit-in programs across the country on January 11 as their next course of action, to press home their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and the formation of a poll-time caretaker government.