The upcoming 12th Parliamentary election is expected to be held free, fair and participatory as there is chance of BNP’s participation in the election, said sources.
According to sources, majority of top leaders in BNP, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, are in favour of taking part in the election for the sake of the party’s existence and as per the willingness of the party’s grassroots level.
Sources said, centring the election issue, a feud between Tarique Rahman in exile and BNP’s top leaders in Dhaka has been intensified as Tarique Rahman is against the party’s participation in the election despite most of the leaders and activists are in favour of taking part in it.
The sources said, since Tarique Rahman has no chance of taking part in the election as he is convicted by the court, and is absconding abroad, he (Tarique) does not want any election takes place in Bangladesh.
Besides, there is no chance of his return to Bangladesh, Tarique wants to foil the upcoming 12th election in Bangladesh at any cost and, that is why, he has directed his party's unruly leaders to unleash anarchy across the country.
As per his directives, a section of leaders and activists aided by Jamaat are said to have been planning for carrying out vandalism across the country. They are also taking preparations to launch attacks on the officials of the Election Commission (EC) like in 2014.
However, according to sources, many of BNP's senior leaders in Dhaka led by the party's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir do not want anarchy. Rather they are willing to take part in the next general election for the sake of the party's existence.
But, experts and analysts said as Tarique Rahman does not want Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to become the BNP's top leader. That is why, Tarique Rahman does not want BNP takes part in the election under the leadership of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
They said, since there is no chance of Tarique Rahman to return Bangladesh immediately, he (Tarique) does not want anybody else in the BNP becomes more popular than him.
According to sources, under the circumstance, Tarique Rahman wants to foil the next election by unleashing anarchy countrywide.
On the other hand, since BNP’s top leaders in Dhaka are willing to take part in the election, they are keeping close contact with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League, said sources.
The sources also said, a BNP team comprising its topmost senior leaders, has recently held a secret meeting with Awami League Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury, who is also the chief of the AL’s Liaison Committee formed for maintaining contact with all other political parties.
The sources confirmed that BNP will wait up to the month of November, when the Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the schedule for the upcoming 12th Parliamentary election.
As per the EC officials, the next general election will be held in the first week of January, 2024.
It is widely known that BNP is carrying out anti-government movement so that its activists and supporters do not get frustrated and that the financial support from various sectors continues to remain uncut or unhindered.
According to sources, the Liaison Committee of Awami League has already held a series of meetings with almost all the political parties including BNP.
The sources said during a recent meeting with AL's Liaison Committee led by Matia Chowdhury, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that his party wants to keep the election option open as his party earlier had committed political blunders by boycotting elections in 2014 and 2018.
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir informed the AL's Liaison Committee that his party will disclose its final decision immediately after the EC’s announcement of the election schedule in November.
According to sources, the BNP is thinking of taking part in the election as the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is repeatedly saying that her government is committed to holding the next general election in free, fair and peaceful manner.
Besides, the sources said, the BNP leaders think that if their party does not take part in this election too, the party will lose minimum public support and that of leaders and activists at the grassroots level.
The party will have to suffer existence crisis if it does not merge itself in the democratic process through participation in the election.
Other sources said, although BNP’s top leader in exile and some other senior leaders at the central level talk about boycotting the election, leaders and activists in the party’s grassroots level will not agree with them.
Grassroots level leaders and activists of BNP opined that the BNP should take part in the election for the sake of its existence. Otherwise, the BNP will perish in the near future.
According to sources, except BNP and a few other minor parties, most of the political parties, including the main opposition in Parliament, the Jatiya Party are taking preparation for the next general elections.
In the circumstances, BNP has no choice but to take part in the democratic process and constitutional system.
