BNP in dilemma over ways to overcome election debacle

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is still in mire after defeat in the 11th general election, in a dilemma over whether to wage a movement for fresh polls or focus on reorganising itself.

A number of senior leaders said that the party lacked proper leadership during the 30 December election.

Meanwhile, certain leaders seem to have lost steam after the election, while others are putting emphasis on changing the party leadership, many insiders say.

Two veteran BNP leaders, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Moudud Ahmed, in their speeches on the occasion of the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman’s birth anniversary, asked the ‘ failed leaders’ to step down and to create space for the youth.

Such remarks of the two most senior leaders created a stir inside the party, according to other leaders.

The other senior leaders are pondering over who Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Moudud Ahmed referred to as ‘failed leaders’.

“It will be decided who failed the party in the reorganising process,” Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told Prothom Alo.

Moudud Ahmed said, “I don’t need to explain what I have said. We are already going through a tough time. Words will only worsen the situation. It will be decided at the council.”

A number of leaders at various levels said, the comments of Khandaker Mosharraf and Moudud Ahmed put several party policymakers in an awkward situation.

They were trying to figure out why the leaders suddenly talked about changes in the leadership.

Earlier, at the standing committee meeting, the duo criticised the role of Jatiya Oikya Front leaders in the election.

Following the election debacle, the steering committee members, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, did not attend in the last meeting of Oikya Front.

However, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul rejected media reports regarding the speech of the two leaders by calling them ‘rumours’.

“Media make such reports when they run out of ideas. They kept silent after such massive vote rigging. They are only up to demeaning BNP and making it weaker. I can assure you that there is no infights in BNP,” Mirza Fakhrul told Prothom Alo.

Moudud Ahmed believes that BNP should focus on rehabilitating party activists who were at loss during the election.

“Thousands of BNP men are still in jail. They have to be released. There are others who were disabled in polls violence. We have to stand by their side,” Moudud told Prothom Alo.

“The first thing we have to do is to restore their faith in the party. To be strong again, we have to reorganise the party and then will think of other changes,” he added.

Several leaders at a policymaking level said, BNP was placing priority on freeing Khaleda Zia who has been jailed in graft cases.

Apart from legal initiatives, they were also discussing other possible options which include announcing protest programmes and stepping up international lobbying.

BNP thinks ruling Awami League is trying to obstruct Khaleda’s release through legal means.

Quarters in the party also said that BNP might discuss or compromise with the government to free Khaleda Zia.

There are considerations that the elected BNP leaders may take oath as members of parliament in exchange of Khaleda Zia’s release. The entire process would depend on Khaleda Zia’s nod though.

“The difficulties BNP is going through is not the problem for BNP only. They whole nation is suffering. It cannot be solved overnight. Discussions are underway,” Mirza Fakhrul said.

However, BNP rejects the 11th parliamentary election results held on 30 December alleging ‘unprecedented vote rigging’. The party’s elected MPs abstained from taking oath after that. The session of the new parliament will start on 30 January.

BNP leaders have criticised the election in several indoor meetings, but till now no programme for protest has been announced. The leaders have not mentioned any plan of action regarding reorganising the party either.

*This piece originally published in Prothom Alo print edition has been rewritten in English my Farjana Liakat