While the BNP has been pressing for national elections for months, it has avoided conflicts with student leaders and the interim government.
However, after the BNP questioned the government’s impartiality last week, and Information Adviser Nahid Islam issued a rebuttal that caught the party somewhat off guard, there have been many speculations about what comes next.
Party leaders say they won’t stop commenting on issues regarding the government’s neutrality and elections.
At the same time, BNP policymakers are looking into the reason why Nahid made such a response.
Many leaders suspect that some advisers might have been behind his statement, and they are trying to identify the individuals involved.
Sources in the party say they wonder why Nahid reacted to the comment of the BNP secretary general when he is not the spokesperson of the government.
“Why would he feel provoked by the [secretary general’s] statement?” wondered a standing committee member while talking to this correspondent.
Following Nahid’s lead, Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and student leaders Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam also wrote on Facebook. “This indicates an attempt to make an issue out of it in a planned manner.”
Another senior BNP leader said the government formed as a result of the student-people movement must be neutral. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul’s comments were about neutrality. However, the response to his remarks was aggressive.
BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said, “Leaders of the Students Against Discrimination, who have become advisers to the interim government, cannot make statements against any political party. This compromises the neutrality of the interim government.
“We consider the interim government to be nonpartisan, but if any member of the government adopts a partisan approach, the government will no longer appear neutral.
“If advisers want to engage in politics, they must resign first. Then they can criticise other parties, but not while being in the government.”
BNP’s allied parties have also not taken Nahid’s comments positively. Leaders of allied parties believe his statement was aggressive. Statements from BNP and its allies will come soon on this issue.
A BNP strategist said the students have somewhat deviated from the spirit of the movement. They are now in a “dream-like state” thinking of forming a party, holding elections, and returning to power — something inconsistent with the essence of the mass uprising.
He also said that one must go through several stages to enter the broader political arena or become the centre of power. Since they have not gone through these stages, it is natural that their thought process will be immature.
“For this reason, the BNP has always avoided disputes with the anti-discrimination activists. Instead, the BNP has tried to resolve controversies created by these activists through discussions with the government,” the BNP leader said.
The issue has not been formally discussed in any BNP forum. However, internal discussions among leaders revealed that Nahid’s statement does not represent the government. If the government reacts, BNP will discuss it with the government.
Besides, not all students support the anti-discrimination student movement. It is a small faction among students, and even they have internal differences, as evidenced by recent fighting, he said.
Political analysts believe that the conflict between BNP and the anti-discrimination activists has deepened, mainly due to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
While the BNP demands immediate elections, the anti-discrimination activists want more time. BNP’s allegations that the activists are forming a party under the government’s protection are not baseless, he said.
Moreover, they have long-standing differences regarding issues like removing the president, abolishing the constitution, and the July uprising declaration. As a result, the rift between the two sides is becoming increasingly evident.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Bangla on Tuesday, Fakhrul said, “If the interim government maintains full neutrality, they will remain until the election. Otherwise, there will be a need for a neutral government.”
In response, on Thursday afternoon, Nahid Islam, adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, reacted on his verified Facebook account.
He said that Fakhrul’s demand for a neutral government is essentially a hint toward forming another 1/11-style government. A few days ago, BNP talked about a “minus two” strategy, and now, under the guise of neutrality, they are proposing another 1/11 government to smooth their path to power.
At least three senior BNP leaders said their party was annoyed by the various actions of the anti-discrimination activists, but refrained from openly reacting until now.
However, when the students raised issues like the July uprising declaration, the removal of the president, and the abolition of the constitution, BNP conveyed their views to the government in discussions.
BNP wants to resolve future crises through similar discussions.
Many BNP leaders believe that a political party is trying to create disputes between BNP and the students. This conflict is being exploited for their gain. Events over the past few months have made this clear. However, BNP has resolved these issues through discussions with the government.
Daily Star
