In a significant move after a seven-year hiatus, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) convened an extended meeting on Thursday at the LD Hall premises of the National Parliament.
This gathering marks the official commencement of the BNP’s election-focused initiatives and aims to guide party leaders and activists in preparation for the upcoming national elections.
Sources within the BNP reveal that the agenda for the meeting includes discussions on local government elections, maintaining party discipline, the emergence of a new student-led political party and future protest programs.
The last extended meeting was held on February 4, 2018, at Le Meridien Hotel in Dhaka, convened by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
Three days later, she was sentenced to prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
The BNP’s Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, called for the current meeting, which brings together members of the Standing Committee, advisers to the chairperson, members of the Central Executive Committee, and presidents, general secretaries, conveners and member secretaries from various metropolitan, district, upazila and municipal committees.
Approximately 3,000 leaders from across the country are expected to participate in the extended meeting.
BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee told Dhaka Tribune: “Our party leaders have been fighting for a long time to restore democracy. However, we have yet to achieve our desired democratic system. At the extended meeting, we will listen to party leaders from across the country. After that, our top leaders will provide directives on the way forward to restore democracy.”
The BNP leaders highlighted the fact that the discussions would address the country’s current political situation and the party’s organizational status, with a key focus on the emergence of a new student-led political party.
Tarique Rahman is set to deliver a speech containing directives, emphasizing party discipline and outlining the necessary steps for the upcoming elections.
The party will also discuss the position of the Jamaat-e-Islami and assert that no local elections should precede the national elections.
Tanbir Uddin Razib, general secretary of the BNP’s Hatia Upazila unit in Noakhali, said: “We want a democratically elected government. The current administration is unelected and, therefore, disconnected from the people's aspirations. However, an elected government will be able to fulfill public expectations. That is why we will once again demand the prompt organization of national elections in this extended meeting.”
“At the same time, we expect our party leadership to exert strong pressure on the government to ensure early elections,” he added.
Reports indicate that the BNP plans to intensify its grassroots campaigns regarding the election timeline, opposing any attempts to delay the election under the guise of reforms.
Instead, the party will demand that the election be held by December, following some basic electoral reforms.
Other parties allied with the BNP in anti-government movements have also called for elections within 2025.
However, several government advisers, the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee have pushed for local elections before the national polls.
This has led to an open debate among political parties regarding which election should take precedence.
BNP Vice Chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury told Dhaka Tribune: “We will seek feedback from grassroots leaders. Our top leadership will listen to their views, and based on their input, we will provide clear directives to party activists regarding the election strategy.”
The BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said: “An extended meeting is a regular program for a political party. After a long time, our party is holding such a meeting, where various issues will be discussed. Grassroots leaders and activists will present their views, and the party’s policymakers will make a collective decision based on their input.”
Asked whether the upcoming election would be discussed at the meeting, he responded: “The people of this country want a fair election. Prioritizing public demand, the extended meeting will certainly include discussions on the election.”