The Awami League top brass think that the BNP, the largest opposition party, is mobilizing leaders and activists for the 12th general elections, and its call for boycotting any election being held under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is nothing but political rhetoric.
Through anti-government campaigns, the BNP has been drumming up public support and strengthening unity with other opposition parties critical of the incumbent government, which has been in power since 2009.
Party insiders have said that senior Awami League leaders will start communicating with all registered political parties to ensure their participation in the elections, as desired by party chief Sheikh Hasina, the longest-serving premier in Bangladesh’s history.
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The efforts will be visible in the next few months, according to senior leaders, who said that they were now busy working on strengthening the party for the elections, slated for December next year.
A cabinet member, asking not to be named, said: “Awami League leaders will communicate with some senior leaders of other parties and top leaders of opposition alliances to ensure their participation in the next polls."
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Over the last decade, the BNP, which heads an alliance of two dozen political parties, has failed to organize any strong movement and could not form a stronger alliance centring on any issues of public interest, several senior ruling party leaders have told Dhaka Tribune.
The opposition bloc's political activities have apparently remained limited to delivering inflammatory speeches at press conferences and discussions, and issuing media statements regarding the release of its chief Khaleda Zia – thus remaining detached from the masses.
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The opposition’s strongest presence is seen only on social media and in local government elections.
In these circumstances, the BNP's grassroots units have the most active supporters who took part in Iftar mahfils with the acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, now living in exile after being released on parole in 2007. Tarique earlier held a series of meetings with the party's top policymaking wings.
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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in her mid seventies, too wants to see participatory elections and has asked party leaders to test their popularity in their constituencies.
The ruling party recently learned from survey results that chances of success for its candidates were high in 100 seats. Reports from 200 other seats will be available in the next two months, party insiders have said.
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"Participating in the elections is the only way to achieve power. If the BNP misses the forthcoming general elections, to be held in December 2023, it will be bankrupt as a political party,” said Awami League Presidium Member Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
“I believe Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will talk with every political party before the polls. Right now, what the BNP and other opposition parties are saying is nothing but political rhetoric to make bargaining points with the government and to gear up the spirit of their activists,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
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Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury echoed Maya. “Before the last elections held in December 2018, the BNP leaders also said that they would not participate in the elections, but finally they gave candidates and some of their leaders were elected as MPs," said Matia, a former minister.
Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif warned of tough action against violence in the name of political activities. “As a political party, the Awami League believes in democracy. We want democratic practices from every other party, including the BNP."