With city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong less than a month away, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s court appearance yesterday is perceived as a relaxation of her strict stance over the last three months.
As the BNP gradually backtracks from its initially violent anti-government campaign demanding fresh national elections, a sense of relief is also beginning to set upon the people who are gradually getting back to their usual lives.
However, the obvious question that surfaces at this point is what the BNP-led alliance has achieved through the violent movement that claimed more than a hundred lives.
Yesterday was also the first time that Khaleda came out of her office in the last three months. In fact, she took to staying at her Gulshan political office as a means of protest against the government’s actions while the members of her alliance kept the heat up on the streets and on the highways.
Initially, though, the government was intent on confining Khaleda to her office, it later tried to force her out jamming telephone frequency and cutting off power. But Khaleda remained adamant and refused to leave.
She had earlier said she was not going to come out and go home unless the government allowed her party and alliance to hold democratic political programmes.
The former prime minister yesterday made a rare court appearance to seek bail in two corruption cases in which there were warrants for her arrest. She secured bail literally unopposed and went straight back to her Gulshan residence Feroza.
In the 92 days that have elapsed in the meantime, more than 17,000 people – mainly from the alliance of political opposition that she leads – have been arrested in security crackdown. Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed – BNP’s crisis-moment communicator – mysteriously disappeared and has remained missing for almost a month now.
Because of the prevailing tension, the Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations – one of the biggest public exams in Bangladesh – had to be rescheduled numerous times. Scores died at burn units of public hospitals and hundreds went home maimed.
But in recent days, tensions have eased. Mass arrests have blunted the strength of the ongoing transport blockade. The BNP, for its part, has turned to active politics, deciding to take part in the April 28 city elections of Dhaka and Chittagong.
Seeking anonymity for obvious reasons, a senior leader of the party told the Dhaka Tribune: “The leaders and activists are frustrated as nothing has been achieved.
“Some are saying that two major movements within a year have pushed the party’s back against the wall. Since there was no groundwork, results remained illusive.”
After a year of relative peace in 2014, things took a turn for the worse on January 5 when Khaleda was barred from coming out of her Gulshan office to attend a party rally on the one-year anniversary of the national elections that the BNP dubbed “the death of democracy day.”
The BNP had boycotted that election, eventually finding itself thrown out of parliament, and the Awami League swept the polls virtually unopposed to return to government with a thumping majority.
Outraged, the BNP chief called a nationwide indefinite transport blockade, asking the government to step down and call early election under a non-partisan caretaker administration.
The senior BNP leader, who sought anonymity, also said: “This movement has shown us where the problem is. Everyone has understood what the weaknesses are. If one starts treatment for a disease without proper diagnosis, the disease will remain untreated.”
On Saturday, BNP officials broke padlocks and opened the party’s main headquarters at Nayapaltan that had remained sealed and heavily guarded by the police since the party’s programmes began.
BNP Standing Committee member Mahbubur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune last night: “The BNP must be allowed to observe all sorts of political programmes. Detained leaders should be released. Mayor and councillor candidates should get equal opportunity to conduct campaigns. The BNP will also backtrack from its movement.”
The alliance has already lifted the strike in Dhaka and Chittagong; the hartal in other parts of the country might also be withdrawn soon. Insiders said Khaleda might even take part in campaigns in favour of the BNP-backed mayor candidates after April 15.
Several leaders of the ruling Awami League have also appreciated Khaleda’s move.
Last night, ruling party policymaker Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin told the Dhaka Tribune: “Democracy cannot go on with one party. Instead of resorting to violent means, she [Khaleda] should tread the path of constructive criticism. Judging by how things are proceeding, it appears that she has understood her role.”
Awami League Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said: “We congratulate her because good sense seems to have prevailed. She should understand that no movement can be successful if the people are not with it. Violence has never fetched anything.”
Political scientist Dr Ataur Rahman sees this as a win-win situation for both the major parties.
“It may mark a turning point, ushering in politics of accommodation. What remains to be seen is whether this stability sustains until the next national elections. The government should be careful and the BNP should engage in constructive criticism.”
He also said political parties should start focusing on the country instead of being bent on dethroning incumbents.