Supporters of the BNP were not very active in grassroots-level political activities in Rangpur division in the past few weeks. As a result, there was no impact of last week’s three-day blockade program in the division.
After their absence on the streets during Sunday’s blockade, leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League have started terming the movement a flop.
The situation has been the same since the BNP’s hartal was observed on October 29. Local AL leaders said they haven’t seen any picketing or procession supporting the opposition party’s programs in any of the eight upazilas of Rangpur. The situation in the city has also been the same.
The BNP’s blockade programs, which began with a three-day blockade on October 31, have been marred by clashes and violence elsewhere in the country. After a couple of days' break, the party again enforced a two-day blockade program Sunday.
Meanwhile, a good number of vehicles were seen plying city streets in Rangpur. Schools and colleges were holding academic activities, and businesses were as usual in the division throughout the day. Trains were operating as per schedule. However, the movement of inter-district buses was less than it usually is.
Bus owners said they were not operating at full capacity due to a shortage of passengers.
On October 29, police arrested a total of 17 BNP men, including three local leaders, including the party’s Rangpur Metropolitan Committee President Samshuzzaman Samu and Secretary Advocate Mahfuz-un-Nabi Don.
Since then, their party office at the Grand Hotel Mor has remained deserted. Shahidul Islam Mizu has been made the acting convener of the metropolitan BNP, while Avdus Salam has been made acting member secretary following the recent arrests. But none of them were seen on the periphery of the office.
Saiful Islam, district BNP convener, alleged that at least 100 leaders and activists of the party were arrested since October 29 until Sunday in Rangpur. They are being unable to stay at home as the police are conducting raids to arrest party men, he alleged. He further said that two top leaders have been arrested in a couple of false cases. Now they are being sent to court, Saiful Islam said.
BNP’s longtime ally, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, have also been ascent from the streets. During the initial blockade program last week, a handful of leaders were seen blocking a railway line for ten minutes and fleeing the spot, which has been their only highlight since October 29.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police told Dhaka Tribune that five to six BNP men set fire to a tyre and tried to block a road Sunday. They circulated the photo on social media and mainstream media. But in reality, they are on the run.
When this reporter tried to reach BNP leaders for their comments, most of the top leaders were out of reach, and their phones were switched off.
Commenting on the situation AL leader Tushar Kanti Mandal said the BNP has lost all its public sympathy after it carried out violence in Dhaka on October 28. As a result, people are not participating in their program.
Abul Kashem, joint convener of metropolitan AL, said the ruling party men are alert and are present on the streets. They will not allow anyone to carry out anarchy in the city.
Ifte Khayer, additional superintendent of Rangpur police, said they have intensified security in the division and will deal with iron hands if anyone tries to destabilise the situation.
