Where are the young BNP leaders?

The future of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) greatly rests on cultivating future leaders which is why senior figures including chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has been taking steps to involve young student leaders at party programmes across the country. According to BNP sources, however, the younger generation of leaders are unwilling to participate in party programmes. This apparent apathy has upset the BNP’s upper echelons, with several sources telling the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity that the party’s senior leadership is getting old and that younger leaders are needed to attend these programmes. The party chief herself has recruited several young leaders into the BNP executive committee and directed them to push the party’s political agenda forward in the absence of senior leaders. There was a lot of hope riding on these hand-picked young leaders, and the senior leadership believed that the new recruits would bring a much-needed youthful energy and dynamism to the party. However, following a disappointing attendance rate by these young leaders at a party programme last month, BNP's top leadership has grown concerned about the longevity of their new “safe” political strategy. A member of the BNP standing committee, also seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that BNP did not get the kind of result they wanted from several of their movements announced by the party chief because of the absence of their central leaders at the programmes they organized. “BNP is like a fish out of water now and this situation is very frustrating for the party,” they added. The BNP had recently called for a nationwide demonstration in protest of an arrest warrant against the party chief Khaleda Zia. BNP activists and supporters had organized demonstrations across the country, but only a handful of central leaders participated in those programmes. Even in Dhaka, no central leaders participated in demonstrations except for Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. The old guards of BNP, who are reportedly unhappy with the unwillingness of younger leaders to participate in party programmes Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

A case of self preservation

Is this unwillingness a case of disinterest in politics, or are the BNP central leaders afraid? Sources at the party told the Dhaka Tribune that most of their young leaders are afraid of political retaliation and police harassment. A youth leader from Jubo Dal, on condition of anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that most of the young leaders have been indicted in several cases filed by the police. “If we participate in party programmes regularly, then the government will definitely pressure law enforcers to arrest us,” the young leader said. “If all senior leaders are put behind bars, it will severely disrupt the party’s political activities. That is why senior leaders are participating in party programmes on a priority basis.” Senior leaders from the divisional and district level are also not attending party programmes to avoid police harassment, sources claimed. Several insiders from the party told the Dhaka Tribune that many leaders of the central executive committee and leaders of BNP’s associated organizations are avoiding the party programmes over concerns of more legal action that could be taken against them by the ruling party or the police. BNP sources said since the movement to resist the election held on January 5, 2014, the party has been under tremendous pressure. Meanwhile, BNP leader Anisur Rahman Talukdar Khokon said: “Chattra Dal is known for its courage and firm stance, but it is difficult to understand why its leaders are not willing to participate in party programmes.” But he explained that it may be a strategy by the student organization. He said that the BNP and its associate organizations should take to the streets only after it has the kind of strength to resist pressure or the government will uproot the party completely. When contacted, BNP joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal refused to comment on the issue. However, Alal claimed that he had tried several times to bring the young leaders on to the street, but to no avail. However, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that young leaders are very active at party programmes and said they are the “heart” of the BNP. “Although the un-elected Awami League government and its police force are trying to force BNP out of politics, there is still a lot of support from the youth,” he said. “Not just from our party leaders but from the general public, who are taking part in BNP programmes to bring about a positive change.”