Rejuvenated by its victories in the city polls, the opposition BNP has planned to run campaigns throughout Ramadan to include more parties in the opposition coalition, strengthen bonds within the coalition, rebuff its own nationwide activities and raise the demand for Dhaka city corporations elections.
Senior party leaders said the steps are being taken to strengthen their demand for a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee the upcoming general elections scheduled for early 2014, and to increase the strength of the combined political parties against the ruling coalition led by the Awami League after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said: “Our main demand is that the next elections be held under a non-partisan interim government. We will contact the other political parties to bring them onto a single platform on this issue.”
“Apart from this, we will also raise our voice regarding elections of the Dhaka city corporations,” he said.
BNP acting secretary general and party spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “We have election preparations and we are talking to the other political parties to bring them under the 18-party coalition to intensify the ongoing movement.”
Mirza said most of the upcoming programmes would revolve around Iftar programmes and their senior leaders would be touring different districts to strengthen activities of the units there. “The schedule for the district visits will be finalised within a day or two.”
Joint Secretary General Mohammad Shahjahan said: “More or less, all the political parties morally agree on the caretaker issue. So our target is to bring all the parties under a platform, it is not necessary that political all the parties join the 18-party coalition.”
Apart from this, senior leaders will campaign in their respective areas during the month of Ramadan to familiarise themselves with the people and mobilise public support.
BNP sources said they had already discussed the matter with parties like Jatiya Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Gonoforum and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob), among others.
As part of the Ramadan campaign, the party chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday invited ruling Awami League leaders for an Iftar party on July 13. A delegation led by BNP Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony handed over the invitation to Awami League Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das at their office in Dhanmondi.
