The main opposition BNP will soon plan its next course of actions to “compel” the government to meet its demand for introducing a non-partisan interim government to oversee the next general elections.
The party will hold a meeting of its Standing Committee on August 14 at 8:30pm at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office, Shamsur Rhman Shimul Biswas, special assistant to the party chief, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena will hold a meeting with opposition leader Khaleda Zia this evening at the latter’s Gulshan office, Maruf Kamal Khan, press secretary to Khaleda, told the Dha-ka Tribune.
Shimul Biswas also said Khaleda would sit with her alliance partners at a meeting on August 15 to devise the next course of action.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called a countrywide 48-hour strike for August 13-14 to protest the High Court’s verdict that declared the party’s registration with the Election Commission illegal.
Senior leaders of the BNP said they would wage a movement simultaneously with that of Jamaat, keeping a strategic distance with the Islamist political party.
Before Eid holidays, a number of party high-ups had said they would sit with the alliance partners to devise the next course of action soon.
“We are yet to finalise the programmes…The party will hold a meeting of the Standing Committee, and then sit with the alliance leaders. After that we will announce our next course of action,” BNP acting secre-tary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the Dhaka Tribune before Eid.
He said the anti-government movement would be intensified in phases while protests and public meetings would be held in the meantime.
Party insiders said the movement was expected to gather a momentum ahead of October 25 when the incumbent government would complete its term. They anticipated tougher programmes such as non-stop hartal, blockades, hunger strikes and street demonstrations.
“We have not discussed this issue yet at the party forum. Until now we have observed soft programmes, but the government has failed to pay any heed. Obviously, we will go for a tougher movement after Eid,” MK Anwar, a member of the Standing Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The BNP will organise the protest programmes along with its allies and other like-minded organisations.
“We will announce our programmes, considering those of Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam,” a senior leader said on condition of anonymity.
But before waging that movement, the BNP was now planning to bring all opposition forces under its um-brella, party insiders said.
The political situation of Bangladesh has been volatile since the cancellation of the polls-time caretaker government provision in 2011 through the 15th amendment to the constitution.
