Although the BNP has decided not to participate in the 12th parliamentary elections on January 7, around 100 leaders, including several heavyweights, have left the party to contest the much-hyped polls.
They include incumbent leaders of the BNP as well as those who were expelled or have been deprived of positions in the party.
The BNP has so far expelled around 25 of its central and grassroots-level leaders since the announcement of the January 7 election schedule on November 15. They faced action for breaching party discipline and joining the election in violation of the party's decision.
These leaders were vocal against the ruling Awami League and supported the anti-government movement.
A senior leader of the BNP said that the top leadership of the party was in close contact with the candidates who came out of jail on bail to handle the situation.
BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan claimed that it was the government's strategy to divide the BNP. Attempts to break the party were not successful in the past and will not yield any fruit this time either.
A similar situation was seen during the city elections earlier this year, when dozens of BNP leaders contested to become mayors and councillors. The BNP central committee expelled all of them.
Most of the former leaders who submitted nominations from various parties to participate in the elections are deposed leaders of the BNP.
Dhaka Tribune spoke to about 40 of these leaders. It was found out that they had been involved in the district-based movement for a long time and were working with the main leaders of the BNP in the district. But many of them did not get any positions in the party, even though 7–10 years have gone by.
They were with the Chhatra Dal for a long time and later worked for the BNP, upholding the party’s ideology. But they think that it is not possible to make a change without vote-centric politics. Therefore, they have decided to disregard the decision of the party and go for the election under the constitution of the country. Even the heavyweight leaders cannot ignore voting politics.
Former BNP leader Mahbub Ali has been nominated from Trinamool BNP for the Bogra-5 seat. He said that for seven years, he had not got a post at the district level despite lobbying the BNP central committee and even the acting chairman.
He told Dhaka Tribune: “I have been doing BNP politics for 40 years. I started politics with the Chhatra Dal. Although I later joined Bikalapa Dhara, I was actively involved in BNP politics and participated in all the movements. But I never got a nomination for parliamentary elections from the party. So I decided to contest the election this time, through leaving the party.”
BNP leaders from almost every district of the country are participating in the elections. However, as their influence and position in the party are not great, they are not coming into the discussion.
Another candidate of the Trinamool BNP from Naogaon-6, PK Abdur Rab, said: “I had no organisational position in the BNP. Once I was the president of the Chhatra Dal’s college unit. Later, I worked as a general member of the BNP’s district committee.”
A central leader of the party, seeking anonymity, said the BNP has been leading a movement to restore the voting rights of the people and establish good governance in the country. So, if someone does not believe in these values or does not want to be part of the movement, they will be suspended or expelled from their posts. Some people may be under coercion, and some people may have short-term aspirations, but the rights of the citizens are above all.
Importance of voting in politics
The party has so far expelled eight of its central leaders: former vice chairman Shahjahan Omar, chairperson’s advisory council member Syed AK Ekramuzzaman, weaver affairs assistant secretary Rabeya Siraj, and Executive Committee members Mohammad Abu Zafar, Shah Shaheed Sarwar, Matiur Rahman Montu, Khandkar Ahsan Habib, and AKM Fakhrul Islam.
On the last day of nomination submission on Thursday, the announcement of Shahjahan Omar’s candidature as an Awami League candidate for the Jhalkathi-1 seat was the most talked-about incident. He was expelled the same day. Omar came out of jail on bail on Wednesday.
BNP Standing Committee Member Selima Rahman said: “We know that many of the important BNP leaders who switched parties were under great pressure to join the polls. But no significant leader went beyond the decision of the party, and it will not happen. Those who are part of this election from the BNP are not important leaders at any level of the party.”
Expelled vice chairman and journalist Shaukat Mahmood submitted his nomination papers for the Comilla-5 seat from Trinamool BNP. He did not get a nomination from the BNP even after seeking one in the 2018 election. He thinks that it is important to come to the election for a change in the country.
Among others, Shajahanpur Upazila BNP President Enamul Haque will participate in the elections from Trinamool BNP from the Bogra-7 constituency, a BNP stronghold.
An expelled adviser to BNP chief Ekramuzzaman has become an independent candidate from the Brahmanbaria-1 seat, defying the party decision.
On the other hand, many senior leaders have left the BNP and formed several parties, including the Trinamool BNP, to contest the polls.
Gazipur Metropolitan BNP leader and Basan Thana BNP Vice President Jabbar Sarkar, former student leader and Thakurgaon Haripur Upazila BNP Vice President Mozaffar Ahmed, and Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum Vice President Abdul Qadir Talukder are contesting the polls from Trinamool BNP.
Former Executive Committee member Abu Zafar is taking part in the election from Faridpur-1 after quitting the BNP. Now he is serving as the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM).
Although there is no major position in the party, Bogra District BNP's popular politician and four-time MP, Ziaul Haque Molla, is running as an independent candidate from Bogra-4.
Apart from them, expelled central executive committee member Ahsan Habib is contesting from Tangail-5, while Delduar Upazila BNP member Khandkar Wahid Murad submitted nomination papers for Tangail-6 as independent candidates.
Besides, about two dozen leaders are contesting as independent candidates in several constituencies, including Bogra-7, Bogra-2, Bogra-1, Mymensingh-4, Mymensingh-2, Faridpur-2, Nilphamari-4, Chapainawabganj-3, and Jhalkathi-2.
Some of the senior BNP leaders said that the party leadership has been cautious since the formation of the BNM and the Trinamool BNP.
Since then, senior leaders, including the acting chairman, have been talking to the disgruntled party leaders to ensure that they maintain party discipline and remain active in the movement. The BNP high command has decided to expel anyone breaching the party’s decision.
