After continued blockades and hartals since late October to unseat the government, the BNP on Wednesday announced a non-cooperation movement, urging people to boycott the January 7 general election.
Moreover, the BNP and like-minded parties will enforce a countrywide road, rail, and waterway blockade on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the government and the restoration of the non-party caretaker government system.
The opposition parties will also conduct a mass campaign today, tomorrow, and on Saturday in support of boycotting the election and the non-cooperation movement.
On behalf of the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi revealed the programs at a virtual press briefing this afternoon, hours after Tarique gave his direction about the non-cooperation movement in a video message on social media.
Rizvi urged the people from all walks of life and the administration not to cooperate with the “illegal government.”.
Moreover, Rizvi appealed to the people not to pay their taxes or utility bills from now on.
Rizvi called upon the people to consider whether depositing their money in banks was secure anymore, as “the government has done most of its plundering through the banking sector.”
The BNP also asked its leaders and activists not to appear in court in what the party characterized as "false" cases.
He categorically requested that the officers and employees assigned to election duties refrain from carrying out their responsibilities, alleging that a list of election winners and future MPs had already been compiled.
The previous two general elections were held in violation of the Constitution, he said, terming the government illegal, undemocratic, and unconstitutional.
Other demands of the BNP include the unconditional release of the party’s chairperson, Khaleda Zia.
The blockade
It will be the 12th round of the blockade program of the opposition parties since October 31. Since October 29, the party has enforced four spells of hartals spanning five days.
Sunday’s blockade will begin at 6am and end at 6pm.
All the blockades and hartals have so far been observed in a lacklustre manner, but arson and vandalism occurred randomly.
According to the fire service, nearly 300 vehicles and 15 establishments have been set on fire since October 29.
Programs by BNP’s allies
BNP’s main Jamaat is also joining the party in Sunday’s blockade, the Islamist party said on Wednesday, adding that it will circulate leaflets and conduct mass contact today and on Saturday.
The 12-party alliance that was floated to back the BNP last year also announced the same programs as the latter’s on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday announced that it will distribute leaflets for three consecutive days starting today, calling for the election to be boycotted. It will enforce a daylong blockade on Sunday.
And Ganatantra Mancha, a coalition of six political parties, will carry out mass contact today and tomorrow. It will bring out a protest march from the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday.
The Bangladesh Labour Party also extended its support for the BNP in the anti-government programs.
Sabotages soar
The non-cooperation movement also coincides with a surge in train violence incidents, ranging from derailments to deliberate acts of arson, since mid-November, when the schedule for the next general election was announced.
Even though the Awami League blamed the ongoing anti-government movements led by the BNP and like-minded parties, the opposition denied the allegations. The BNP also called for a judicial probe over the Tejgaon train sabotage that killed four people early Tuesday.
Another man was killed in one of the earlier train sabotages. In the latest incident, a blaze was reported in a train in Dhaka on Wednesday evening.
The series of violent incidents erupted on October 28, when the BNP scheduled a mass rally in the capital’s Naya Paltan area. Three people, including a policeman and a senior journalist, were killed at that time as the party men clashed with the police.
Soon afterwards, the UN, the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Norway expressed concern over the spate of violence and called for restraint.
More than 20,000 BNP leaders and activists have been arrested since late October across the country, the party claims.
However, the BNP terms the cases “politically motivated”.
