Facing mounting public outrage and internal embarrassment over recent crimes committed by its members, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has decided to launch a sweeping "purification campaign" to root out criminal elements within its ranks.
The party leadership is under intense pressure following the brutal public killing near Dhaka’s Mitford Hospital—an act allegedly carried out by activists affiliated with BNP’s associate bodies.
Although five individuals from Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal have been expelled over the incident, questions linger over why such violent tendencies have grown unchecked within the party. The leadership now admits that internal conflicts, unchecked dominance struggles, and the infiltration of criminal elements have eroded BNP’s image—prompting this urgent cleanup initiative, from the top levels to the grassroots.
BNP, one of the country’s largest political parties, has remained out of power for over 16 years. Since the fall of the Awami League government, allegations of being involved in crimes such as extortion, murder, and rape have mounted against BNP leaders and activists. Public frustration is growing, mirrored by discontent within the party’s own ranks.
The Mitford Hospital incident—where a man was beaten and stoned to death—sparked intense backlash. Despite the lifetime expulsions of the five affiliated activists involved, the criticism has not been eased. The episode highlighted growing lawlessness among party members and triggered a political firestorm.
Compounding matters, the party is already under scrutiny for alleged involvement in attacks, turf wars, financial extortion, and internal power struggles following a wave of student-led protests. The political atmosphere has grown more charged, with Jamaat-e-Islami, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and Islamic Movement-affiliated student and youth groups organizing protest marches condemning the Mitford murder.
Meanwhile, online campaigns have emerged linking the crime to BNP and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Volatile cocktail bombs were thrown and exploded in front of BNP's Nayapaltan headquarters in Dhaka, while demonstrators shouted slogans against the party leadership.
BNP senior leaders claim the campaigns are part of a deliberate smear effort and a form of "dirty politics." Nevertheless, the backlash has shaken the party, intensified by fake news alleging attacks on BNP offices in different regions.
As crimes by BNP members continue to surface, the party is under pressure to act decisively. That’s why the leadership is now pushing ahead with a full-fledged "purification drive," to be executed from the district level down to the grassroots.
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said at a public event: “Questioning the interim governments about the Mitford murder, we observed with great surprise that the person we saw in the video was being killed. Why hasn't the government arrested the killer yet?"
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir echoed this stance: “BNP does not support any injustice. We demand the government identify and punish the actual perpetrators.”
He linked the rising criminality to the absence of elections and an overall deterioration of the country’s law and order.
Still, BNP insiders admit the growing trend of criminality in their ranks. “We’ve decided to launch a ‘purification campaign’ starting from the grassroots to clean up the organization,” said a senior party figure.
Criticism from rival groups continues. From a protest rally, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement President Rifat Rashid warned: “BNP must understand—those who shelter terrorists in the name of fighting fascism will be resisted.”
He argued that the Mitford murder was not an isolated event, but a product of a broader decline in political culture, where student politics has morphed into a hub for violence and extortion.
In response, the government announced the arrest of five suspects and plans to fast-track the case for trial. Legal adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed the case would be sent to a special tribunal. Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury added that all suspects are being brought under the law.
BNP’s youth wing, Jubo Dal, confirmed the lifetime expulsion of five members involved in the incident. However, they also alleged that three other culprits were left out of the official charges.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said: “We’re not avoiding responsibility. We’re expelling those involved and urging the administration to act.” He emphasized that if BNP were trying to protect criminals, it wouldn’t be taking such organizational steps.
He added: “But no one is speaking about the youth leader murdered in Khulna or the imam stabbed in a mosque.”
Indeed, violence continues. In Khulna’s Daulatpur, a former Jubo Dal leader was shot and stabbed to death. The same day, Maulana Nurur Rahman, the khatib of a mosque in Chandpur, was attacked after the Friday prayers.
According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), at least 79 people were killed and over 4,100 injured in 529 incidents of political violence between January and June this year. Of these, 445 incidents were linked to BNP’s internal feuds or clashes with rival parties. HRSS released these findings in its bi-monthly report titled ‘Human Rights Situation in Bangladesh: January–June 2025’.
This wave of violence has raised a key question: why is BNP failing to rein in its own members despite enacting expulsions, committee suspensions, and disciplinary measures?
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, so far, BNP has taken punitive organizational measures against about seven thousand leaders and activists from the district, metropolitan, police station and central committees.
Still, many believe that deeper structural issues are at play. A Central Committee leader admitted that many “criminals and terrorists” had infiltrated BNP through gaps in party vetting systems. “But we won’t take responsibility for their actions,” he said. “We’ve started a ward-level cleansing campaign, forming a committee to oversee it.”
A Standing Committee member confirmed that the initiatives will go beyond expulsions. “We will identify the criminals and hand them over to the police. Organizational discipline is our job—legal action is the government’s responsibility.”
According to party insiders, the plan involves reviewing the records of all members from district to grassroots levels. Individuals with questionable backgrounds may face removal and legal consequences.
