What the month of December holds has been a major topic of discussion in the country's politics over the past several months, ever since ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has now spent over two years in India, announced her intention to return to Bangladesh that month.
Leaders and activists of the Awami League, which remains under a ban on its activities, have been energized by Hasina's announcement, and they have been campaigning on social media, as well as through their foreign networks, to prepare the grounds for her return, which remains uncertain.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) believes the Awami League’s underground network is trying to stoke unrest across the country in anticipation of welcoming back their leader, with government sources saying the party is planning subversive activities.
The BNP has stepped up organizational activities, mobilized its grassroots leaders and activists, and sought to mend ties with former allies. It has also instructed its leaders and workers to remain alert, avoid provocation and report suspicious activities to the administration rather than take the law into their own hands.
The party and its affiliated organizations, including Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Sramik Dal, are active on the ground. Law enforcement agencies suspect AL activists were involved in recent garment workers’ protests, cocktail explosions and vehicle arson in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
At a BNP parliamentary party meeting chaired by Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman at parliament premises on Monday, “The message is loud and clear: we are on the streets, and we must remain on the streets. All conspiracies must be confronted on the streets,” Tarique told the meeting.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government would use the Bangladesh-India extradition treaty to bring Hasina back.
The home minister assured parliament that no conspiracy, whether hatched inside or outside the country, would be allowed to revive fascism.
“I want to assure the people of the country that no conspiracy or blueprint, whether hatched within the country, beyond the border or through a combination of forces, will be allowed to be implemented here,” he said.
Referring to a cocktail explosion on the roof of a car near the Dhaka University Business Faculty building, Salahuddin said such an incident did not mean that the country's law and order situation had deteriorated. It was not reasonable, he said, to describe the overall situation as extremely alarming based on a few symbolic incidents.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Hasina could not return on a new passport and that her return would have to follow the legal process under the extradition treaty.
Political analysts say the BNP faces the challenge of rebuilding its organizational structure while running the government. After being out of power for a long time, some leaders are now occupied with government and administrative responsibilities. Competition for local leadership, dissatisfaction over committee positions and concerns about discipline have also emerged.
The party is preparing for its national council and reorganizing its central committee, standing committee, advisory council and affiliate organizations. New committees have recently been announced for BNP's Dhaka North and South units and Jubo Dal's Dhaka North unit. Reorganization of Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal is also underway.
BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said people would never accept Hasina's return in the way AL leaders were claiming.
“Will she suddenly descend by parachute and everyone will welcome her by beating drums? Can that ever happen? The soil of Bengal is the soil of heroes. This land has given birth to many heroes. Those who flee the country after shedding the blood of their own people cannot simply fly back and take over. That is never possible. The people themselves will resist Hasina,” he said.
“In that roar, neither Sheikh Hasina nor even her patrons and their grandfathers will be able to do anything,” Rizvi added, saying people always resist injustice.
“The streets and the field of movements have not been given to anyone as hereditary property, allowing you to provoke us one after another while we sit silently,” he said.
“You can see that cocktails and bombs are being exploded from inside alleys in some places. Instructions are reportedly coming from a neighboring country. The people will resist them appropriately. The government is always prepared in this regard,” he said.
BNP standing committee member Amanullah Aman said the public would not accept attempts to create unrest through a few cocktail explosions. Anti-fascist political parties would jointly resist any move to bring back the ousted autocrat, he said.
“She can come, let her come. The people of Bangladesh are also prepared,” Aman said.
State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur, also the president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, which is a BNP ally, described the talk of Hasina's return in December as ridiculous, alleging that hostile foreign forces were using fascist elements to create instability in Bangladesh.
BNP National Executive Committee member Mamun Hasan said the party would remain active on the ground but would not allow disorder. It would cooperate with the government and administration to maintain peace and resist anyone attempting to create unrest.
“As the party in government, we will do whatever is necessary to cooperate with the administration if such cooperation is needed,” he told UNB.
Another BNP National Executive Committee member, Akramul Hasan, said the party would organize resistance against any terrorist activities. He said the AL should seek forgiveness first from the people if it wanted to return to politics.
He said cocktail explosions might create some fear in a city as large as Dhaka but would have no meaningful political impact. Referring to the AL's past record of arson, deaths, corruption, looting, misrule, crossfire and enforced disappearances, he said isolated acts of violence would not win public support.
JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib said attempts to create disorder in the country are worsening the situation for AL's jailed leaders and activists, he said.
Dismissing the December return claims, Rakib said Bangladesh would celebrate the month of victory in the Liberation War in the grandest manner since 1971. Chhatra Dal will organize Victory celebrations at educational institutions across the country from December 1.
Meanwhile, the BNP is taking initiatives to reduce some of the distance that has opened up between itself and its allies. Some partner parties have expressed dissatisfaction over political assessments after the formation of the government, pre-election commitments and the pace of state reforms.
The BNP plans to hold meetings with its partners in late November or early December. Discussions may also take place with Tarique Rahman on the party's 31-point reform proposal, the July Charter, constitutional amendments, local government elections and future political programs.
