Bangladesh Nationalist Party has made the most of the month of Ramadan for a campaign of sort in the form of iftar parties and religious events for the next polls rather than preparing for the post-Eid movement for an election-time ‘non-party’ government.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had earlier declared Ramadan as the month of its organisational activities to strengthen the organisation by enhancing contacts among the leaders and
activists and to settle internal issues before taking final preparations for its post-Eid movement.
She had also said preparations for both movement and elections would go simultaneously during Ramadan.
Aspirants for BNP tickets in the next general elections were engaged throughout the month trying to win voters hearts through various religious programmes, including hosting iftar parties, milad-mahfils, distributing clothes and money as jakat, one of the mandatory duties in Islam for affluent Muslims, and presenting gifts to people, according to the party insiders.
Aspirants also hung colourful posters and banners in their respective areas seeking people’s blessing and support for them in next polls. Many were also sending Eid cards and Eid greetings through SMS to known and unknown people seeking their blessing. Posters with portraits of the aspirants to mayor and councillors in elections to the Dhaka city are also on display at different neighbourhoods in the capital.
BNP leaders and activists turned election-oriented after the victories of the party-backed candidates in the elections to five city corporations, the party insiders said.
The next general elections are scheduled to be held either by the end of this year or in early January.
BNP senior-vice chairman Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in the United Kingdom since September 2008, at an iftar party at a hotel in London on July 24 said that establishing a non-party caretaker government was the ‘prime task’ of the party leaders and activists.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the government would face a ‘one-point oust government’ movement after the Eid if it did not concede to the opposition demand for holding the next polls under a non-party caretaker government.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed on August 2 said a ‘non-stop’ general strike and road-rail blockades would be enforced in October to compel the government to accept the demand.
When approached, BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman told New Age on Wednesday that aspirants for the party tickets had tried to gain political mileage during organisational activities in their respective constituencies in Ramadan by hosting iftar parties, milad mahfils, interactions and other social engagements.
Mahbub, a former lawmaker for Dinajpur-2 constituency, also went to his constituency in Ramadan, attended and hosted Iftar parties and religious events.
Standing committee member MK Anwar, also a lawmaker, told New Age that the final objective in politics was to win the election.
He said there was no such difference between organisational activities and election preparations.
He claimed that preparations for both the post-Eid movement and elections were made in Ramadan.
MK Anwar, also a former minister, went to his constituency of Homna of Comilla district in Ramadan and stayed there for a few days attending and hosting iftar parties.
BNP’s national executive committee member Rafiq Sikder, an aspirant for Brahmanbaria-6 constituency, told New Age that he along with party leaders and activists had campaigned both for movement and election in his constituency through holding iftar parties, discussions and distributing leaflets among the people.
He said this time the Eid would be celebrated by leaders and activists of different political parties focusing on the next polls.
-With New Age input
