Apprehension of massive political violence runs high among the general public as both the ruling and opposition alliances stick to their uncompromising stands over Sunday’s Dhaka march programme. Talking to The Independent, the country’s civil society leaders have also expressed deep concerns over the escalation of the tension centing the opposition’s programme. The situation aggravated on Friday after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) refused BNP permission to hold the Dhaka march programme, and subsequent suspension of the operation of river and road transports that left capital Dhaka almost disconnected from other parts of the country.
The BNP, however, vowed to hold its programme despite the DMP refusal while Awami League devised ways to resist the opposition move.
The BNP has called for the ‘March for Democracy’ programme in the capital for Sunday after enforcing five spells of blockade, demanding election under a non-party neutral administration and postponement of the schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls slated for January 5.
In a video message to media houses on Friday, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called upon the countrymen to hit the streets to make the Dhaka march a success.
“I was always beside you (people) for the welfare of the country. I am with people and will remain so in the future. If I fail to take part in the March for Democracy on Sunday, you should continue the programme until the government is toppled,” she said.
“We are struggling for protecting our democracy. People from all walks of life should take part in the programme, defying all sorts of government barriers
to force the government to halt the farcical national poll under a party management,” she added.
The Dhaka police earlier rejected BNP’s request to allow them to hold the ‘March for Democracy’ programme in front of the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters on Sunday. Police said permission was denied for the sake of security of the city dwellers.
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir termed the denial of permission for the programme as an outcome of ‘undemocratic attitude’ of the government.
He also vowed to hold the programme as scheduled by defying all obstacles.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members are pushing the country towards confrontation by giving threat to foil the March for Democracy programme. This is nothing but an outcome of the government’s undemocratic mentality,” he said.
Alamgir made the allegation in a written statement sent on Friday evening.
If BNP is deprived of staging the showdown, party sources said the opposition will not allow the government go unchallenged in holding “a lopsided national election” under its own oversight. The party is mulling for announcing another course of action programme and that might be announced through a video massage on Sunday, BNP sources said.
“The government is provoking us to go for a tougher programme in many ways. We have no alternative without going for non-stop agitation programme,” BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman said, adding that they were thinking about a non-violent non-cooperation programme and that might be announced immediately.
Talking to The Independent, organising secretary of the party’s Rajshahi division Harun-ur-Rashid said train and bus services from Rajshahi to Dhaka have been stopped since Friday evening “to create obstacles for the opposition programme.
Mushiur Rahman, organising secretary of the party’s Khulna division, said authorities of the Khulna divisional bus terminal were instructed on Friday to not ply any vehicle on the streets in the next two days so that no one can reach Dhaka. Law enforcers were also engaged in conducting raids across Khulna city, including its main bus terminal, so that no one can board a bus or train to reach Dhaka, Rahman said.
Sick people, who had intended to avail medical services in the capital, were the worst sufferers, he added.
Organising secretaries of the party’s Barisal, Sylhet and Chittagong divisions aired similar grievances and said their leaders and activists will reach the capital anyhow to make the programme a success.
Most of the leaders, activists and supporters of the 18-party alliance have already reached the capital by availing different modes of transport, including microbuses, in the name of bridal parties or other such functions, fearing that they might be intercepted on the way by the members of law enforcers or ruling party men on the eve of the showdown, said Fazlul Haque Milon, also organising secretary of the party’s Dhaka division.
“Khaleda Zia has asked us to hit the streets to topple the fascist Awami League government. We will show our respect to the call made by our party chief by making the March for Democracy programme on Sunday a grand success,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League has come up with a number of strategies to resist the BNP programme for, what the party leaders say, thwarting any destructive activities ahead of the Jan 5 general election.
Accordingly, the ruling party has informed the administration as well as the law enforcement agencies about its decision to resist the opposition programme, party sources said.
As part of the AL-led government’s instructions, law enforcers have been carrying out drives across the country since the past two days, the leaders said.
Nearly 500 people, mostly opposition activists, were rounded up from different parts of the country in the past 24 hours and charged with vandalism and sabotage.
Joint forces comprising police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) are also targeting listed criminals during their massive crackdown to maintain law and order ahead of the general election.
Owners of buses and launches across the country have been indirectly instructed not to ply their vehicles towards Dhaka so that BNP-Jamaat activists are unable to participate in the programme.
On Thursday, AL high-ups asked the party leaders and activists to remain alert and to take to the streets on Sunday, in a bid to thwart the opposition’s programme. The directive followed an extended meeting of the AL at its headquarters on the Bangabandhu Avenue here on Wednesday evening.
AL activists have been asked to keep sharp vigil on hotels, temples and mosques in the capital so that people with suspicious movement can be handed over to law enforcers, the sources quoted the leaders present in the meeting.
In a statement on the same day, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam urged all not to respond to the call of the opposition leader to march towards.
Instead of responding to the call of the anti-liberation forces, he urged all pro-liberation forces to make an all-out effort to resist them.
Besides, AL is repeatedly saying that the main opposition BNP would not be allowed to create anarchy in the name of holding its ‘March for democracy’ programme in the capital before the January 5 elections.
Meanwhile, civil society members have expressed deep concern over the government’s decision to resist the main Opposition BNP’s ‘March for Democracy’ programme.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, an eminent jurist, said, “To be able to hold rallies is a fundamental right. We’re concerned about the government’s determination to resist the rally by stopping the operation of bus, train and launch services across the country.”
The present political impasse should be resolved through dialogue instead of conflict, he said, in reply to a query.
Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said, “We’re extremely concerned at the government’s attitude towards the opposition programme. It would further escalate the conflict.”
Constitution expert Shahdhin Malik said the government has been taking ‘undemocratic’ decisions, and that the democratic space has shrunk. It has triggered violent police action and violence against the innocent, he observed.
“The only solution to this problem is to enhance democratic freedoms, which, unfortunately, is becoming improbable,” he added.
Prof. Khondaker Mustahidur Rahman, former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, said there was no logical reason behind the government’s attempt to block the March for Democracy, wherein people would carry national flags to Dhaka. The result would not be good for the Awami League or the government, he warned.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said the rigid stands taken by both the ruling Awami League and the main opposition BNP would severely disrupt public life and undermine democracy. “We’re concerned over the tussle for power between the two major parties, which has imperilled democracy,” he said. He said both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia should resolve the political impasse through talks, adding that there was no alternative to it.
-With The Independent input
