Political tension in the country has peaked ahead of Sunday’s ‘March for democracy’ programme announced by BNP chief Khaleda Zia as the ruling Awami League has vowed to resist the opposition move. BNP insiders told The Independent on Wednesday that their ultimate plan was to lay siege to the capital through this programme in a bid to force the government cancel the general elections slated for January 5. On its part, the AL-led government plans to engage law enforcers and mobilise party activists to foil the opposition’s plan, sources said.
The sources said Khaleda has asked her party leaders and activists in Dhaka and adjoining areas, including Savar, Gazipur and Keraniganj, to gather in front of the party’s Naya Paltan central office early on Sunday.
“The BNP wants to siege the capital first by taking position in front of the party’s central office on Sunday. If people are blocked on their way to the capital, the party will go for mass sit-in programmes across the country simultaneously,” a source said.
“We’re sure that the government would initiate all sorts of preventive measures so that people cannot march towards Dhaka during the ‘March for democracy’ programme. Despite this, we will make our programme a success at any cost,” BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman said.
“We’re making preparations to ensure overwhelming participation of people from all walks of life to mount pressure on the government for giving election under a neutral administration, reforming the Election Commission and postponement of the schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls,” he added.
Several ruling party leaders, however, maintained that the opposition’s ‘March for democracy’ was aimed at creating anarchy in the country.
“We’ll not tolerate the killing of innocent people in the name of this programme,” Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said on Wednesday.
Criticising the BNP plan, former foreign minister Dipu Moni alleged that Khaleda’s movement was aimed at foiling the trial of war criminals.
In an apparent bid to foil the opposition’s plan, the government has ordered law enforcers to arrest key BNP and Jamaat leaders after lodging cases against them.
BNP lawmaker Shammi Akhter, former BNP lawmaker Sarder Shakhwat Hossain Bakul and Tabid Awal Mintoo, son of BNP chairperson’s adviser and businessman Abduyl Awal Mintoo, were picked up by police from the premises of Khaleda’s Gulshan office while they went there to meet Khaleda separately on Wednesday.
Police also picked BNP standing committee member RA Gani from in front of Khaleda’s Gulshan office and released him later.
Earlier, a case was filed against 18 top leaders of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, including BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and 22 unidentified people in connection with Tuesday’s torching of a bus that left a police constable dead.
Nazrul Islam, a sub-inspector of Ramna Police Station, filed the case on Wednesday noon. BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amanullah Aman, Barkatullah Bulu, Abdus Salam, Salahuddin Ahmed, acting secretary general of central unit Jamaat-e-Islami Dr Shafiqur Rahman and Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud were among the accused.
BNP leaders alleged that additional police forces were deployed in front of Khaleda’s Gulshan residence and law enforcers have started arresting grassroots leaders of the opposition parties after Khaleda’s announcement of the progamme.
Assistant commissioner of Police (Gulshan zone) Nurul Alam, however, said the extra police force was to beef up security of the opposition leader in the wake of the overall situation. The ACP added that detectives in plainclothes were also deployed for the BNP chief’s security.
But opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farooque alleged that party leaders were not allowed to enter Khaleda’s residence and he himself was barred by police from entering the house earlier in the day.
In line with the directives given by Khaleda, divisional and district level leaders of the 18-party alliance have started holding preparatory meetings with their followers and activists to reach Dhaka, ahead of the ‘March for democracy’ programme on Sunday.
While talking to The Independent, Harun-ur-Rashid, organising secretary of the party’s Rajshahi division, said, “We’re engaged in conducting a mass contact campaign and preparatory meetings with our followers, ahead of the March for Democracy programme. At least one lakh people will take part in the programme from Rajshahi division.”
“We’ll go for a sit-in programme instantly if the government put up barricades on our way to Dhaka,” he added.
Harun alleged that members of different law enforcement agencies are arresting opposition supporters and harassing them deliberately, so that they cannot participate in the March for Democracy programme.
BNP Khulna division organising secretary Mosiur Rahman said a large contingent of people, with national and party flags, will take part in the March for Democracy programme in Dhaka on Sunday. “We’ll start our journey towards Dhaka a day prior to the programme in a peaceful manner. We’ll go for a sit-in programme if hindered on the way to Dhaka,” he added. Sakhawat Hasan Jibon, joint organising secretary of the party’s Sylhet division unit, and Nazrul Islam Khan Razon, joint secretary general of the party’s Barisal division unit, told The Independent that members of different law enforcement agencies are doing their best to frustrate the March for Democracy programme by arresting and intentionally harassing opposition supporters.
They alleged that a good number of opposition partymen have already been arrested, and that law enforcers have been obstructing their preparatory meetings before the March for Democracy programme. “We shall reach the capital a day before of the programme anyhow. We have been asked to go for a sit-in programme if any barrier is created on our way to Dhaka,” they added.
On the other hand, the BNP on Wednesday sought cooperation of the police in staging its ‘March for Democracy’ programme on Sunday. The party sent a letter to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), informing them about the programme and seeking adequate security for the mass gathering in front of its Naya paltan central office. A three-member BNP delegation, led by opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin Farroque, on Wednesday morning went to the DMP office to submit the letter to the DMP commissioner. Two other members of the team are Ashraf Uddin Nizam and BNP assistant office secretary Shamimur Rahman.
Later, Farroque said they had left the letter at the DMP office in absence of the DMP Commissioner, seeking cooperation from the police in this regard. He also said that the party is sending separate letters to the home minister, home secretary and the inspector general of police to seek cooperation for the programme.
Meanwhile, The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance will stage countrywide demonstrations on Thursday, protesting against the attacks on its leaders and activists during the last five spells of blockade across the country. As part of the programme, the opposition alliance will bring out processions in every thana, upazila, district and city headquarters throughout the country.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme in a press release on Wednesday. “The demonstrations will be staged to protest against the incidents of killing, arrest and attack on the party’s leaders and activists, and their houses and belongings by pro-government troopers and Awami League cadres during the 18-Party Alliance-sponsored blockades,” the release said.
-With The Independent input
