Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday (10 February) to articulate its position regarding the nation's current political turmoil.
The meeting will take place at the chief adviser’s official residence, Jamuna, at 6pm, confirmed Shairul Kabir Khan from the BNP Chairperson’s press wing.
BNP representatives are expected to present the party's stance on the prevailing national situation during the discussion. Khan noted that while the composition of the delegation is yet to be finalised, the focus will undoubtedly centre on the deteriorating political landscape.
The decision to engage with the chief adviser was taken during an emergency meeting of BNP’s standing committee held at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan on Friday.
The meeting, chaired virtually by acting chairman Tarique Rahman from London, deliberated on incidents of vandalism across the country, the reform commission’s report, and contemporary political developments.
The standing committee declared that the BNP does not endorse the ongoing chaotic conditions nationwide. In its view, such disturbances six months after the mass uprising are indicative of a conspiracy aimed at prolonging the electoral process.
BNP squarely places the blame on the interim government for failing to control the situation, stressing that it is the government's responsibility to restore order or risk further anarchy.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, currently out of Dhaka, is expected to return to the capital this evening.
During the emergency meeting, party leaders asserted that the recent incidents of violence, including arson and vandalism, are part of a calculated effort to delay the next general election.
They suspect that these events are orchestrated traps intended to provoke instability.
Party members have been directed to refrain from engaging in violent activities, including attacks on opposition homes and the destruction of murals.
Grassroots-level instructions have been issued to ensure strict adherence to this directive, prioritising the party’s and nation’s greater interests.
A senior BNP leader questioned the rationale behind the resurgence of violence so long after the uprising, querying whether such instability is the new norm.
Leaders at the meeting suggested that these acts of disorder are politically motivated, aimed at undermining the BNP and disrupting the electoral process.
They allege that certain student groups are being manipulated by political entities to display force, with the ultimate goal of stalling the announcement of an electoral roadmap.
The standing committee further discussed how the interim government's objectives would remain unfulfilled if the situation fails to improve.
The government’s stated aim is to conduct a free, fair, and credible election with minimal reforms.
Plans for protests against rising commodity prices and rallies demanding elections before Ramadan were also considered, with a formal announcement expected on Monday.
Highlighting past electoral irregularities, the BNP accused the former Sheikh Hasina-led government of conducting fraudulent elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024, depriving the public of their voting rights.
The BNP emphasised that restoring democracy and the people's right to vote necessitates prompt elections.
Present at the Gulshan meeting were standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, Begum Selima Rahman, and Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. Participating virtually were Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, and Professor AZM Zahid Hossain.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, the BNP urged the government to regain control over the chaotic situation, warning that failure to do so would lead to further anarchy.
The party expressed concerns that the government’s inability to manage the crisis could jeopardise the stability of both the state and the administration, potentially emboldening extremist, anti-democratic forces both domestically and internationally.
BNP criticised the government for not purging the administration of remnants of the deposed fascist regime, including within the judiciary and law enforcement.
The party questioned whether the government could meet public expectations under these circumstances, citing a lack of visible action against fugitive autocrats and their collaborators over the past six months.
This perceived inaction, the BNP argued, has emboldened individuals to take the law into their own hands, thereby tarnishing the government's image both domestically and abroad.
The party stressed that the July uprising had raised hopes for the restoration of the rule of law, which should have been the government’s highest priority.
The BNP also criticised the government for its failure to manage public protests over various demands, including frequent road blockades that disrupt daily life.
The party concluded that the government has shown inadequate competence in addressing these issues effectively.
