Photo : Collected
The BNP is employing a multifaceted approach to cast doubt on the credibility of the upcoming national election. With over a week spent actively campaigning and circulating leaflets advocating for a boycott among the people, the party is intensifying its efforts on the ground.
In addition to outlining plans for activities centred around polling centres, directives have been communicated from the party's high command to its grassroots leaders. Along with ongoing initiatives such as hartal, blockades, BNP is devising innovative strategies to dissuade voter turnout.
By conveying the overall situation through multiple channels to diplomats, the party aims to substantiate claims of a rigged election. Notably, the BNP's intellectuals and professionals are diligently working to present evidence of electoral irregularities to both diplomatic circles and the public.
BNP leaders are resolute in their assertion that the upcoming election is not just questionable but entirely rigged, and they are committed to exhausting all avenues to substantiate this claim. In addition to executing their planned initiatives, they are actively seeking the support of democratic forces worldwide to intervene and prevent what they perceive as a rigged election.
Notably, BNP's high-ranking officials, particularly BNP Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman, based in London, have maintained regular communication with constituency-based leaders. As the election approaches, BNP leaders are gearing up to intensify their efforts significantly.
Begum Selima Rahman, a BNP Standing Committee member, expressed sentiments echoing the party's stance, stating to The Daily Messenger, "The public's reluctance to engage in a questionable and one-sided rigged election is evident. The people advocate for a genuinely participatory election involving all parties, aligning with the BNP's demand."
She emphasised, "BNP is determined to employ all available means to demonstrate both to the nation and the international community that the ruling AL party intends to conduct a rigged election." Additionally, she indicated that the party plans to introduce more stringent initiatives in the days ahead.
With just a week remaining until the 12th National Assembly elections, the country's largest political entity, the BNP, has already taken a firm stance by boycotting the electoral process and urging non-cooperation. The decision to boycott the election was announced on December 20, citing concerns about its one-sided nature. Simultaneously, the party has urged the public, including its leaders and workers, to engage in various forms of non-cooperation with the government. Since this declaration, the BNP has persistently pursued mass communication efforts and distributed leaflets advocating for the boycott of the impending election.
BNP has announced that it will hold this same programme for two more days on Saturday.
Moreover, the party has reinforced its engagement through diplomatic channels. Various political entities that have chosen to boycott the election are actively communicating their concerns to diplomats, underscoring allegations of impropriety by the Awami League in this electoral process.
Multiple sources confirm that the BNP has apprised foreign diplomatic missions in Bangladesh about the unilateral nature of this election, a move initiated immediately after the election schedule was announced. The party has consistently communicated with foreign representatives, providing updates on the prevailing situation regarding the election.
Recent discussions between the BNP and the BNP-EU election expert team explicitly addressed concerns regarding the perceived one-sidedness of the upcoming election.
Simultaneously, party leaders are striving to ensure empty polling booths as part of their strategy to challenge the legitimacy of the election. Leaders affiliated with the BNP have initiated activities specific to constituencies. There is a particular focus on those who had previously applied for nominations for 300 seats during the 2018 election, with the party's high command attempting to field candidates accordingly.
BNP leaders and activists have noted the emergence of party leaders who had been in seclusion following the clash in Dhaka on October 28. These leaders have now re-engaged by spearheading anti-voting mass communication campaigns and the distribution of leaflets. Through the boycott strategy, the BNP aims to escalate its involvement with additional forthcoming activities, intended to portray the election as one-sided.
The party intends to unveil its new programme subsequent to the conclusion of leafleting and anti-voting mass communication activities scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Moreover, alongside strike-blockades, more stringent programmes are anticipated.
In addition, the BNP has mobilised professional organisations and intellectuals sympathetic to the party's cause. These individuals have actively participated in meetings, seminars, and talk shows, leveraging their influence to draw attention, both domestically and internationally, to the perceived unilateral nature of the upcoming election.
Advocate Shaheed Md. Iqbal Hossain, the convenor of BNP in Jashore's Monirampur Upazila and former municipal mayor, highlighted the recent organisational efforts. He mentioned that under his leadership, the BNP conducted anti-voting mass communication initiatives across 17 unions in Monirampur, garnering a significant public response.
BNP executive committee member and former Chhatra Dal president, Kazi Rawonkul Islam Sraban, reiterated the directives received from the party's High Command, emphasising their active presence in the field to prevent what they perceive as a one-sided election. Sraban affirmed his commitment to execute various programmes aimed at discouraging people from participating in the voting process at the poll booths. Additionally, he hinted at the potential introduction of more stringent programmes in the near future as part of their efforts to dissuade voting activities.
Messenger/Fameema
