Photo: Collected
BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are now capitalising on the mistakes made during the Awami League's (AL) 15-year rule. Since the AL government's fall on August 5, both parties have strongly taken to the field on various ongoing issues. Leaders are bringing to the forefront the reasons why students and the public rose up against the Awami League.
Besides, BNP-Jamaat leaders are working to build public opinion by highlighting the suppression of dissent, voter-less elections under a flawed electoral system, money laundering abroad, and various lists of irregularities and corruption.
After the 1/11 incident, AL came to power through the 9th parliamentary election in December 2008. From the beginning of forming the government, AL announced Vision-2020 to elevate the country to a middle-income status. However, accusations of suppressing dissent began to rise against the party soon after coming to power.
Additionally, there were numerous allegations of influencing local government elections from the start. As per the electoral manifesto, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested for crimes against humanity in 1971. Moreover, centring on some bloggers' anti-Islamic statements, when Hefazat took to the field, police used extensive force to thwart their gathering in Motijheel on May 5, 2013. Meanwhile, the High Court cancelled Jamaat-e-Islami's registration. The caretaker government system during elections was abolished, and elections under party government were introduced. When opposition parties including BNP-Jamaat took to the field strongly demanding a neutral government during elections towards the end of the government's term, BNP and Jamaat leaders and activists started disappearing in suppression.
Amidst BNP-Jamaat's boycott, the party came to power again through the one-sided 10th parliamentary election on January 5, 2014. From then on, the party's reckless leaders became involved in various irregularities and corruption. News of AL leaders' stock market scandals and money laundering abroad started to be published extensively. Although the party claimed they have implemented numerous mega projects. Additionally, a few days before the election, the court sentenced former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to jail in a corruption case. Later, the AL formed the government for the third consecutive term following BNP's miserable defeat in the 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018. Since that election, the BNP alliance again became vocal in demanding elections under a non-partisan government.
Despite the activities of the United States and other Western countries, AL again came to power through a one-sided election on January 7, 2024, with BNP-Jamaat alliance boycotting. Meanwhile, from July of this year, the anti-discrimination student movement took to the field regarding quota reform in government jobs. However, it manifested on a larger scale towards the end of the second week. Which at one point took a confrontational turn. Subsequently, the government tried to bring the situation back to normal by imposing curfew. Finally, following that movement, in a public uprising of students and people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left for India on August 5. After that, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Since the formation of that government, BNP has taken to the field vigorously. The party is holding meetings and rallies almost every day. In these gatherings, BNP leaders are saying that AL is in this situation due to misrule in suppressing dissent, flawed elections, money laundering abroad, and irregularities and corruption.
Jamaat-e-Islami is holding meetings with small political parties in phases to determine their course of action in the field, learning from the mistakes AL made. The party also met with the 12-party alliance on Thursday. These meetings discussed AL's mistakes and their course of action.
Jamaat-e-Islami's Central Publicity Secretary Advocate Motiur Rahman Akand told The Daily Messenger, “During AL's tenure, people of the country were victims of all kinds of oppression. So, we are now meeting with everyone to discuss our course of action, which will show us light in the future.”
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “AL has created a lack of democracy in the country. Where there is no democracy, all kinds of irregularities and corruption will occur, this is natural. We are now informing the countrymen about all their misdeeds.”
Dr. Dilara Chowdhury, retired professor of Jahangirnagar University and political analyst, told The Daily Messenger, “Undoubtedly, the country has come out of the dictatorship established by AL after a long time in exchange for the blood of students and people.”
She further said, “All kinds of irregularities, corruption, and oppression have occurred under the autocratic system of governance.”
Messenger/Disha
