Analysis: When they fall in love with the constitution…
The two archrivals ruling Awami League and BNP seem to have swapped their stance on protecting and upholding the constitution.
Nobody can love the present constitution more than the AL! The reason is clear. The present constitution favours the AL-led by Sheikh Hasina. It allows the AL to remain in power during the next parliamentary election as it was in power when the 10th general election was held on January 5, 2014. So, the AL's love for the present constitution may know no bounds.
Around 20 years ago, the then ruling BNP-led by Khaleda Zia had fallen in love with the then constitution. The then constitutional provision had provided the then BNP with the same comfort to stay in power during the parliamentary election. So, at that time the then BNP-led government was hell-bent to defend and uphold the constitution.
At that time the AL had no love for the then constitutional provision to see the BNP remain in power during the polls. So, the AL along with some other parties had waged a vigorous street agitation against the then BNP-led government.
Yet, the then BNP-led government had held one-sided parliamentary election on February 15, 1996 what it had claimed to uphold the constitution and maintain its continuity. Through the polls the BNP had retained the power.
However, the then opposition parties had forced them to step down after introducing the election time non-partisan government by amending the constitution at the end of March 1996.
The BNP has started disliking the same constitutional provision since 2011 when the AL-led government scrapped the caretaker government system and restored the earlier constitutional provision that allows the AL to retain in office during general election.
The BNP could not accept this. Therefore it has boycotted the parliamentary election in January 2014. That boycott has thrown the BNP out of the parliament first time since restoration of the parliamentary democracy in 1991. The BNP-led alliance had announced to resist the January 5 polls, but failed. Again in 2015, it has announced to force the government to step down, but failed.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia still wants a non-partisan election time government. On Saturday night she also reiterated her demand. And if her demand is not met, she may not agree to join the next parliamentary election with her archrival Sheikh Hasina in the office of the prime minister.
What will happen if BNP does not join the next polls? Will it announce agitation programmes to resist the polls like what it had done before the January 5 parliamentary election?
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Saturday once again expressed his party's affection for the present constitution by saying that the next parliamentary election will be held under it.
Ashraf also did not forget to remind that the Sheikh Hasina-led government will be in power during the election.
What will be consequence of another election boycott? Syed Ashraf on Friday commented that BNP will lose its existence if it boycotts the next polls.
Ashraf did not explain how BNP will be extinct. All the BNP men will join the AL following their colleagues who have recently got boarded on 'Boat' by abandoning the BNP.
As per a provision of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the BNP will lose its registration with the Election Commission if it does not join the next polls. This means, the party will lose its status as a parliamentary party. It will not be able to join any parliamentary election until it gets fresh registration with the EC. Yet, the party will face no difficulty to carry out its political activities.
Think about a hypothesis situation. What will happen if the BNP is able to return to the power with the current constitutional provision remaining unchanged? Will they continue disliking the provision or start falling in love with it?
Will the AL continue its love for the present constitutional provision if it finds itself in the opposition bench in parliament in future?
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