Cut Jamaat ties, wage movement to free Khaleda

BNP grassroots leaders have suggested that party's high-ups will finalise a strategy of movement to release Khaleda Zia from jail. Many of them have also proposed cutting ties with Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP insiders said.

The leaders yesterday came up with the suggestions in a meeting with party's secretary general and other central leaders at BNP Chairperson Khaleda's Gulshan office.

The closed-door meeting was called just five months before the next parliamentary polls to get the grassroots leaders' opinions on party's movement, organisational strength and next general elections and to set the party's next course of action.

Seventy-three district-level leaders expressed their opinions on the issues in two sessions on the first day of the two-day meeting. In the first session, 36 leaders from 20 districts gave their views and 37 leaders from 19 districts in the second session.

Leaders from the remaining districts will express their views in two sessions today.

Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, organising secretary of the BNP, demanded that the party announce tough programmes to free Khaleda, said party sources.

He also criticised Jamaat, a key component in the BNP-led 20-party alliance, saying, “The role Jamaat played during the Sylhet City Corporation polls went against the spirit of alliance. In Sylhet, they wanted to show that the BNP needed Jamaat, but they got only 10,000 votes. If needed, we have to sever ties with the Jamaat.”

Another organising secretary of the party Asadul Habib Dulu echoed the same and said, “Communist Party [Communist Party of Bangladesh] and many other parties are not forming any coalition with us just because of Jamaat. They might have fewer votes, but they have a good position in national politics. We have to wage a movement keeping the Jamaat aside.”

Jamaat-backed independent candidate contested the July 30 Sylhet city elections, defying the BNP and other alliance partners repeated requests to withdraw its candidacy. The Jamaat rather asked the BNP to extend support to its contender, BNP leaders said.

Masud Arun, president of Meherpur district BNP, gave a different view on the Jamaat, saying that unity should be forged keeping all political parties, not excluding anyone.

Tarikul Hasan, general secretary of Satkhira BNP, said Jamaat played a role of “betrayer” in local government elections. “So, keeping ties with the party will not bring any good results for us; rather it will be a burden on us.”

Saidur Rahman Bachchu, general secretary of Sirajganj BNP, said, “The BNP is a pro-election party. So, the party should take part in elections.”

“For participating in the polls, Khaleda Zia's release is the first condition. We have to wage a movement for this and party leaders of Dhaka should play a key role to this end,” he said.

Amzad Hossain, general secretary of Meherpur BNP, said there was no reason for taking part in the next parliamentary elections under the Awami League-led government, said party insiders.

A leader of Barisal BNP, Akand Kuddus, said hartal and blockade like programmes should be enforced to ensure Khaleda's release and force the government to hold the elections under a non-partisan government.

Nazrul Islam Monzu, Khulna city BNP president, said they first wanted Khaleda's release, then elections.

The meeting was chaired by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while party standing committee members and other senior leaders were present.