Khaleda embarks on mission unity

In a bid to strengthen the party ahead of the next general election, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has launched a major initiative to take back some former leaders and to make some others politically active again.

The move comes nearly 13 years after the party's founding secretary general AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury floated “Bikalpadhara Bangladesh” in 2004.

As part of her move, the BNP chief on Friday night had a meeting with two “reformist” leaders, Zahiruddin Swapan and Sardar Sakhawat Husain Bakul, who were considered as promising and bright leaders.

For the first time since 1991, the BNP is neither in government nor in opposition now as it boycotted the general election on January 5, 2014. Some senior leaders said the party did not have such a hard time since the restoration of democracy in the country in 1990.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance's anti-government movement failed after the 2014 parliamentary election. Moreover, the party earned a bad name at home and abroad for violence during the movement that claimed lives of over 100 people.

The party high-ups are now desperate to win the 2019 general election. 

“The party chief's latest initiative to take back the reformist leaders is part of BNP's move to unite the party to make it stronger,” a BNP standing committee member told The Daily Star, asking not to be named.

During the Friday's closed-door meeting with Swapan and Bakul at her Gulshan office, Khaleda categorically said she wanted to unite and make the party strong like it was during the 1991 general election, a meeting source said.

“I want to see a strong BNP like it was in 1991. I am taking an initiative to end all divisions in the party,” the source quoted Khaleda as saying. She asked Swapan and Bakul to be active in party activities.

Talking to this correspondent on Friday night, Bakul said: “Madam told us that there was no alternative to uniting the party to confront the present government's oppression and misrule.

“She also instructed us to mobilise public opinion in our respective areas against the government's misrule and prepare for the next general election.”

The former BNP lawmaker said they apologised for their past activities and the party chief forgave them.

“Brilliant and educated MPs like you should not have made such a mistake. But today I won't tell you anything about that,” he quoted Khaleda as saying.

Party insiders said the BNP chairperson in the coming weeks would hold meetings with expelled leaders Ashraf Hossain and Mafidul Hasan Tripty, Major Gen (retd) ZA Khan, Shahidul Haq Jamal, former secretary Mofazzal Karim, former lawmakers Najir Hossain, Ziaul Haq Mollah, GM Siraj, SA Sultan Titu, Nurul Islam Moni, Alamgir Kabir, Akhtaruzzaman, Elen Bhutto and Ataur Rahman Angur. 

Khaleda would also launch an initiative to take back former BNP leaders, including ex-communications minister Oli Ahmed.

Months after January 11, 2007, popularly known as 1/11 changeover, a good number of BNP leaders sided with then BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan to place a 15-poiint proposal to reform the party. The leaders became known as “reformists”.

Later, a new BNP central committee was formed, led by late BNP standing committee member M Saifur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, sans Khaleda. 

Some district level leaders of BNP expressed solidarity with the new party leadership. However, most of them became inactive in politics after the 2008 national election when the BNP was in opposition.

Of the “reformist” leaders, Hafizuddin, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Asadul Habib Dulu, Nasirul Haq Sabu and some others have already become active in BNP politics.

The BNP suffered two major blows in 2004 and 2006. Badruddoza Chowdhury floated “Bikalpadhara Bangladesh” in 2004, about two years after resigning as the country's president.

In late 2006, he along with then senior BNP leader Col (retd) Oli Ahmed and several other party leaders formed Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

However, Badruddoza later quit the LDP and reactivated Bikalpadhara Bangladesh.