BNP standing committee members think the party should not yet get involved in the ongoing campaign for boycotting Indian products.

They said although there is pressure from within for supporting the campaign, the party is yet to finalise its stance regarding the matter.

The top leaders believe that some people, including online activists, called for the campaign in late January out of their grievances against India over the January 7 national polls.

"BNP has nothing to do with the campaign. But if the party joins the campaign, it will be given a political colour, which may in the end backfire," said a BNP standing committee member who attended a virtual meeting of the committee on Monday night.

He said there is no doubt that the anti-Indian sentiment is running high among the party's rank and file, especially after the national election. The issue was discussed in detail at the meeting.

Another standing committee member suggested assessing the overall situation regarding the campaign and drawing up a strategy on dealing with the issue.

"The issue will be discussed at upcoming meetings, and then the party will make its position clear," he said.

Yesterday, The Daily Star approached at least three BNP standing committee members for comments, but none of them wanted to be named considering the sensitivity of the issue.

The issue came up for discussion at the BNP standing committee meeting as the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference on March 20 expressed solidarity with the movement. He threw his Indian shawl on the road in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office.

Later, some other BNP leaders also talked about the campaign for boycotting Indian products.

At Monday's meeting, none of the BNP standing committee members contradicted the statement by Rizvi. But a member told the meeting that the way Rizvi threw his shawl was not decent.

At this stage, another standing committee member said Rizvi later informed the media that he personally threw his shawl, not as a BNP leader.

Another committee member told the meeting that BNP must criticise Indian's measures (regarding Bangladesh) but that criticism should be well thought out.

Another BNP leader said that the party has nothing to do if people start boycotting Indian products and that the party will not be able to ignore the public demand at some point.

"But supporting the campaign of boycotting Indian products will not be wise for the party," he told the standing committee meeting.

The BNP is yet to decide on participating in the upcoming upazila elections. All the standing committee members observed that the party should stay away from the polls.

Some BNP leaders, however, said the party should not bar any individual from running.

BNP today accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of pushing people in harm's way by establishing an "autocratic regime" in the country.

"Transforming one-party rule into an autocratic regime, Sheikh Hasina is putting the people of Bangladesh in danger," BNP Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a press conference held at the party's Nayapaltan office.

Rizvi, naming 59 jailed leaders including party chief Khaleda Zia, said the government has deprived them of their fundamental rights and demanded their immediate release.

"Government's oppression has made the lives of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and thousands of jailed party leaders and activists miserable, suffocative, "said Rizvi.

"They have been subjected to the worst kind of oppression by depriving them of all fundamental rights," he added.

Rizvi alleged that jailed BNP leaders including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and thousands of others are living an inhuman life without medical treatment even if they fall ill.

"While opposition parties, international rights groups and democratic nations have protested the government's oppression of BNP leaders, the government have ignored the calls," he said.

He alleged that through the oppression of the opposition, Hasina has established a "one-person rule" in Bangladesh through a "dummy election".

"Bangladesh has now become a hostage to Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina was her own opponent in this North Korea-styled election," Rizvi said.

"He has become the new model of autocratic dictatorship in the world," he said.

The BNP leader demanded the January 7 general election be annulled and BNP leaders freed -- "a demand that was now also echoing globally."

"The people of Bangladesh do not want North Korean-style elections and single-party democracy," he added.

Today’s episode of ‘The Election Talks 2018’ brings former student politician and journalist Subhash Singha Roy, and political analyst Dr Sakhawat Hossain.

Subhash, a former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League and a journalist, spoke about the fairness of the election and expressed his views over the allegations against ruling party.

Dr Sakhawat, on the other hand, spoke about the harassment, arrests and cases against opposition political activists to reflect on the situation on the field now.

Watch the video to know more…

BNP candidates for Manikganj-1 Khondaker Akter Hamid Dablu allegedly came under attack today.

Dablu claimed that criminals fired gunshots at his car twice in Ghior upazila town and Mohadevpur area of Shivalaua upzila while he was returning home from Daulatpur upazila nirbahi officer’s office this afternoon.

However, the two bullets missed his car, he said adding that he informed Manikganj police superintendent about the attacks.

Contacted, Rifat Rahman Shamim, superintendent of police in Manikganj, said that after investigation, police couldn't find any evidence of such incident.

BNP will not go for any hartal and blockade-like programmes over the next few days even though the party outright rejected the poll results.

The party, which is the main opposition for the Awami League, wants to continue with its peaceful programmes including mass contact and leaflet distribution to garner public support for its demand for election under a neutral government.

The party will decide on its next course of action after seeing the reactions of the Western nations that have long been calling for a free, fair and participatory election, The Daily Star has learnt from top party leaders with knowledge of BNP's next course of action.

For now, the party has announced mass contact programmes for today and tomorrow. It may demonstrate at district and divisional levels and also organise black flag processions.

The party also wants to focus on the release of its leaders and activists who were put behind bars before the January 7 election, as per the discussions of a virtual meeting of the party's standing committee members on Sunday.

People did not go to the polling centres responding to the BNP's calls to boycott the election, the leaders said quoting the standing committee members.

"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established."

— BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan

The voter turnout was not more than 10 percent as there was no queue at the voting centres.

"The turnout of 40 percent is simply unbelievable. In the last one hour, 13 percent of the votes were cast when 27 percent of the votes were cast in the first seven hours. This is absurd."

Besides, there are several media reports and video footage where irregularities were captured.

"So this election will not be acceptable to the international community," said a standing committee member of the party.

The US and the Western nations will be critical of the election and may come up with some harsh measures that will mount pressure on the government.

The party has already collected documents on vote rigging and violence relating to elections.

Those documents will shortly be sent to the diplomatic missions stationed in Dhaka. The BNP higher-ups may brief the diplomats too.

A staggering 30,000 partymen are now in jail and their release should be in focus right now, said another standing committee member of the party.  

Because of that, the party will not go for any tough programmes, he added.

"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established in the country," said Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of BNP, at a press conference held at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.

The office was locked up since the party's October 28 rally was disrupted by law enforcement agencies.