Still suffering from setback of 2015 movement: BNP
BNP yesterday said the party is still facing a political setback caused by the movement it waged in 2015.
The party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the comment as a response to criticism within the party about BNP’s failure to wage a movement.
“BNP is still in movement,” he said while addressing a programme at Jatiya Press Club.
The party -- that has been out of power for over a decade -- is now being criticised by different quarters including the ruling Awami League for its “failure in waging a strong movement against the government”.
Fakhrul said BNP is a liberal political party that moves forward with its own characteristics, and wants to go for a movement, after resolving certain issues.
“We are going to court, calling for talks and participating in the election -- these are all parts of our movement. We will go for bigger movement gradually,” he said.
The BNP secretary general further said, “We have experienced a damage in the movement during 2014 election and 2015, and we had to struggle to overcome that damage.”
BNP boycotted the January 5, 2014 election and started a movement demanding fresh election in 2015. The party waged countrywide movement, but it did not see success.
A huge number of party leaders and activists went into jail after facing cases, and the party’s image was in crisis, for reportedly torching vehicles and killing people.
Disappointment took an acute turn in the minds of BNP men as they are being repressed, oppressed, killed and disappeared and thus they are not taking to the streets against the misdeeds of the government, Fakhrul said.
The job of a political leader is to encourage such demotivated activists and supporters, Fakhrul added.
He said his party is participating in the Dhaka
city corporation elections scheduled for January 30, with an optimism to win the electoral race.
“BNP will definitely win the elections if we can unite the people,” Fakhrul hoped.
good number of people are taking part in the election campaign in favour of “sheaf of paddy” -- the electoral symbol of BNP, Fakhrul said.
Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad, a pro-BNP platform organised the programme on “Lack of trust in election, use of EVMs and present circumstances.”
Taking part in the discussion, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna termed Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) a “disaster”, and said the ruling quarter has imported the machines by the Election Commission for their own interests.
Issuing a strong warning to the ruling quarter, Manna said vote robbery took place in the December 30 national election, but the chance will not be given anymore in future.
Comments