Dhaka march 'failure' frustrates Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been greatly infuriated and frustrated, as the party's senior leaders have failed to make the December 29 “march for democracy” programme in the capital a success, according to BNP insiders.
A disappointed Khaleda is now concerned over the fate of the opposition's ongoing movement to thwart the January 5 “farcical and one-sided” election, they said.
A section of BNP mid-level leaders, however, think the government's “unprecedented obstacles” including barring Khaleda Zia from coming out of her residence will galvanise grassroots leaders into waging opposition's final round of movement--the non-stop countrywide blockade on roads, rails and waterways beginning this morning.
Sources close to Khaleda yesterday told The Daily Star that in spite of the BNP chief's strong instruction to ensure their presence at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office on Sunday morning, no senior leaders braved to arrive there, the centre point of the march programme.
“Senior leaders' inactiveness has greatly frustrated madam [Khaleda]. She had telephoned twenty leaders of Dhaka's twenty constituencies to ensure their presence in the march. But none finally showed up, which is another reason of her frustration,” said a mid-ranking BNP leader.
Talking to The Daily Star, a number of mid-level and grassroots BNP leaders said Khaleda Zia had put “incompetent and inexperienced” leaders in charge of party's Dhaka city and in the secretary general post.
Appreciating their “brave activities” during the recent blockade programmes since November 26, Khaleda has phoned the district leaders to be more active in the fresh blockade, sources said.
BNP insiders said most of the Dhaka city leaders who were in “hideouts” told the BNP high-ups that fearing forced disappearance and arrest, they could not attend the march. The senior leaders also conveyed the same message to the BNP chief, they said.
Against this backdrop, BNP high-ups fear whether the opposition will be able to wage tougher movement in the capital or not.