BNP saw it as its boon
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia no longer intended to work with the Awami League-led government on a response to the BDR mutiny after the government had rebuffed BNP's advances, said a US embassy cable from Dhaka on March 9 quoting BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy organisation, published the cable on its website on August 30.
In another cable at that time, the then US Ambassador James F Moriarty noted that BNP stalwart Salauddin, who announced suing CNN's India affiliate for reporting his alleged involvement in the mutiny, said army's anger at the government's response to the mutiny had led to greater army support for BNP, particularly from the rank of major and below.
Salauddin was of the opinion that the mutiny had significantly weakened the AL government that “was not acting like a party with 260 of the 300 seats in parliament, in a way that could show the leadership needed during a crisis.”
When the army was very aggrieved, BNP thought that army support for the party had increased.
Initially, BNP pledged support for the AL-led government but it took a much more partisan stance on February 28, according to a cable. While its standing committee issued a statement urging patience, peace and unity, a separate statement from its office secretary blamed the government for making the situation "more complex."
It went on to say the government "could not take timely steps to prevent the killings of army officers and their family members" and the torture of women and children who lived on the BDR compound where the rebellion broke out.
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