AL, BNP headed for a face-off
With the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP unwavering in their stances, the country's politics seems set on a path towards confrontation, one and a half years away from the next general election.
The ruling party leaders said they would resist the BNP's "anarchy" with an iron hand. BNP leaders, on the other hand, said their movement this time was all about their existence and they would not yield.
Things started to heat up as the BNP activists took to the streets to protest the recent hike in prices of fuel and essentials. The huge turnouts at the opposition programmes had the government worried and it took a tough line.
Braving police action and attacks by the AL men, BNP leaders and activists came out in droves to join the protests.
On July 30, a BNP man was killed in a clash between police and the party activists in Bhola town. On August 3, another succumbed to the injuries he suffered in the clash. Then on September 1, another BNP activist was killed in a fight with police in Narayanganj. It all added to the heat.
Prof Al-Masud Hasanuzzaman, who teaches government and politics at Jahangirnagar University, said politics is leading back to the same old story of hostility.
"The BNP started taking to the streets with popular issues such as price hikes of daily essentials. The prime minister herself said the opposition will be given the space to protest. But that space is actually not being given. So, confrontation is inevitable," he said, adding that animosity and intolerance between the two parties were responsible for this.
On August 14, the PM said the opposition parties should be allowed to protest and should not be harassed for organising street programmes.
But the situation started changing in late August when the BNP started staging showdowns and the Awami League and front bodies started attacking the protesters.
Sources in the AL said if BNP men were allowed to stage protests, it would send a message to the AL grassroots that they were unable to challenge their counterparts on the streets. This would also send a signal to the BNP camp that the AL was incapable of controlling the streets without police support.
"There are no curbs on BNP's peaceful programmes. But BNP's destructive activities in the guise of peaceful protests will not be tolerated. The government has a responsibility to protect peoples' lives and properties, and if anyone tries to create anarchies, law enforcers will take lawful actions against them," said AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif.
He said the Awami League was in the streets for organisational activities, and it would continue to be there in the coming days.
Since August 22, the BNP started holding protests across the country, which are being joined by large crowds. The party has plans to hold similar protests till September 10, and then gradually extend the protests to other issues.
Some ruling party leaders fear these protests may in time turn into an anti-government movement.
BNP sources said it was high time the BNP and its allies tapped into the growing public discontent over cost of living crisis.
The BNP lost power to the AL in 2008. Its street programmes before the 2014 polls drew a huge flak locally and internationally for its violent nature. Before the last election in 2018, the party failed to wage any protest of significance.
This time, BNP leaders say they would stage protests centring on pro-people issues.
The party already held a meeting of its Standing Committee, its highest policy-making body, and decided to continue the ongoing programmes to "take control of the streets". It also decided to continue the movement till the next election.
A BNP Standing Committee member said their leaders were able to show their strength on the streets despite attacks from the ruling party. This will give them and the people in general confidence to take part in their protests.
BNP sources said the party may announce fresh programmes after September 10 for all its 81 organisational districts. Afterwards, it plans to start protesting in divisional headquarters and then move into the capital.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir already called on the party leaders and activists to ready themselves for a movement to finally "oust the government".
"This is the final phase of our movement. We have to launch a do-or-die movement this time," he said.
Sources in the AL said it would not allow the BNP to launch a full-scale movement. In case the BNP employs full force to take to the streets, law enforcers will clamp down on them as already instructed by the government.
Law enforcers aside, different front bodies of the AL said they would counter the BNP on the streets.
On Friday, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash said they would resist BNP's "anarchy, criminal acts and all sorts of conspiracies".
The police authorities did not directly respond as to whether they received any instructions from the government regarding BNP's programmes.
Md Haider Ali Khan, deputy inspector general of police (Operations, Media and Planning), said there was no bar on peaceful programmes. But police will take lawful actions if anyone tries to damage public property and attack police.