Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is learnt to have decided to keep a ‘strategic distance’ from Jamaat-e-Islami for now in the face of dramatic turns of events sparked by the Shahbagh Square youth uprising.
But the main opposition thought it could not afford to part with its major ally, New Age, a local newspaper, reported quoting BNP insiders.
A high-level meeting of BNP with its chairperson Khaleda Zia in the chair at her Gulshan office on Monday night agreed that the party would not carry out programmes under the banner of ‘18-party’ alliance to keep away from Jamaat for the time being considering the situation arising from the Shahbagh Square youth movement, the meeting sources told the newspaper.
The meeting was summoned by Khaleda Zia to make an assessment of the situation and decide the party’s stand on the uprising that erupted at Shahbagh Square on February 5 and spread across the country demanding death sentence to war criminals, including Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla.
Members of the party’s highest policymaking body, vice-chairmen and members of BNP chairperson’s advisory council attended the meeting to give their opinions over its course of action.
A standing committee member quoted Khaleda as telling the meeting that Jamaat was necessary for BNP for the anti-government movement and so it would not be wise to part with them.
The meeting agreed that the BNP should carry on progarmmes individually avoiding Jamaat for now, he said adding that some suggested that Jammat should be informed of the strategy.
Many leaders at the meeting argued that BNP as a ‘pro-independence’ party should respect the ‘emotion’ of the new generation that erupted at Shahbagh Square, the newspaper said.
But, they said, the BNP should avoid a stand that could give an impression that it disowned the ‘emotion’ of the new generation.
Some leaders in the meeting, however, termed the Shahbag Square movement a ‘game’ of the ruling Awami League and suggested erecting a ‘counter podium’ to ‘frustrate’ the ‘evil designs’ of the Shahbagh Square movement, according to a BNP leader.
Monday’s meeting, however, agreed to go for a ‘massive show of strength’ in the capital independently by the BNP in the month of February to buoy up its activists to intensify the movement for an election-time caretaker government.
BNP and its allies virtually observed no political programmes since the start of the Shahbagh Square youth movement.
Earlier, on February 7 the BNP standing committee at an emergency meeting had discussed some additional programmes, including a ‘mass procession’ for February 13 under the alliance’s banner to keep the caretaker government issue alive. But finally it dropped the programme.
Similarly, the BNP-led alliance had postponed a rally in the capital scheduled for February 9.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to address a public meeting at Rajbari district town on February 27. The rally would be organised by the party individually, the meeting sources said.
BBN/SSR/AD-13Feb13-9:38 am (BST)
