BNP’s ‘greater national unity’ mission hits snags from within

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Salman Tareque Sakil
Published : 00:25, Sep 19, 2018 | Updated : 00:33, Sep 19, 2018

AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury-led Juktafront and Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya has formally announced forging of a ‘greater national unity’ as well as floated their five-point demands, several of which are similar to those by the BNP, including a non-partisan polls-time government and deploying troops in the next national election.
But the BNP, which has been in power twice since 1991, is reportedly facing resistance from within to join the new alliance.
Differences have broken out among members of the party’s policymaking forum on several issues, including calls from the new alliance for shunning its long-time trusted ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
According to several senior BNP leaders, the civil society’s reservations over Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman have also emerged as an issue.
They say there is a “pressure from both local and foreign elements” for forging a national unity against the government and that the civil society will have to be included in the process.
But Tarique, who is in London for a decade and now standing in for his mother Khaleda Zia after she was jailed for corruption, drew criticism after the BNP-Jamaat alliance took office in 2001.
Representatives from the civil society have their doubts with the party now led by him.
Senior BNP leaders say the party’s top priority now is to negotiate with the civil society for the ‘greater national unity’ mission, which, however, has seen little or no progress so far.
“Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman is hopeful about a greater national unity,” says Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who sits on the policymaking National Standing Committee.
In his meeting with Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in London last week, Tarique reportedly emphasised on forging a national unity.
A member of the BNP’s policymaking forum echoed.
“The BNP is ready for any compromise,” he told Bangla Tribune on Tuesday but asked not to be named.
But the BNP is facing resistance from within to join the new alliance.
During the party’s Standing Committee’s meeting on Monday (Sept 17), an argument reportedly broke out over the idea of forging a national unity.
Statements by B Chowdhury and Kamal Hossain of a unity with BNP only if it cuts ties with Jamaat has also emerged as an issue.
“It has been clearly stated in the declaration (made on Saturday) that the alliance will not include any one with any kind of ties with anti-Liberation elements,” B Chowdhury’s son Mahi told Bangla Tribune.
Mahi serves as the joint secretary general of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, the party floated by his father, a former president who was ousted from the BNP.
On this specific issue, senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that they would need some time.
“It will take some time to address some issues, including the one raised by B Chowdhury,” he told Bangla Tribune.
“We have opened the national unity initiative upon the party chief’s call. The acting chief (Tarique) agrees, but it will take time,” he added.

/zmi/
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