The BNP has prepared a list of 10 demands to form a greater collation with like-minded parties, party insiders said.
BNP unofficially forwarded the list to the leaders of several other parties before Eid-ul-Azha and may revise the list if necessary, they said.

“We (BNP) have many things in common with them (like-minded parties) including future of politics, general polls, and rights to the franchise and we want to identify a set of common issues,” BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told Bangla Tribune.

The BNP’s national standing committee member said, “It’s just an exercise of the process (to form the collation), which is now at the initial stage.”

Sources at BNP said that it prepared the draft after urgently sitting for two times on Aug 11 and Aug 13.

Later, the draft was sent to Dr Kamal Hossain, president of Gano Forum, followed by providing to the leaders of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh and Nagorik Okya.

The title of the 10-proposal reads, “We can unite with the following demands to build Bangladesh a democratic and welfare state.”

BNP’s 10-point demand

1. To ensure the unconditional release of all political leaders and activists including Khaleda Zia, revoking punishment and withdrawing false cases against them.
2. To hold a free, fair, credible and all-incisive general election.
3. To shun all political vengeance.
4. To establish rule of law in a democratic way instead of following partisan to run the state.
5. Acceptable balance to state power.
6. To ensure power and independence of the judiciary through transparent recruitment.
7. To empower the government’s organisations adequately to prevent corruption.
8. To ensure the fundamental rights of all citizens.
9. To end income discrepancy by ensuring the living standard of the lowest income people.
10. To establish good governance at all levels of the state.

Leaders of the parties, which are willing to form the collation, did not agree to talk about the BNP’s move.

Leaders of Nagorik Okya said the list needs a bit revision to prioritise the demands.

“No one differs on the release of Khaleda Zia but issues like democracy and election should come at the top,” said a Nagorik Okey leader, who preferred to go unnamed.

Bikalpa Dhara, however, did not differ on the proposal, but it wants to talks on setting the goal of the collation if formed.

Gano Forum will sit this week to discuss on the BNP’s 10-point demand.

“We will discuss it on our party forum, and then we will clarify our stance,” its president Kamal Hossain.