After making it clear repeatedly of rejecting the results of Dec 30 polls on allegations of widespread rigging, the BNP took a U-turn, apparently within a span of hours, to announce that it’s joining the 11th National Parliament.
The BNP’s official version is, acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman took the decision as part of its democratic efforts to make the most of limited opportunities, but no senior leaders could say what actually motivated the last-minute decision.
"BNP does not want to ignore even the slightest opportunity to salvage the nation from the current political crisis," Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a media call on Monday (Apr 29) hours after four BNP MPs-elect took oath of office.
The elected BNP leaders have taken oath on instructions from acting chief in exile Tarique, he said.
The highest policymaking forum National Standing Committee gave Tarique the powers to take decision in a meeting on Sunday, according to Mirza Fakhrul.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune, several members of the Standing Committee said at the meeting, Tarique told them that he was in favour of the BNP joining in parliament.
When he sought opinion from the policymaking forum, they gave Tarique the powers to make the call, they said, before adding the acting chief was also asked to weigh the consequences.
“On a personal note, I am in favour of parliamentary politics,” a Standing Committee member said on condition of anonymity.
“However, the people will not view it as a good thing after rejecting the results of the polls, branding [Gano Forum MPs] Sultan Md Monsur, Mokabbir Khan as traitors and finally expelling Jahidur Rahman from the party [for taking oath on Apr 25 against the party’s decision],” said the BNP leader, who is a senior lawyer.
On reasons behind the last-minute move to join parliament with the deadline to take oath expiring Monday, another policymaking leader said, “This is what BNP is. The decision comes from the high-ups and it was clear during Sunday’s meeting.”
After Jahid, who was elected from Thakurgaon-3, took oath defying the party’s decision on Thursday (Apr 25), BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy branded him as a “public enemy.”
When Bangla Tribune reached him for a comment on Monday, he said, “There’s no reason for me to be not informed about the party’s decision. And If I had made a mistake then I will correct it.”
Asked how the people would take the BNP’s out of the blue move, Gayeshwar replied, “It’s only natural that eyebrows will be raised. Those who have made the call are responsible to clear the confusion.”
When the senior BNP leader was told that it was Tarique who took the decision, he said, “There’s no option to disagree with him.”
Gayeshwar’s colleague in the BNP policymaking forum, Jamiruddin Sircar, however, said that the decision to join the parliament had nothing to do with bail for jailed party chief Khaleda Zia.
“We gave the acting chairperson the powers to take decision on the party... and on the matter of the lawsuits [against Khaleda], she will be granted bail through legal proceedings,” said Sircar, a Supreme Court lawyer.
However, another BNP Standing Committee member said on condition of anonymity that an “influential quarter within the government contacted Tarique” over the issue.
“It’s likely that people from three countries were involved behind the talks. But I do not know what was discussed,” he said.
During the media call at the party chief’s Gulshan offices, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul read out a written statement on behalf of Tarique, which said, “In the context of complex crisis in the national politics, we decided to join the parliament as part of our movement pressing home our demand for the immediate release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her proper treatment and restoration of democracy in the country.”
With five MPs now sworn in, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul remains the only elected BNP leader yet to join parliament.
“You’ll know about it in time,” Mirza Fakhrul replied when reporters asked what Tarique has decided about his oath as the deadline ended on Monday.
However, a BNP leader, known to be close to the secretary general, told Bangla Tribune that Mirza Fakhrul has written to the Speaker seeking more time to take his oath to office.