“Withdrawal of politically motivated cases against our party leaders and workers is at the top of our agenda as an oppressive regime filed the cases.”
The BNP is now focusing on getting the cases against its leaders and activists withdrawn and revamping the party after giving the interim government the time required to create a congenial atmosphere for polls.
Getting the cases withdrawn will be an uphill task since 1,41,633 cases have been filed against around 50 lakh BNP activists between 2009 and September 2023, according to the party.
The BNP believes now is the time to reorganise the party as it could not hold councils and extended meetings at grassroots units for over a decade since most leaders and activists were either in hiding or in jail. It had also been busy waging movements to oust the government.
The party leaders said almost all the cases were “politically motivated” and that most cases were filed by law enforcers, not by Awami League leaders.
According to the BNP, in the nine city corporation areas, 35,284 cases had been filed against 8,90,516 BNP leaders and activists until September 2023.
Besides these, 11,461 cases were filed against 7,63,565 leaders and activists in BNP’s Rajshahi division; 13,482 cases against 3,72,635 in BNP’s Chattogram division; 6,265 cases against 1,15,199 in Cumilla division; 9,704 cases against 3,81,471 in Rangpur division; 15,079 cases against 6,61,553 in Dhaka division; 6,394 cases against 2,51,117 in Mymensingh division; 8,662 cases against 30,35,21 in Barishal division; 26,871 cases against 9,65,173 in Khulna division; and 8,434 cases against 2,21,744 BNP leaders and activists in Sylhet organisational division.
The party also said 513 cases had been filed between November 15, 2023, when the polls schedule was announced, and January 29 this year accusing 13,530 BNP leaders and activists.
Talking to The Daily Star, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “We were busy over waging movements for many years. But now it is the time to do politics, and we will do whatever required to do so. Withdrawal of politically motivated cases against our party leaders and workers is at the top of our agenda as an oppressive regime filed the cases.”
He said they placed their demand in this regard before the interim government.
According to party sources, the BNP leaders will continuously create pressure on the interim government to hold elections at the soonest.
But the party will not have a confrontational stance since it has decided to give the government the time required to create an atmosphere conducive to polls.
After meeting Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday, BNP high-ups believe that the gap between the interim government and the party was narrowing. They think they will be able to have their demands fulfilled by having a good relationship with the government.
At the meeting, withdrawal cases against party chairperson Khaleda Zia and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman and others had come up for discussion.
Party insiders said the party wants to influence the interim government to have its like-minded people at top positions in the bureaucracy, police force, and other places.
It will also try to bring back to work those who had been sent into forced retirement by the previous government for their soft spot for the BNP. Those who are now above 60 would be posted under contracts, they said.
The BNP will also go for trust-building programmes like market monitoring, curbing food inflation, they said.Â
To this end, the party has already started work. It has expelled or suspended about 100 of its leaders for their involvement in violence and breach of party discipline after the fall of the AL government to send the message that there is no room for violence in the party.
Around 50 more party leaders were served showcase notice for their alleged involvement in vandalism.
