National Government laddu of BNP

The next general election is about two years away. According to the constitution, parliamentary elections are to be held in December 2023 or January 2024. But already the gentle blow of wind of electoral can be felt in the country. With that, various conspiracies are spreading in the country like a nor'-wester. The political arena was busy for some time with the formation of the Election Commission. The new election commission is already trying to gain trust. The new commission headed by Kazi Habibul Awal is having discussions and exchanging views with people of different classes and professions. This is the message that the next parliamentary elections will be very challenging. Various development partners, including the United States and the European Union, are keen to see the next parliamentary election. Fifty years have passed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the United States. On this occasion, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Abdul Momen went to Washington to take part in the partnership dialogue. The self-absorbed foreign minister happily matched his basket of gratitude. Thank god, there is no such thing as a 'Kadambusi' in American culture. If there was, then our Secretary of State would have 'Kadambusi' the US Secretary of State to give shelter to the stateless. Technically he did not do it but he actually did accept the United States as his senior mentor. In that bilateral dialogue, the United States has expected that the next elections in Bangladesh will be participatory. The United States has called for free, fair and credible elections, not just participatory ones. The United States has implicitly indicated that the BNP should come to the polls. Our foreign minister is wise. He had been in the United States for a long time. So he understands their gestures very well. That is why the Foreign Minister has handed over the responsibility of bringing the BNP to the polls in the hands of the United States. The foreign minister has sought US intervention to ensure that the BNP participates in the upcoming parliamentary elections. He has been widely criticized in the country. Even the Awami League leaders have rejected the foreign minister's statement. But in a way, I think Dr. Momen has done the right thing. One of the reasons for this is the recent US human rights report on Bangladesh. I had a hard time understanding whether the 74-page report was a US report or a BNP pamphlet. From the beginning to the end, what has been said in the report echoes the statements of the BNP leaders. I often hear from BNP leaders that there is no democracy in the country. There is no freedom of expression. Elections are not credible, etc. These statements have been compiled and attested in the US report. Therefore, the human rights report has given an indication that the United States will play a role in the future in not taking the BNP to the polls. Not only the United States, but also the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries are now urging the next elections in Bangladesh to be free, fair and participatory.

The BNP, however, has been talking in a new tone for some time. Although elections were held under the party government in 2018, now BNP has returned to the position of 2013. The BNP has said that they (BNP) will not participate in any election except under a non-partisan neutral caretaker government. This demand of BNP is old and abandoned. The caretaker government has already been declared dead. The last two elections have been held under the party government. By participating in an election under a party government, the BNP itself has announced the abolition of the caretaker government system. There are questions in the political arena as to why the BNP is again demanding a caretaker government. Apart from the BNP, there is no enthusiasm among the political parties for a caretaker government. Some former allies of the BNP tried to create some tension in the quiet arena of politics by demanding a national government against the caretaker government. First Dr. Jafrullah, the trustee of public health, then one by one, including ASM Abdur Rab of JSD, made demands of some national governments. The demands of the national government of Dr. Zafarullah and others almost washed away the demands of the caretaker government. The issue of elections under a national government rather than a caretaker government has aroused more interest in the Western world and among civil society. Many say it is an acceptable electoral compromise formula. The compromise proposed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before the 2014 elections was basically an election-time national government. Sheikh Hasina did propose a compromise government with an election government representing all the political parties in the National Assembly. The BNP, however, was not so helpless and miserable back then. They were the main opposition party in the National Assembly. Led by Begum Zia. Moreover, the bonus was the huge victory of the BNP in the five city corporation elections. Many BNP leaders were getting the fragrance of power then. At that time, the BNP started the demand of a non-partisan caretaker government. Political violence was intensifying across the country Barbaric incidents like burning people on the bus was a daily incident back at that time.

The Prime Minister called the then Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia to calm the situation. She invited her for tea at Ganabhaban. The nation has heard the audio of what Begum Zia said in response. Begum Zia's statement was devoid of political etiquette. If you listen to Begum Zia's tele talk in private again today, you will surely feel ashamed. However, at that time, Sheikh Hasina took a liberal and courageous political decision to protect the country from violence and unrest. The Prime Minister presented the outline of the election-time government in the proportional representation of the parties in the National Assembly. Sheikh Hasina even announced a bold decision to hand over the Ministry of Home Affairs and other important ministries to the opposition. But Begum Zia rejected the offer. Why? Even the BNP leaders have not yet got the answer to that question. The BNP thought that this election would not be acceptable if they boycotted the election. Parliament will not last. As happened on February 15, 1996. The BNP held unilateral elections excluding the Awami League. But the parliament lasted only for two and a half days. Since the election in 1996 was not acceptable without the Awami League. Parliament was temporary. Therefore, the BNP thought that the January 5, 2014 elections would not be acceptable. Parliament will not last. But it was a 'historic mistake' by the BNP. No event in history repeats itself in the same way. BNP is still paying the price for that mistake.

If the BNP had complied with the demands of the national government before the 2014 elections, it would have been a new trend in our bitter electoral system. The national government will be formed before the election. This national government will perform routine duties as an election-time government. Will co-operate with the Election Commission. But the BNP killed that possibility in 2013. Now when the BNP's well-wishers are demanding a national government, it has created a context for discussion, albeit to some extent. Western nations see national government as a compromise between the caretaker government and the party government. However, the Awami League has not yet recognized the issue as an important political issue. The ruling party has so far made it clear that the next election will be held in accordance with the constitution. Under the present government. The BNP first rejected the national government's proposal. They said the BNP would not go to the polls without a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government. Everything was fine so far. A political party can raise any demand. They can also make demands by creating huge public opinion. But they are confused again after a few days. The BNP leaders started whispering about the national government. We were a little surprised. So did the BNP back away from the demand for a non-partisan caretaker government? Does the BNP want elections under the national government? No, within a few days, the BNP secretary general came up with a surprising formula. Elections under non-partisan government but formation of national government after elections. After the discovery of this formula, the BNP leaders were overjoyed. Some say the conspirators have gone silent.

The new formula of BNP is quite far-reaching and depends on many 'ifs' and 'buts'. BNP will protest against the government. A party that has been in power for 13 years in a row will be forced to accept the demands of a non-partisan caretaker government. The Awami League will be terrified of the statements made by the BNP leaders at the Press Club and Reporters' Unity. Fearful Awami League will return to the caretaker government system following the demands of BNP. Here BNP will make movement with all political parties and will form a larger political alliance against the Awami League. They will form a national government with those who will be in this movement after the election. In other words, there will be an election in which no party other than the BNP and its allies is likely to win. And formation of national government after a sure victory. What a weird fertile brain thought. If such a government is to be formed, the Awami League must have no seats in Parliament. Because if Awami League gets a seat in the election, it will also have to give its share in the national government. In other words, in order to implement the BNP's formula, the Awami League has to be destitute and empty. The political formula is made keeping the reality of politics in mind. Similarly, political goals are also determined in terms of achievement-capacity. Unrealistic political goals increase frustration in a political party. Depressing the team workers. There is no place for illusion or imagination in politics. But the BNP's national government's imagination also defeats the fairy tale. How can Fakhrul achieve what BNP under Khaleda Zia could not achieve in 2013?

BNP leaders also know that their idea of 'national government' is unrealistic. But why is a big political party like BNP spreading such unrealistic ideas in the field of politics? If we look for the reason for this, we will find the bankruptcy and unacceptability of BNP. Or someone is giving laddus of national government to the market with BNP. For a long time, the BNP has been talking about a united movement against the government. Or someone is using the BNP to spread the laddus of National government to the market. BNP has been talking about a united movement against the government for a long time. But no political party is responding to the call of BNP. National Unity Front is dead after the election. BNP's ideological alliance 20 parties are inactive. For a long time, there has been no activity of 20 parties. A number of parties like Andalib Rahman Parthas’ BJP have left 20 parties long ago. Jamaat is also a stranger to BNP now. The BNP is discredited if it goes public with Jamaat. The BNP has not been able to openly unite with Jamaat for fear of public embarrassment. Again, love is so intense that it cannot be abandoned. The international community, including India and the United States, has strongly objected against Jamaat. BNP leaders also know that well. But the BNP needs some allies for its existence and acceptance in national politics. For example, in 2018, there was a National Unity Front under the leadership of Dr. Kamal Hossain. But now the situation is such that no one is willing to make a united movement or want to form an alliance with the BNP. Just a few days ago, the Left Alliance called a strike. The BNP supported the strike. But the Left Alliance said they did not want the BNP's support. This rejection is a lesson for the BNP. Despite the huge public support in the politics of Bangladesh, the BNP proved once again how irrelevant and unimportant it has become. Just as the left parties consider the BNP as a right-wing, reactionary political force, so too the parties like Hefazat and Khilafah consider the BNP as treacherous and opportunistic.

Some political parties have their own support for the BNP. One leader's party, a handful of national parties, revolved around the BNP. But the leaders of these parties are accustomed to drawing room politics. They have no public base. They want to be close to power again. The BNP has arranged tasty laddus for them. The name of this laddu is national government. The BNP thinks that all the political parties will stumble on the slogan of “Movement together, government together”. By tying the knot with the BNP, they will join the movement to overthrow the government. But the BNP did not understand that their own situation is critical now. With such a dying organization, it is difficult to find a party to take the risk of the movement in the greed of becoming a minister. In fact, the BNP's crisis is in the leadership. Begum Zia is no longer in the leadership of BNP. Tarique Zia is a fugitive in London. In this situation, the BNP has no leadership in the anti-government movement. In 2018, the BNP hired Dr. Kamal Hossain as its leader. BNP is looking for a leader again. That is why the BNP is looking for a suitable leader using the national government. And giving 'attractive offers' to their partners to break the loneliness. But the reckoning of the national government may not be so simple. A new drama like One-Eleven is being set in the context of the national government. The prime minister said on Wednesday that "there is a conspiracy to overthrow the government." It is also important to consider whether the "national government" theory is part of a conspiracy to depoliticize. If not, why the greedy eyes of the civilians are in the laddus of the BNP national government?