Tanjimul's arm being bandaged at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday. He along with his mother and sister was returning to their Mirpur home from the doctor's when criminals torched their auto-rickshaw at Kazipara in the capital, on the eve of a nationwide hartal. Photo: Anisur Rahman What happened in Gazipur centring Khaleda Zia's rally seems to be a dress rehearsal for a fa
ce-off between the two major political rivals from January. The latest political development has given rise to worries among people who fear a return of street violence and shutdowns. However, BNP men remain demoralised for the party's organisational weakness and lack of consistency in the high command's strategy for forging agitations against the government. Even today's countrywide shutdown by the BNP-led alliance appears to be another test for them. The combine leaders are doubtful whether their activists can take to the streets to enforce the hartal or they have to see a repeat of the Gazipur scenes. But frustration in its rival camp has made the ruling Awami League feel upbeat. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who asserted that she would join the Gazipur rally defying all obstacles, suddenly backtracked from her stance. Instead, she banked on party leaders and activists in Gazipur, hoping they would defy section-144 during the BNP-led combine's hartal there on Saturday, said party insiders. Advertisement But her party men failed to deliver. Not many BNP men were seen on the streets in Gazipur during Saturday's hartal. Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League already took to the streets to denounce the shutdown that the BNP-led alliance had called to protest the ban on Khaleda's rally. On Thursday, they had taken control of Khaleda's rally venue, which prompted the administration to impose section-144 and ban all political activities there from Friday afternoon. Tanjimul's mother. Photo: Anisur Rahman BNP leaders and activists in Gazipur couldn't counter the BCL men. The archrival's organisational weakness has made the AL confident, as it is set to complete one year in office since returning to power through the one-sided January 5 national polls. The recent statements of many senior AL ministers and leaders have made it clear that the government would take a hard line on the BNP in the coming days. The BNP has applied to the authorities concerned to hold rallies on January 3 and 5 at either Nayapaltan or Motijheel Shapla Chattar or Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. Interestingly, the AL also plans to hold a rally on January 5 at Suhrawardy Udyan, while BCL prepares to bring out a procession in the capital to mark its founding anniversary on January 3. A number of senior AL leaders and government policymakers said they wouldn't give the BNP men any scope for taking to the streets. BNP policymakers also believe that the government will not allow them to hold rallies as per the party's plan. In that case, the BNP may call hartal for three days from January 5, and also announce programmes like road blockade, said party insiders. "We have no other alternative but to intensify our movement," Moudud Ahmed, member of the BNP national standing committee, told The Daily Star yesterday. The BNP-led 20-party alliance plans to launch a strong agitation from January to force the government to call an early election under a non-partisan administration. The silence of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component of the alliance, has also disappointed and worried Khaleda, said party insiders. Jamaat-Shibir men had carried out violent demonstrations in 2013 to thwart the January 5 elections. Talking to The Daily Star, Jamaat insiders said they had to pay dearly for the anti-government protest. They lost scores of activists while many party leaders and worker were put behind bars. This time, they want to be sure that the BNP is serious about carrying on an anti-government movement.
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