Khaleda to outline course of action

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will give her party leaders a guideline today on how the party will run in her absence if she is convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, say party insiders.

She will also outline the party's strategy in the coming days at an emergency meeting of its national executive committee today at Hotel Le Meridien in the capital.

The BNP chief had called the meeting a day after a Dhaka court on January 27 fixed February 8 for delivering verdict in the graft case.

Keeping all the options open, Khaleda is likely to instruct her party leaders to prepare for the next national polls and also to be ready for waging a movement if the government tries to hold a “one-sided election once again”, according to several BNP leaders.

“Khaleda Zia will not call for any anti-government movement right now. She will discuss the party's next course of action. At the same time, she will also urge the government to hold talks over the polls-time government,” a senior BNP leader told this newspaper yesterday, seeking anonymity.

The BNP leader pointed out that Khaleda had brought some changes in the party before her arrest during the tenure of the last caretaker government. At that time, she didn't give any specific guideline on how the party would run in her absence.

“But this time, she is going to give a guideline so that no one can split the party in her absence.”

At two meetings with standing committee members and BNP-led alliance leaders last month, the BNP chairperson repeatedly urged them to maintain unity at any cost, thwarting any attempt from the government to split the party.

Comprised of 502 members, the BNP national executive committee sits today for the first time since its formation in 2016. It includes party's central and district leaders and also presidents and general secretaries of its front and associate organisations.

The grassroots leaders have been instructed not to talk about their personal grievances or petty squabbles in their areas, said a mid-ranking BNP leader on condition of anonymity.

“They will have to give their opinions on how to deal with the situation in the coming days... It's time for unity,” the leader mentioned.

The meeting of the executive committee starts at 10:00am with Khaleda in the chair.

In the opening session, the BNP chairperson will give a statement. In the second session, she will hold a closed-door meeting with the grassroots leaders and then deliver a concluding speech.

The first session will be broadcast live on the BNP's official website, said Syrul Kabir Khan, an official of the party chief's press wing.

Party's Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman, elder son of Khaleda, is likely to address the second session through video conference.

There have been a lot of discussions in the country's political arena about the verdict in the graft case to be delivered on February 8.

Police suspect that BNP men may try to create anarchy if Khaleda is convicted. The BNP, on the other hand, has alleged that law enforcers have launched a crackdown on its leaders and activists ahead of the pronouncement of verdict.

The BNP boycotted the last parliamentary polls on January 5, 2014, demanding the election be held under a non-partisan interim government. A total of 153 lawmakers were elected uncontested in that polls.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also chief of the ruling Awami League, formally launched the party's election campaign.

At a rally in Sylhet, she sought vote for "boat", the AL's electoral symbol, to make “Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country”.