BNP shelves plans for hartal, blockade for now
BNP will not go for any hartal and blockade-like programmes over the next few days even though the party outright rejected the poll results.
The party, which is the main opposition for the Awami League, wants to continue with its peaceful programmes including mass contact and leaflet distribution to garner public support for its demand for election under a neutral government.
The party will decide on its next course of action after seeing the reactions of the Western nations that have long been calling for a free, fair and participatory election, The Daily Star has learnt from top party leaders with knowledge of BNP's next course of action.
For now, the party has announced mass contact programmes for today and tomorrow. It may demonstrate at district and divisional levels and also organise black flag processions.
The party also wants to focus on the release of its leaders and activists who were put behind bars before the January 7 election, as per the discussions of a virtual meeting of the party's standing committee members on Sunday.
People did not go to the polling centres responding to the BNP's calls to boycott the election, the leaders said quoting the standing committee members.
"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established."
The voter turnout was not more than 10 percent as there was no queue at the voting centres.
"The turnout of 40 percent is simply unbelievable. In the last one hour, 13 percent of the votes were cast when 27 percent of the votes were cast in the first seven hours. This is absurd."
Besides, there are several media reports and video footage where irregularities were captured.
"So this election will not be acceptable to the international community," said a standing committee member of the party.
The US and the Western nations will be critical of the election and may come up with some harsh measures that will mount pressure on the government.
The party has already collected documents on vote rigging and violence relating to elections.
Those documents will shortly be sent to the diplomatic missions stationed in Dhaka. The BNP higher-ups may brief the diplomats too.
A staggering 30,000 partymen are now in jail and their release should be in focus right now, said another standing committee member of the party.
Because of that, the party will not go for any tough programmes, he added.
"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established in the country," said Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of BNP, at a press conference held at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.
The office was locked up since the party's October 28 rally was disrupted by law enforcement agencies.