BNP sees plot to thwart plans for Feb election

A conspiracy is unfolding to derail the national election to foil the democratic transition in the country, said the BNP yesterday.

The party alleged that recent violent incidents, including the attack on the National Citizen Party's rally in Gopalganj, are being used as an excuse to disrupt the democratic process.

Party leaders, at multiple events, also claimed that the Gopalganj incident is a coordinated effort to destabilise the political environment.

At an event at the Dhaka University, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the country has been freed from fascism, but the conspiracy has not stopped.

"If you observe, you will see that efforts have already begun [through a planned strategy] to prevent this democratic transition," he said.

"Since the decision was made at the London meeting to hold the election in February, problems started arising. In other words, the aim is to prevent the election from taking place."

"Fascism has not ended yet," he said, hoping that the election will be held in February 2026 as agreed in the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

On Wednesday, BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, held a meeting at its chairperson's Gulshan office, where the recent violent incidents, including in Gopalganj, were discussed. Tarique presided over the meeting virtually from London.

Calling the NCP Gopalganj rally "carelessly planned", standing committee members said such an incident is being used as an excuse to create a situation where the government's ability to hold the election could be questioned.

Criticising the interim government's failure to maintain law and order, they also said the failure has allowed fallen fascist forces to re-emerge as part of a "blueprint to disrupt the democratic process".

In a statement issued after the meeting, the party said the government's failure has contributed to the rise of mobocracy, murder, mugging, robbery, extortion and other criminal activities.

"The incompetence and indifference of the concerned departments of the government are further worsening the situation. The advisers in charge are only making statements in the media but are failing to take effective action," it added.

Meanwhile, at a protest rally yesterday in front of the party's central office in Nayapaltan, BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed said a new political party, which has yet to receive registration, is announcing one political programme after another in an unplanned manner.

Salahuddin accused NCP of creating a situation to portray the government as incapable of maintaining law and order, raising doubts about its ability to hold elections. 

Yunus has still not officially given any proper instruction to the EC to hold the election in the first week of February, Salahuddin added.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said a conspiracy is ongoing to foil the upcoming polls.

After the meeting between Prof Yunus and Tarique in London, there was a greater clarity on the election timeline, which brought people "some relief", he said.

"But I think some people do not want it. After that [the meeting], violent incidents started all over the country! Why?" asked Rizvi.