Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam on Thursday said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s demand for a neutral government actually hints at forming another 1/11 government.
“The Awami fascism had emerged from the settlement of 1/11 [installation of a military-backed government in 2007]. In the BNP secretary general’s remarks, there are signs of another 1/11 government, a continuation of parliamentary majority and a knee-jerk foreign policy, and the lack of justice for enforced disappearances, killings and the July massacre,” he said.
Nahid, also posts, telecommunications and information technology adviser, made the remarks in a status posted on his verified Facebook account.
He said the plan to minus the students and the leaderships of the uprising had begun from August 5.
“On August 5, when the students and the people were fighting on the streets and police were firing constantly, many of our compromising national leaders were busy planning to form a new government in the cantonment excluding the people (but many of them also talked about the students there),” Nahid wrote.
He added: “We have been saying since August 3 that we will not accept any kind of military rule or emergency. We were repeatedly asked to go to the cantonment, but we refused to do that. Finally, through discussions and bargaining at Bangabhaban, it was decided to form an interim government with Dr. Muhammad Yunus as its head”.
Noting that they wanted a national government comprising the anti-fascist political parties and civil society members, Nahid said, “If there was a national government, perhaps the students had no need to join the government”.
Considering that the national government would last for a long time, he said, the BNP did not agree to form the national government.
The information adviser said there was immense necessity for a national government in the country just after the uprising but the BNP is talking about forming a national government after the upcoming elections.
Nahid said students are the “only factor” for this government and the existing reality that completely separated the current government from the 1/11 government.
Though BNP discussed about “minus two” a few days ago, it is now proposing another 1/11-type government in the name of a neutral government to make smooth the path to go to the power, he continued.
“Such a plan will go against democracy and national interest. The students and the people will never accept it. And I think it is a conspiracy against BNP as well,” the information adviser said.
Though this government is not a national government, he said, there is the participation of all stakeholders of the movement in the government and all of them are enjoying various benefits.
“Before the formation of the government, the Attorney General and the previous Inspector General of Police (IGP) were appointed on August 6, who were basically from BNP. In this way, there are pro-BNP people at different tiers of the government from top to bottom,” Nahid said.
“When talking about the neutrality of the elections, this reality must be taken into cognizance as well,” he added.
The adviser said BNP has taken a stance against all issues, including the change of the President, reforms, new constitution and July proclamation; though none of these was the partisan demand of the students.
“But the students have repeatedly retreated for the sake of the country’s stability, the greater interests and national unity. However, this does not mean that we will give any concession to any plan that goes against democracy and the desires of the uprising,” he added.
“Though forging unity has been possible among the major parties in India regarding the Awami League, in Bangladesh, we could not reach the unity over the Awami League, despite so much killings and crimes. Alas, what type of state will we build with such type of ‘national unity’?” Nahid said.
It is easy to weaken Bangladesh because Bangladesh can be easily divided, he said, adding, the prominent persons of this country remain ready to be sold for a small price.
“I do not think the entire BNP takes such position. Rather, a large section of BNP activists and supporters want the materialization of the aspirations of the uprising. I would like to call upon the patriotic and sacrificing leadership of BNP to choose the path of greater unity and solidarity with the students and people instead of going against the student-people uprising,” Nahid said.
