The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is preparing to launch a sweeping internal purge, targeting leaders and activists from the grassroots to the central committee, in an effort to restore party discipline and curb criminal activity within its ranks.
Senior party leaders said that the drive will not spare high-ranking members, as serious allegations—including extortion, land-grabbing and even murder—continue to tarnish the BNP’s image ahead of a potential national election.
“Disciplinary action will be taken against anyone involved in misdeeds, regardless of their position,” said BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed. “We have decided to launch this operation from the district and metropolitan level down to the grassroots. Even central leaders won’t be exempt.”
This BNP Standing Committee member also said, “The mass uprising of students and the public in July-August was for democracy. But today we can see that ‘mobocracy’ is reigning in the entire country.”
He said, “We wanted democracy, but ‘mobocracy’ is happening in the entire country due to the government's indifference. Who are those who dare to challenge the power of the mass uprising? Why are they doing it?”
Despite taking strict organizational measures including lifetime ban, a section of BNP leaders and activists are not being reined in. The party has decided to start a purge campaign at various levels from the grassroots to the center.
At the same time, this campaign will identify the privileged leaders and workers who joined the party after August 5.
In addition, organizational measures will be taken against those who have ignored the party's highest caution and are involved in various misdeeds. Especially, more importance will be given to this organizational campaign in commercial areas and districts known as industrial areas.
Party sources said that the final process of the purge campaign has already started on the instructions of the BNP high command. Committees at all levels, from the union to the upazila, district and metropolis, are being scrutinized. In particular, the issue of leaders and workers of BNP and its affiliates who have created negative ideas or perceptions in the public mind against them is being taken into greater consideration in each area.
They said that many will be expelled from the party, including warning those against whom the people are angry. The point is that the high command will not hesitate to cut off those who will tarnish the party's reputation and have now become a burden for the party.
BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said, “BNP will not hesitate to identify and take action against those who will tarnish the party's image. BNP will do whatever it takes in the interest of the party and the country. The process has started in this regard. Organizational action will be taken immediately against those involved in any misdeeds and injustice.”
“Besides, BNP has been fighting for democracy for many years. It does not believe in dictatorship. Work will be started soon to prevent this dictatorship, regardless of party affiliation,” he added.
Organizational action against 5,000 leaders and activists: According to BNP central office sources, various types of organizational action have been taken against about 5,000 leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliates after August 5 to maintain party discipline. Still, they are struggling to maintain discipline.
According to BNP leaders, in the current changing context of the country, it is very difficult to control the millions of workers and supporters of the largest political party. Even if the party was in power, at least the help of law enforcement agencies could have been taken to deal with such situations. Due to the lack of that opportunity, the party is currently has to rely on the organizational system.
The relevant sources also said that allegations of extortion and usurpation have been made against several top leaders of BNP committees in Dhaka metropolis. These are being investigated. If indisputable evidence is found, the committees may be dissolved.
However, the party believes that not only the political situation, but the overall law and order situation in the country is bad.
In particular, social order has also been broken due to the failure to take any action against mob violence. The fact that the government is speaking in favor of the mob has further encouraged it. A frightening situation has been created for the common people.
Although the police have been requested to take legal action in many incidents, there has been no response. As a result, the law and order forces seem ineffective in view of the situation.
After the murder of scrap trader Sohag in Old Dhaka, the three organs and affiliates of the BNP held a press conference at the Nayapaltan office in the capital, alleging that the government is trying to maintain an anarchic situation in the country by keeping the administration inactive as planned.
They questioned this as mysterious, demanding that not all the accused be arrested and that the main three accused be excluded from the case file.
According to Jubo Dal President Monayem Munna, it is surprising that none of those who were seen directly participating in the video footage and CCTV camera footage of the murder in front of Mitford have been made the main accused in the case. Those who inflicted the fatal injuries have not been arrested yet.
Regarding these issues, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that immediate organizational measures are being taken whenever any kind of complaint is received, considering the reputation of the party. Sometimes, even the most dedicated leaders and activists are in danger.
He said that in fact, many things are not going on normally because there is no democratic and elected government in the country. For this reason, it is not possible to prevent many negative actions.
According to several central leaders of BNP, hybrids are now very powerful in BNP. Those who did business and commerce without any problems during the party's bad days, keeping pace with the Awami League government, are now the masters of BNP. Many people named New-BNP have joined them. Those who were never involved in BNP. Yet they are now involved in various misdeeds including seizure and extortion. Many of them are even being kept in various committees. The leaders and workers who sacrificed and were in trouble are embarrassed about this and are cornered in many places.
Strict stance against mob rule: A group identified against BNP has been involved in a deliberate attempt to mislead the common people by creating mobs all over the country including the capital. The group has become reckless in character assassination and tarnishing the image of the party and its top leaders ahead of the next elections.
These propagandas are being carried out in a well-planned manner on the part of some opposition-minded political parties on the media and social media. The parties and their organizations are planning to take a comprehensive program to counter this propaganda. The country's largest party has taken a strong stance against dictatorship.
(Translated by Tanvir Raihan)
