BNP's 28 political allies still visiting door to door for recognition

The 28 political parties that were allies of the BNP in the joint anti-fascist movement are still going from door to door. Five months after forming the government, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assured the partners in the joint movement at a dinner held at the state guesthouse Jamuna on July 20 that they would be “properly evaluated” according to their qualifications. However, the allies say they have yet to see the implementation of that promise. According to them, the government could evaluate them in various ways, but they are disappointed that they have seen no such initiative from those in power. Alliance leaders say they were on the streets before and remain on the streets now—as if going from door to door is their fate.

After winning the election, however, the BNP made leaders from three allied parties ministers and state ministers. In this situation, some of the others are questioning whether they are part of the government or in the opposition—they cannot even understand their own position.

Under the leadership of the BNP, 42 political parties, including four alliances and both registered and unregistered parties, were directly involved in the joint anti-fascist movement against the Awami League. Although these parties did not have much of a “mass base,” their numbers gave the movement a certain degree of influence. At the time, there was widespread publicity at home and abroad that 42 political parties were involved with the BNP in the anti-government movement.

Some of these BNP alliance partners, however, have their own standing. Some parties have figures who play influential roles in politics and have their own “face value.” The BNP went through a long movement against the ousted Awami League government with these figures and their parties. During the movement, leaders of the allied parties also faced the wrath of the government. They were subjected to lawsuits, attacks, torture and persecution. Some were arrested, while one or two were even shot.

In July 2023, the BNP announced at a news conference its “31-point outline for reforming the state structure” with the goal of rebuilding the state. It said that after winning a free, fair, neutral, credible and participatory election aimed at returning ownership of the country to its people, a “pro-people national consensus government,” referred to as a “national government,” would be formed with the political parties that had participated in the movement to oust the then-fascist government.

Following the BNP’s long movement and struggle, the Awami League government fell on August 5, 2024, amid the student-led mass uprising. The BNP then began the process of “evaluating” its allies with the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12. The BNP allocated 16 seats to 11 political parties among its allies. After winning an outright majority in the election, the party formed what it called a “national government” by initially appointing two allies as state ministers and later another as a minister.

Andalib Rahman Partha, chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, was appointed minister of information and broadcasting; Zonayed Saki of the Ganosamhati Andolan was appointed state minister for planning; and Nurul Haque Nur, president of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, was appointed state minister for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment.

However, 28 parties among the BNP’s allies have so far received nothing. None of the partners has been appointed as a district council administrator or given a seat in the reserved women’s quota in Parliament. Moreover, three days after the prime minister’s assurance, on July 23, the government appointed BNP and its affiliated organization leaders on contractual terms to 11 top positions in 12 important government agencies, boards and corporations. The allies were not given any positions there either, further increasing their frustration.

Although the BNP formed what it called a “national government” by making leaders of three allied parties ministers and state ministers, most of the allies do not consider it a national government. Leaders of the parties that have been left out now want to see one or two more people from among the other allies appointed to the Cabinet as “technocrat ministers,” in addition to those three ministers and state ministers. They also expect the remaining allies to be evaluated according to their qualifications.

Among the allies, those who contested elections with the sheaf of paddy symbol or with their own party symbols with BNP support but lost now want to go to the upper house of Parliament. The allies say that although the BNP gave them the sheaf of paddy symbol or supported them, they could not win because BNP leaders also contested as independent candidates in those constituencies.

Leaders of the allied parties say they currently have little communication with either the government or the BNP. They say they previously maintained regular communication with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP’s former secretary general and former minister of local government, rural development and cooperatives, on various issues. However, that communication has declined since he became president.