BNP Not Taking It Seriously

The ruling party, BNP, is not at all taking into consideration the plan of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to return to the country in December, as mentioned in a report by the London-based news agency Reuters. The opposition party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and their coalition partner, the NCP, share the same sentiment. Leaders of these parties commented, "Such statements are nothing but political grandstanding. The goal of the fallen Sheikh Hasina is to incite fugitive leaders and activists inside the country to create instability." They also quipped, "Why December? Let Sheikh Hasina return today itself, if she can, and lawfully face the legal cases and sentences against her."

When top BNP leaders were asked for their reaction to Sheikh Hasina's plan to return, they largely brushed it aside. At the same time, they termed such statements a new conspiracy by Sheikh Hasina.

BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku told Agamir Somoy, "I do not wish to comment on those who have fled. Besides, she issues threats and intimidation every single day."

BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince sees a conspiracy in Sheikh Hasina's statements. He said, "When the nation is moving forward with renewed determination to build a better life and a developed country under the humanitarian vision of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we are witnessing multi-lateral conspiracies to create obstacles and destabilize the country. Sheikh Hasina's statement about returning is a part of that."

In his view, "Death-row convict Sheikh Hasina will actually not return to Bangladesh. She is actually carrying out conspiratorial activities against Bangladesh. By inciting her party's fugitive leaders and activists—who are involved in murder, corruption, and terrorism—she wants to create a fresh volatile situation in the country."

"We actually want her to come to the country. Why December? Let her come today itself. Let her come and face the sentences and cases against her. But she will not come," Prince added.

BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council member Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said, "We are not giving importance to this (Hasina's plan to return and surrender); this is a matter for the courts."

However, he added, "The leader who fled to safety with all her relatives, leaving her leaders and activists helpless in the face of a revolution—if she returns and leadership goes back to her family members once again, even the Awami League (whose activities are now banned) leaders and activists are afraid and hate that thought. They do not believe their leader's words that she will come back and lead again."

Jamaat-NCP Calls It Empty Rhetoric

The main opposition party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have referred to Sheikh Hasina's plan to return to the country as "empty rhetoric." They claim that Sheikh Hasina will not actually return to the country at all. Instead, it could be an attempt to implement a plan to destabilize the country, using this issue as a pretext.

Leaders of the two parties expressed the view that Sheikh Hasina has previously made various statements about returning to the country, but in the end, she never came back. Without surrendering to the people and the courts, she left the country, took refuge in India, and continues to carry out various conspiracies from there.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said, "Sheikh Hasina is conspiring from abroad to return to power in the country through a counter-revolution. She must be brought back to the country and brought to justice for the July-August genocide."

NCP Convener and Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament Nahid Islam said, "Given the devastation the country has suffered over the past 16 years, we also want her to return to the country so that the verdicts handed down against her can be executed."

He further stated, "Sheikh Hasina's decision is not her personal decision. She speaks according to the approval given from Delhi. Therefore, whether she will come or not, and whether trials will happen or not—these will largely depend on the diplomatic and political understanding between Delhi and Dhaka. The Awami League is now effectively not a political party anymore."

NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib said, "The Awami League has been rejected by the people as a party. They are also known internationally as a terrorist party. They have no chance of returning. We are not taking these empty threats of Sheikh Hasina seriously. She will not return. This is just a trap to destabilize the country and an attempt to incite those who follow this ideology."