Ehsanul Haque Jasim :Although the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been inactive in the street movement for the last several months, many leaders of the party, particularly the former student leaders, are still in hiding to avert arrest as they are facing cases. Talking to The New Nation, several BNP leaders said that the former leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student body of the party, are the main target of the government, as they play vital role during movements. They said, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is planning to reorganise the party, appreciating sacrifices of the former JCD leaders and other dedicated leaders. They are on the list of vital posts in the next central committee. Khaleda Zia is also planning to launch street movement after reorganising the party. “So, the government has taken hard position against the former student leaders. It (government) believes that if the former student leaders become inactive, BNP can’t forge effective movement in the coming days,” said a BNP leader. Party sources said former JCD President Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel is facing about 100 cases, while Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie is facing about 40 cases, Azizul Bari Helal about 60 cases and former Dhaka University unit President ABM Mosharraf Hossain over 50 cases. Besides, at least 110 cases were filed against Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, while Jubo Dal general secretary and former student leader Saiful Alam Nirob is facing over 150 cases. Many cases were also filed against former JCD President Abdul Quader Bhuiyan Jewel and general secretary Amirul Islam Khan Alim. Ten more cases were filed against former President of JCD’s Dhaka College unit Nazmul Hossain Zahid, while former JCD’s influential leaders Shafiul Bari Babu, Aminul Islam, Zahid Gazi, Mahbubul Alam Toha and Sheikh Tarikul Islam are also facing many cases. A number of former JCD leaders are now staying abroad to avert arrest. They include former state minister Ehsanul Haque Milon, Barrister Nasiruddin Ahmed Asim and Nazmul Hossain Zahid.BNP’s current spokesman and the party’s International Affairs Secretary Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon on Tuesday said that the government is hatching conspiracy to ruin the BNP. “For this reason, it (government) filed thousands of false and fabricated cases against the leaders and workers of the party, particularly who are the former student leaders,” he said. Dr Ripon, who is also a former JCD chief, said that the BNP is not in the street politics now as their leaders are on hiding due to fear of arrest. Former student leaders, current student leaders and leaders of other front bodies are main target of the arrest and harassment, he claimed. In the last ten days after the Eid-ul-Fitr, police arrested many leaders and workers of the BNP and its alliance partners from different parts of the country. Police, however, said that they would continue the drive to arrest the accused in the different cases. Police arrested JCD President Rajib Ahsan and four others from Patuakhali on July 19, just day after the Eid. They also detained Mamun Talukder, President of Dhaka College unit of the Chhatra Dal on July 20, two days after the Eid, in the capital city.JCD’s Office Secretary Abdus Sattar Patwary said that many other current and former leaders of the organisation were arrested after the Eid. Police claimed that they have been arresting as the leaders and the workers are facing cases. Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said, “The government has long been conspiring to destroy BNP politics by maligning the young leadership of its different front bodies, including the JCD and Jubo Dal,” he said. He also said that the government’s main target is to give people a negative impression about the young leadership of BNP so that the government can hang onto power without any trouble.
