S M Mizanur Rahman :Although Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has failed to compel the government to arrange fresh national elections in the last three months, it claimed that the indefinite blockade was a message for people at home and abroad against the misdeeds and misrule of ruling Awami League (AL). “We have not reached our desired goal yet but our ongoing movement has already sent message to the countrymen and foreigners against the government’s misdeeds, misrules and autocratic attitude towards BNP,” BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The New Nation on Saturday.The indefinite transport blockade, alongside hartal, called by the 20-party alliance enters the 90th day today (Sunday), causing the death of at least 135 people across the country. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had declared that the ongoing movement of her party-led 20-party alliance would continue until it reaches its desired goal. The indefinite blockade alongside nationwide hartal is going on with what BNP says with an aim to restore democracy in the country through holding a free, fair, inclusive and peaceful election. “We’ve called the movement as per hopes and aspirations of the people and it will continue until it yields a logical outcome. And we are optimistic that our movement will surely reach the desired goal,” Mahbubur Rahman said. Mentioning that now BNP’s main challenge is to take its movement to its desired goal, he said they would continue their agitation although its leaders are contesting the Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporation polls. “We think movement and election is supplementary to each other. So, the movement will continue alongside the polls.” “A free, fair and neutral election is a prime element of democracy… BNP’s main challenge is to take the movement to a desired goal by forging a national unity for strengthening democracy through holding a free and fair election,” he said.In the political violence, at least 135 people were killed since January 5 and over 2000 vehicles including passenger buses and goods laden trucks were either torched or ransacked.However, some party leaders think BNP should not retreat from its ongoing movement for joining the elections walking into the trap of the government in a bid to turn the movement unsuccessful. “BNP will not be able to bunch back and force the regime to quit once it moves back from the current movement as they did after January-5 election,” a highly placed source in the BNP said.Meanwhile, at a function in city on Saturday Khandker Mahbub Hossain, adviser to the BNP Chairperson, said that the government announced the City Corporation elections in a bid to divert people’s attention from the BNP’s ongoing movement as it has reached its peak.But after the announcement of the election schedule for the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation, the intensity of violence has marked a sharp fall.Dhaka and Chittagong cities have remained out of the purview of the hartal due to the activities related to the City Corporation polls.However, vehicular movement in the capital and elsewhere in the country are now as usual as blockaders are hardly seen on the streets. A large number of law enforcers also remained deployed at different places in the country to fend off any trouble.Except Jamaat-Shibir, the leaders and workers of BNP are not found in the city streets in favour of their ongoing programme. However, the leaders and workers of the party are seen outside the capital- Dhaka. On January 5, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia announced the indefinite blockade as the government did not allow her party and its allies to hold protest rallies in the capital on the day. Since then she (Khaleda) has been residing inside her Gulshan party office.
