The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now facing the worst situation due to leadership crisis, intra-party feud and groupings among party leaders.
Party chairperson and former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, convicted by the courts for various crimes and corruption, has been off-sided from all the activities of the party.
Besides, she has almost become disabled physically due to old age complications and various diseases as well.
On the other hand, her son and the party’s acting chairman Tareque Rahman, who is now absconding in London on various criminal charges, is not able to command the party from abroad.
Under the circumstances, party leaders are suffering from indecision and therefore, intra-party feuds are developing among them.
In absence of the leadership, and for lack of command, the leaders of the BNP are being divided into groups. The party activists are being scattered.
Moreover, almost all of its allies have already left the alliance with the BNP. Led by BNP, the 20-party alliance has broken long ago. The Jamaat-e-Islami, the main ally of BNP, has almost no direct link with the party.
Besides, another alliance named Jatiya Oikya Front, which was formed under the leadership of Gonoforum president Dr. Kamal Hossain is also no more effective. Now all of the allies are carrying out their movement with their own activities.
Sources also said, most of the senior leaders of BNP are exhausted with the behaviour of BNP’s acting chairperson Tareque Rahman. They are also frustrated with the attitude, decision-making process and the way he handles the party.
According to sources, many of the senior leaders of the BNP have already left the party for Tareque Rahman’s attitude. BNP insiders disclosed that Tareque Zia often misbehaves with most of the BNP senior leaders who joined the party during his father Ziaur Rahman’s rule. He even uses abusive words during his conversations with senior BNP leaders through skype on silly excuses. Considering all these factors, many influential BNP leaders resigned from the party.
Confidential sources say many other senior leaders may resign from the party for the same reason. They said it is meaningless to continue with the BNP, if Tareque Rahman is there. They opined that Tareque Rahman is solely responsible for the devastating situation of the BNP after the one eleven changeover. It is the same for them to commit suicide and do BNP politics under the leadership of Tareque Rahman, another vice-chairman said.
Responding to a question, indicating Tareque Rahman he also said, “He (Tarique) has no feeling for his own mother Khaleda Zia,how can he feel for the party and its leaders and activists.”
