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AL, BNP take stock of grassroots strength

BNP upbeat after UZ polls, but not ready for launching anti-govt agitation

Rashidul Hasan
With the upazila elections over, the central BNP wants to launch an a n t i -
government movement but
its grassroots are not ready for any street programmes now.
According to BNP policymakers, the party grassroots have gained in strength and confidence for waging a movement following die local body elections.
However, a number of local-level leaders have told The Daily Star that any such move would suffer a setback as they were afraid of police action and retaliation from therulingAwami League men.
The BNP high command had decided to take part in the upazila polls as part of its strategy to fight back against die government.
"And we've achieved our target. The grassroots diat were demoralised following the January 5 national elections have organised themselves through the upazila polls," said Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a BNP standing committee member.
Central leaders think their candidates have done well in the polls amid "state-sponsored terrorism," and they say this has boosted the party's spirit.
BNP's organisational activities came to a near halt after its failure to resist the national election. The party high-ups now want to step up its activities and launch a movement against the government using the grassroots.
But grassroots leaders say the central leaders' plan to turn around will not materialise, as they fear being harassed by the law enforcers and the ruling party men.
According to them, die way they were attacked and harassed by the AL men during die just-concluded upazila polls is unprecedented.
Over the last two days, this correspondent has spoken to 15 presidents, conveners and general secretaries of different district units of the BNP.
Most of them said their leaders could not stay in their areas during the polls as law
enforcement agencies fded "false" cases against them over violence, attacks on police and vote rigging.
"Besides, many leaders have been injured in attacks by the ruling party men while many others have been arrested," said Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, president of Patuakhali BNP.
He alleged police members were demanding money for releasing those arrested.
According to him, the morale of the grassroots leaders and activists is low rather than high following the polls.
Rahmatullah Palash, president of Satkhira BNP, Md Shajahan, convener of Noakhali BNP, andZiauddin Mister, general secretary of Fen i BNP, echoed his view.
The president of another district unit BNP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was lucky to be able to stay in his area. Most of the leaders in his district are on the run.
"Ensuring the security of my family and myself is my main concern at the moment, given the way the ruling party men and law enforcers are harassing us. Waging a movement is a concern for future."