& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Fresh Agitation

BNP now for issue based programmes

Rashidul Hasan
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has opted for going soft on the government for now, according to sources in her party.
Instead of a tough antigovernment movement for a fresh election under a non-party administration, the party will wage issuebased movements as its various tiers are still weak and many leaders and activists are facing criminal cases or behind bars.
After meetings with the BNP national standing committee on Sunday and chiefs of the party-led 20-party alliance last night, Khaleda finalised two programmes on Israeli offensive on Gaza and the national broadcast policy.
The opposition alliance will stage a silent procession carrying black flags across the country on August 16 condemning the killing of Palestinians and a
rally in the capital on August 19 protesting the broadcast policy.
Besides, leaders of 20-party alliance will also make a ten-day divisional tour from August 21 to drum up public support for their demand for a fresh and inclusive election under a nonpartyadministration.
At the last night's meeting at her Gulshan office, Khaleda agreed to sever ties with Shawkat Hossain Nilu-led faction of National Peoples Party his "anti-alliance activities," said Abdul Latif Nejami, chief of alliance partner Islami Oikya Jote.
Fariduzzaman Farhad who expelled Nilu last month for his "anti-organisational activities" and declared himself the chief of NPP will represent the party in the alliance from now on.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will formally announce all these decisions before the press at the party's Nayapaltan central office today.
A BNP leader quoted Khaleda as saying at the standing committee meeting: "The government will have the opportunity to harass our leaders and activists if we go for tougher agitation right now."
Party insiders said another reason behind Khaleda's soft stance is that she was yet to complete the structural overhaul of the party, especially the Dhaka city unit and associated bodies, including the Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal.
After the party failed to stop the January 5 one-sided election, the BNP chief said her party would go for tougher agitation to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to sit in a dialogue with her on the question of a fresh election.
Khaleda last month categorically announced that she would come up with a tough agitation plan after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Wishing anonymity, a BNP standing committee member said the chairperson's statement was a strategy to give a boost to party men who were frustrated at the opposition's failed movement last year.
“The party high-ups have instructed the leaders to take legal measures to resolve the cases so that the arrested BNP leaders and activists can come out of jail. If we go for a tougher movement right now, the government might adhere to its previous tactics of oppression, resulting in more leaders landing in jail," he mentioned.