Despite downplaying Sheikh Hasina’s announcement that she plans to return to Bangladesh by December, the ruling BNP has directed its grassroots leaders to remain vigilant against possible Awami League activities, raising questions about whether the government sees a political threat in the former prime minister’s return.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has instructed its grassroots leaders to remain alert and active on the ground ahead of December amid concerns that the Awami League (AL), whose political activities are banned, could attempt to organise programmes and create instability in the country.
Although the BNP has publicly played down former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s announcement that she intends to return to Bangladesh by December, the party’s preparations suggest that it is taking the possibility of renewed Awami League activity seriously.
Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman personally issued instructions on the matter during an online meeting with senior district-level party leaders from across the country on Thursday.
Several BNP sources said the party’s central leadership had also sent messages in recent days to key district and organisational units, as well as affiliated and associate organisations, directing them to remain active on the ground.
BNP leaders said that, given the ban on Awami League political activities, police and other law enforcement agencies were expected to prevent the party from organising political programmes. However, the ruling party did not want to rely solely on law enforcement agencies to manage the situation.
Party leaders and activists have therefore been instructed to remain vigilant to prevent the Awami League from staging programmes or creating disorder.
The BNP’s concerns reportedly intensified after Hasina recently told foreign media that she planned to return to Bangladesh by December. According to BNP leaders, the announcement has encouraged Awami League leaders and activists to become more active and attempt to organise programmes around various issues.
The government and the ruling party have subsequently begun treating the matter more seriously.
In recent days, the BNP and its affiliated organisations have organised processions and rallies protesting what they described as Awami League misconduct and attempts to destabilise the country. Similar programmes are expected to continue.
BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince confirmed that Tarique Rahman had discussed the issue with senior district leaders.
“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held an online meeting with top district BNP leaders on Thursday evening where he gave instructions regarding Awami League activities as well as covert and dormant elements,” Prince told TIMES.
The BNP’s response raises questions about the political implications of Hasina’s proposed return. If the party considers the Awami League politically weakened and its activities effectively restricted, why has the ruling leadership instructed its grassroots network to prepare for possible mobilisation?
Does the BNP view Hasina’s announcement as a genuine challenge to its political authority, or is it seeking to prevent any resurgence of the Awami League before it can gather momentum?
While the party’s preparations do not, by themselves, establish that the government feels threatened, they indicate that the possibility of renewed Awami League activity has become a significant concern for the ruling establishment.
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