BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today accused the government of "staging" a raid on the BNP office.

"The raid on the BNP's Nayapaltan party office was conducted to divert the students' quota reform movement," Rizvi claimed during a virtual press conference this night.

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A slogan lost in translation

"They staged a drama inside the office. This drama is a message to the students, a message to tell them to return home," he added.

He said, "They have continued attacks on Chhatra Dal and affiliated activists."

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6 killed as violence spreads

Questioning the timing of the raid, Rizvi asked, "Why didn't they conduct the raid when leaders and journalists were inside the office?"

"As part of the master plan, a raid was conducted at the central office led by the DB police chief in the middle of the night," Rizvi said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday termed the proposed national budget "anti-Bangladesh", saying it contains new schemes to facilitate the embezzlement of public money by the ruling party-backed looters.

"The government has become looters. The budget crafted by these looters seems to be aimed at further indulging in plundering. I believe that fresh plans have been devised in the budget for embezzlement (of public money)," he said.

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Budget falls short of what was needed

Talking to reporters on the budget in front of the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said the worst aspect of the proposed budget is the lack of any direction towards new job creation.

"The entire budget seems to be formulated for mega projects, mega theft, and corruption. So, I not only call this so-called budget anti-people but also anti-Bangladesh," he observed.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali placed a Tk 7,97,000 crore proposed national budget for 2024-25 in parliament.

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Budget unlikely to make dent in soaring inflation

Giving his party's initial reaction to the budget, Fakhrul said the proposed expenditure is much higher than the revenue collection target.

He warned that this imbalance will only intensify public suffering and increase their burden.

The BNP leader also feared that the government will cut public pockets to meet its expenditures.

Besides, he said the government will take loans or grant from abroad as well as from local banks to bridge the gap between expenditures and revenue earnings.

"In the end, it will be the people who bear the consequences. They are already grappling with the burden of unbearable increases in the prices of commodities, fuel, and utility services, including power," Fakhrul said.

He said the government plans to further increase the prices of utility services in the near future, leaving the country's people in a precarious situation. "Many individuals are returning to rural areas, leaving cities struggling to sustain their livelihoods."

Fakhrul said the government has no focus on resolving the problems faced by the people amidst the gradual increase in inflation.

About the provision for whitening black money with a payment of 15 percent tax, he said it is unjust to those who earn money through legal means.

Referring to recent media reports on the alleged corruption involving former IGP Benazir Ahmed and former army chief Aziz Ahmed, Fakhrul questioned how government officials could accumulate such vast amounts of wealth.

The BNP leader also said the budget was presented in a parliament where all MPs, elected through what he referred to as a "dummy election," are affiliated with the ruling party, even though they are seated separately on both the treasury and opposition benches.

He also alleged that burning issues concerning public interests are now cannot be discussed in parliament, as the ruling party MPs only like to engage in praising the government.

Fakhrul also mentioned an instance where an MP attempted to initiate a discussion on the corruption allegations against Benazir but was interrupted and stopped.

The BNP boycotted the upazila elections for five reasons, chief among which is its belief that the ruling party will control the polls, said party insiders.

Initially, the party thought that it would go soft on its leaders running as independents but decided against it because of the reasons.

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BNP opts out of 'farcical' upazila polls

The upazila election would be held in the national election model and that was why the ruling party did not nominate anyone for chairman posts, the insiders said, adding that just like the national polls some "ruling party independents" will run to make the polls appear competitive.

"None will be elected without the government's signal. If we join the polls, it will give nothing but legitimacy to the election," said a senior BNP leader.

Secondly, the BNP believes joining the upazila polls would be a betrayal to the people who boycotted the national polls responding to the party's call just a few months ago.

"The BNP cannot ask the people now to go to the polling centre.... It may hurt the sentiments of the people," a senior leader said.

Thirdly, if the BNP stays away from the polls, turnout would be poor -- sending a message across the nation and abroad that without the party's participation, polls will be lopsided and unacceptable.

Fourthly, the BNP does not want to be in the middle of infighting or violence between Awami League grassroots leaders.

And lastly, the BNP's like-minded parties boycotted the national polls with it and the party does not want to offend its allies.

"All the like-minded political parties are against joining the election. So, we must respect their views too," said a standing committee member, adding that this was why Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami tried to ensure none of its leaders ran.

Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a standing committee member of the party, said the party earlier decided not to join any election held under this regime.

"Tens of thousands of BNP leaders and activists are facing cases and more than 27,000 party men were sent to jail over the January 7 parliamentary polls. Amid such a situation, we don't want to run into further trouble by joining the polls," he said.

However, some party leaders are hellbent on running as independents despite the BNP's warnings of punitive actions.

BNP leaders believe that those who hold posts in the party would surely withdraw from the polls race.

According to the party's central office, 49 leaders submitted nomination forms and around 35 leaders are still in the race.

"Some have withdrawn and some others have promised to withdraw," Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party, said.

The BNP has already sent a message to the candidates that those who will not follow the party instructions will have to face the music.

Sources said most of the BNP leaders running don't hold any party posts.

Shantanu Majumder, a professor of political science at the University of Dhaka, talks about his thoughts on Bangladesh's recent national election and its implications on society and opposition parties, in an interview with Afia Jahin of The Daily Star.

What are your thoughts regarding the January 7 election?

Whatever was predicted as the outcome of the national election turned out to be true. The implications of the election will span not only the country, but the South Asian region and even on an international scale. Compared to the previous two elections, the 12th parliamentary election received the most international attention.

From those in power, one thing we should hope for is that there is no post-election backlash. That is, the parties that chose not to participate in the election should not face intimidation or attacks. Moreover, these differences and the hostility between political parties must not affect society at large.

The existence of tensions, resulting from the nature of the election, cannot be denied. One major party was not satisfied with the election and thus boycotted it. So it would be absurd to think that, now that the election is over, they will accept defeat and react graciously. This prevailing reality must be acknowledged.

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What are your expectations from the new government?

I am not saying that actions shouldn't be taken against anti-democratic elements and anti-democratic actions in the name of preserving the rights of the opposition. And I also do not adhere to the cliché notion that someone who belongs to the opposition camp is by default an angel and the people with the ruling party are en masse wrongdoers. But, be it the opposing party or whoever, so long as they are not spreading disinformation or engaging in violence, they should not be harassed or subjected to false cases or violence.

Unfortunately, there is a section of unrestrained, uncontrolled government party activists who chant "Joy Bangla" and "Joy Bangabandhu" before initiating an offensive. I doubt whether these miscreants uphold the ideals of Bangabandhu. This section has existed for a long time. One can hope for a new start this time around, wherein this section can be reeled in internally.

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Can the new cabinet part with old ways? 

What is your opinion regarding the demands of BNP (the main political opposition) and the future course of opposition parties in Bangladesh?

I know of two key demands of the opposition before the election—the stepping down of the prime minister and the reintroduction of the unelected election-time caretaker government system. There's no point in discussing the first. I find it as a demand made only for the sake of it.

Regarding the second demand, I would advise against it. In my understanding, the caretaker system is anti-democratic. Democracy in no way permits unelected people to be in power. Moreover, "there cannot be a fair election under a party government" is a dangerous statement to make. Sure, we can say that a fair election is not possible under the rule of a specific party. But by saying that a fair election cannot take place under a political party, we are taking a wrong stance.

Besides, was there sufficient data available when a section of the urban civil society began making this argument during the movement for the installation of the caretaker system under the leadership of the then-opposition and current ruling party? We had only one election in 1973 under a party government. There was no party government between 1975 and 1990 in Bangladesh due to back-to-back military governments during that period. Finally, I hold Bangladeshi politicians in high regard. I do not think that they are the worst of the lot. We, unfortunately, have developed a culture of undermining our politicians. If we can get out of this, I believe we may see some positive results.

We need a strong opposition, and we need a few liberal democratic parties that will uphold the basic principles of the constitution and democratic values. Maintaining pressure on the ruling government is a priority, regardless of which party is in conflict with another.

At present, Bangladesh is gaining importance in terms of economy, geopolitics, and more. We are not a bubble anymore. If we aim to advance democracy in the country, the irregularities in elections and the undemocratic practices of the ruling party and even those of other political parties should surely be prominent parts of the discourse. The conversation should not end with the mention of a caretaker government. And the alleged flaws of both the party in power and the opposition must be addressed.

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Finally, what are your hopes for the new year?

In the realm of Bangladeshi politics and state affairs, I usually do not imagine the unimaginable. We tend to forget that Bangladesh is a post-colonial state. That it is a South Asian country. A country in the Indian subcontinent. We also forget that Bangladesh was also under military rule for many years.

I don't hope for too much in the new year; only that the political parties which truly uphold the values of the Liberation War should be strengthened. I hope that the government will effectively realise that its job isn't limited to maintaining discipline, but also extends to guaranteeing decent, liveable lives for citizens. From that point of view, I truly wish that the new government will be mercilessly heavy-handed against the people involved in price hikes, the so-called business syndicate, and the flight of capital. It would also be great to see the government attempt to reduce inequalities. And, importantly, the right to fear-free democratic opposition must be ensured.

Views expressed in this article are the interviewee's own.

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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with members of the party's standing committee, is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus this afternoon.

Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP's media cell, said, "At the Chief Adviser's invitation, Mirza Fakhrul will visit his residence at 4:00pm.

"Standing Committee members will participate under Fakhrul's leadership," he added.