Senior leaders of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP) have expressed deep concern over the deterioration of the law-and-order situation and its implications for holding a free and peaceful election.
They also expressed frustration over the government’s failure to restore law and order even after a year and a half in office. They voiced these views at a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Saturday.
The meeting was convened at the chief adviser’s call following Friday’s shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for Inqilab Mancha and a potential independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency.
Hadi is undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in a critical condition after assailants shot him in the head in the capital’s Bijoynagar area.
Responding to CA’s call, BNP Standing Committee members Salahuddin Ahmed and Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed; Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer; NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Southern Region Chief Organiser Hasnat Abdullah; and Inqilab Mancha Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber attended the meeting. Law Adviser Asif Nazrul was also present.
Alongside efforts to strengthen unity based on the spirit of the July Uprising, the leaders observed that conspirators were gaining strength due to rivalry among political parties.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer said, “At the meeting, we discussed what needs to be done in light of the deterioration in law and order. In particular, we discussed why intelligence agencies failed to act despite repeated reports through various channels about threats against Osman Hadi.”
“Considering the overall situation, we urged the government to take a tougher stance in the coming days,” said Jubayer, who heads Jamaat’s media wing.
Meeting sources said an NCP leader expressed strong grievance toward the home affairs adviser for failing to improve the law-and-order situation over the past 16 months.
A statement issued by the chief adviser’s press wing after the meeting said the political parties pledged to maintain unity among themselves. It said top leaders of the three parties described the attack on Hadi as part of a conspiracy to sabotage the July uprising.
At the meeting, Yunus said the attack on Hadi was premeditated and part of a deep conspiracy backed by a powerful force. “The motive of the conspirators is to foil the election. They want to demonstrate their strength and disrupt preparations for the election. These must be confronted collectively,” he said.
Urging all parties to remain alert, BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said that under no circumstances should they engage in blaming one another. “We must raise a united voice against the conspiracy,” he said. He also advised intensifying operations to recover illegal weapons and arrest the conspirators.
Echoing him, Jamaat leader Golam Parwar said the tendency among parties to blame one another has increased, giving opponents an opportunity. “We must remain united as before,” he said.
NCP chief Nahid Islam said that since the July uprising, some people have been engaged in various activities to undermine it. “They are conducting an organised campaign against July. This is happening at different levels of the media and administration. Those who come to power after the election will also be victims of this. No one will be able to run the government alone,” he said.
Taking part in the discussion, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said, “The Awami League has grown stronger since the start of infighting among political parties. You must remain alert not only to party interests but also to national interests.”
Meanwhile, a sense of fear has spread among potential candidates across the country following Friday’s attack on Hadi. On security issues, many are no longer relying solely on the government and are considering their own protective measures. Many are keeping ‘special workers’ with them during campaigns so they can be protected in case of immediate danger.
Election campaigning slowed to some extent on Saturday. Many candidates said they were spending less time in the field to observe the situation, they told TIMES on Saturday night.
