Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will meet leaders of the BNP’s long-time political allies at the State Guest House Jamuna on Monday in an effort to ease growing frustration over their limited role in government and rebuild unity ahead of the local government elections.
The meeting comes five months after the BNP-led government took office and amid widening political pressure from opposition parties, student groups and street protesters over a range of issues.
Leaders of the parties that joined the BNP’s simultaneous movement against the toppled Awami League government said the political partnership forged during years of struggle has not been reflected in the new administration.
Many allies complain that they have been largely excluded from decision-making, government institutions and administrative bodies despite the BNP’s earlier pledge of “together in the movement, together in government”.
Such discontent has created a visible distance between the BNP and several of its partners since the 12 February parliamentary election.
Monday’s meeting is being seen as the government’s first major attempt to close that gap and keep its allies on board before the next phase of electoral politics.
Presidents, general secretaries and organizing secretaries of the allied parties have been invited to join the prime minister for tea at Jamuna at around 7:00pm, according to BNP and coalition sources.
Some leaders received formal letters, while others were contacted by phone.
Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna confirmed that he had been invited to Jamuna at around 7:00pm on 20 July but said no formal agenda had been provided.
“Let us attend the meeting first. If there is an opportunity to speak, perhaps we will say something. It is difficult to predict now what will happen,” he told TIMES.
Although officially described as a tea gathering, the meeting is expected to turn into a wide-ranging political dialogue on the government’s performance, local elections, administrative coordination and the future of the BNP-led alliance.
Leaders of the allies are also preparing to raise their accumulated grievances and seek clear assurances from the prime minister.
“This may be called an invitation for tea, but people do not go to such meetings only to have tea,” a senior leader of an allied party said.
He said the allies would seek a greater role in district, upazila and local administration, including representation on law and order, development, sports, finance and social safety committees.
They are also expected to demand the appointment of qualified representatives from allied parties to government institutions, boards and other administrative bodies.
The allies believe that their contribution to the anti-Awami League movement should be recognised through meaningful participation in governance rather than symbolic political consultation.
Mostafa Jamal Haider, a senior leader of the 12-Party Alliance, told TIMES of Bangladesh that the parties wanted an opportunity to work for the country after years of struggle alongside the BNP.
He said they would remind the prime minister of the commitment to remain together not only in the movement but also in running the government.
Several senior BNP leaders said nearly 50 political parties and alliances had joined the movement against the Awami League government. Some had remained with the BNP for almost 17 years, while others participated in the three-year simultaneous movement.
The BNP had repeatedly promised that the parties would remain together both in opposition and in government. It also left several parliamentary constituencies for allied candidates in the 13th general election.
BNP insiders said the prime minister now wants to make communication with the allies more regular and institutionalised.
Besides reviewing the government’s first five months, Monday’s discussions are likely to cover political strategy for the local government elections, coordination between the BNP and its partners at the grassroots, and the allies’ role in government welfare and development programmes.
The meeting will also test whether the prime minister can satisfy allies who believe they have received little in return for their years of political support.
Dr Fariduzzaman Farhad of the Jatiyatabadi Samamana Jote said bringing one or two allied parties into the government could not make it a national government.
“We want to see the BNP implement the commitment it made,” he said.
Gono Forum Acting President Subrata Chowdhury said the allies would remind the prime minister of the promises made during the opposition movement.
Biplabi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque said the alliance partners would present a frank assessment of the government’s five months in office.
“We will appreciate the areas where the government has performed well, but we will also clearly point out where it has fallen behind,” he said.
He added that the future direction of relations between the government and its allies would be a major issue at the meeting.
BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said dialogue with the allied parties had always continued, but it had taken time to arrange a joint meeting because of the large number of partners.
He indicated that similar meetings could be held at least once every three months in the future.
