BNP to face more obstructions while realising demands

Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
The BNP has been murmuring in the streets across the country holding rallies in divisional cities with the demands for the resignation of AL-led cabinet and handing over power to a caretaker government.
But experts said that BNP was going to face more obstructions and obstacles while realising their demands for fair polls where people would be able to exercise their franchise without intimidation.
They said that BNP’s upcoming programmes and negotiations with the like-minded political parties to form an alliance would help determine the election strategy.
BNP has been articulating that no election would be allowed to be held without a caretaker government and the dissolution of the parliament.
Imbued with the spirit of toppling the government through mass movement, BNP said that people have stood up against the misdeeds and mismanagement of the government which has been failing to meet the minimum requirements of the poor people.
Election experts said that people want free and fair elections and the political parties will reach a consensus on how the election will be held.
“It is the decision of the political parties as to how the elections will be held. But elections require fairness and a level playing field,” election expert Dr. Tofail Ahmed told the New Nation on Sunday.
On the contrary, the ruling Awami League said that the demand for restoring the caretaker government was a ‘dead issue’ and the elections would be held under Sheikh Hasina government and the running government would assist the Election Commission to conduct polls.
But BNP is not satisfied with the government’s statement, rather they  
said that no fair election is possible under the current EC as it has already exposed its weaknesses in holding the recently cancelled Gaibandha-5 by-polls.
The opposition said that the EC had totally failed to hold the by-elections as the local administration did not assist them in holding a free and fair election.
Not only the BNP, the other opposition parties are also raising their demands for handing over power to a neutral government to hold participatory, impartial and fair elections.
With the identical demands, most of the oppositions are negotiating among themselves to form alliances before the elections to vehemently manifest their combined demands.
As time is nearing the parliamentary election at the end of next election, the situation is moving towards a political standoff.
During the ongoing rallies, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been urging their leaders and workers that they have to ‘go miles’ before toppling the government through mass movement.
He, however, has claimed that the common people have started standing up against the government’s rule as their participation along with party workers proves it.
BNP has already finished rallies in four divisional cities of Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna and Rangpur amid transport strikes and minor attacks on their party workers and leaders reportedly by the ruling party activists.
There are still six rallies remaining and the next rally is going to be staged in Barishal on November 5. The Barisal transport owners have already announced a two-day strike ahead of BNP’s programme.
Experts said that BNP has already learned how to avoid and tackle such obstructions to make their rallies successful.
Besides they said that the BNP has been able to show that they can hold peaceful rallies of thousands of people. It was a common allegation from the ruling party quarters that BNP’s rallies mean confrontation and conflicts.
Meanwhile, Awami League has also been urging its leaders ‘to save the party’ and is getting ready to show their power and people’s support by holding similar rallies in different districts.
Sources said that the strikes ahead of BNP’s rallies have been incurring heavy financial loss of the transport owners, drivers and other people.
During the 36-hour strike called by Khulna District Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, about 10,500 people directly involved with the bus services suffered immensely as many workers and drivers could not earn during the time.