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Movement to be intensified if govt behaves badly: BNP

Dhaka, May 15 (UNB) – BNP policymakers at a meeting with the party high command on Monday night  decided to intensify the ongoing movement if the government keeps on behaving in an ’undemocratic’ manner with its political opponents.

The meeting of the BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, was held with its chairperson Khaleda Zia in the chair.

Held at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office, the meeting reviewed the country`s present situation and the government`s attitude towards the opposition party and discussed the necessity of intensifying the current anti-government movement.

A standing committee member, who wished not to be named, told UNB that the meeting decided to stage a mass-hunger strike in the capital some time between the last week of May and the end of the month to protest the arrest of BNP activists, the government`s repression on them and the killings of opposition activists and `enforced disappearances` of opposition leaders and workers.

A highly-placed source at BNP said the party`s policymakers decided that the intensity of the ongoing anti-government movement will depend on the behaviour of the government with the opposition.

However, after the meeting, a standing committee member told UNB that for the time being they would follow a `go-slow` policy regarding the anti-government movement.

But he said the meeting unanimously decided that the party will be compelled to announce tougher programmes if the government’s attitude towards the opposition goes from bad to worse.

Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a standing committee member, told journalists that the meeting discussed a 7-day programme to mark the death anniversary of late President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the party, and going ahead with the June 11 public meeting in the capital if the government does not meet their demands and restore caretaker government system by June 10.

He said they also discussed the party leaders surrender to the lower court by May 16, as ordered by the higher court.

The meeting that started at 9:15 pm ended at 10:10 pm.

Later, Khaleda sat with leaders of other components of the newly-formed 18-party alliance.