Desk Report,
BNP vs. Jamaat-Charmonai-NCP: Where will the ‘war of words’ end?
After the fall of the Awami League in the mass uprising of the students and the public, a new situation has emerged in the political arena. The parties in the Awami League or the anti-fascist movement are now engaged in a conflict with each other. On one side of this conflict is the BNP; on the other side are the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamic Movement of Bangladesh and the National Citizens Party (NCP).
BNP vs. Jamaat-Charmonai-NCP: Where will the ‘war of words’ end?
As the slogan and word ‘war’ is going on between these two camps over various issues, they are also vocal in criticizing each other in speeches and statements. In recent times, these slogans and speeches are crossing the limits of political decency or etiquette. Analysts believe that this mud-slinging is increasing with the upcoming national elections and power politics. An electoral alliance or compromise is being tried against the BNP ahead of the elections. In such a situation, other parties in the anti-Awami League movement or the simultaneous movement are monitoring the situation. It is known that some of them are maintaining contact with the two camps internally. Leaders of various parties are expressing their fears that such divisions among the parties could pave the way for the return of fascist forces.
In this situation, Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, held a meeting with the top leaders of four parties and alliances on Tuesday and the following day, Wednesday. After the second day of the meeting, the chief advisor’s press wing reported that Professor Yunus said in the meeting that signs of various conspiracies by the defeated forces are visible within a year. Therefore, despite differences and rivalries, the chief advisor called for making the unity of political parties against fascism more visible. Political sources say that BNP has differences of opinion with Jamaat, Islamic Movement and NCP on various reform-focused issues. Jamaat, NCP and Islamic Movement demand reforms first, then elections. On the other hand, BNP wants quick elections. The party says that urgent reforms for the elections should be completed and elections should be held quickly. A group wants to postpone the elections by creating suspicions of BNP leaders, new issues, excuses or situations.
Due to this difference of opinion, a kind of war of words between BNP and Jamaat, NCP and Islamic Movement had been going on in the political arena for some time. The ‘war’ of opposing statements and slogans between these two camps, centered on the brutal murder of Lal Chand alias Sohag, a scrap dealer, in Old Dhaka on July 9, went beyond etiquette. Personal attacks also started targeting central leaders.
On July 9, the senior Naib Amir of Islamic Movement, Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, told media personnel, ‘What is the merit of BNP, 150 murders in 9 months. He collected money in Paltan and went to London.’ After saying this, he also said, ‘I am not saying this, but I am telling the public.’ The day before, at a rally in Natore, Faizul Karim had commented that ‘Awami League and BNP are two branches of the same tree, two fruits’.
The video of the brutal murder of scrap metal trader Lal Chand in Old Dhaka went viral on July 11. People reacted widely on social media. On that day, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said in a statement that this murder, in broad daylight, by stoning him to the head in front of hundreds of people, was a betrayal of the days of ignorance. He said the next day, ‘Juba Dal terrorists committed this murder after not receiving money.’
