Dhaka: Frustration and discontent have gripped the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rank and file as they see little hope for the party to rebound and thus force the government to go for a fresh national election.

Talking to UNB, a number of grassroots leaders vented their anger at the inaction of the party high-ups saying BNP now depends on the media to stay afloat.

They said though thousands of party leaders and activists are going through a tough time in the face of ‘government’s repressive acts, political cases and police harassment, they are hardly getting any assistance or direction from the central leaders how to deal with the trying time.

The grassroots BNP leaders said they had thought the party would quickly bunch back overhauling the party to hit the streets again to realise their demand for fresh polls, but that seems to be highly unlikely.

‘The party leaders and activists are gradually getting upset as it seems to have failed to reinvent itself. Our party shelved its abortive movement nearly three months back to reorganise itself. But we’ve seen no tangible success in its overhauling drive,’ says Hannan Shah, a former member secretary of Shahbagh Thana BNP convening committee.

‘Our party men can’t move freely, do business and stay at their homes. How long will they go through it? If we remain silent the government won’t stop its repressive acts. Our party high command should come up with strategic programmes to counter the government and realise our demand,’ he added.    

Hannan Shah said the party should complete its overhauling process soon after eid and take to the streets with soft programmes on national issues.

Talking to UNB, Rangpur city unit BNP general secretary Shamsuzzaman Shamu said hundreds of BNP leaders and activists are facing ‘false cases’ in connection with the movement and most of them are on the run.

He regretted that they have so far not got any assistance or direction from party central office to face the cases and the current tough time, demoralising the leaders and activists.

Shammu urged the party high-ups to extend legal support to the party men facing political cases so that they can move freely and get back to their families coming out of their hideouts.

Chittagong city unit Swechchhasebak Dal leader Eng Mesbah Uddin Raju said though the party chief on a number of occasions after the 5 January 2014 announced to overhaul party, there has been no progress to this end over nearly one and a half years.

He said the tenure of the Chittagong city Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal expired 7-8 years ago, but no initiative has been taken to revamp the two party units with new leadership.

‘Most of the party leaders and activists now think that it’s not possible to go to power within a short time. But they all want the party should be reorganised with dedicated and competent leaders to strengthen it,’ he added.

BNP standing committee member Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman said he can realise the pains and sufferings of the party workers but they should not be frustrated as politics has many stages. ‘Frustration grips weak people. They should have patience.’

Mahbub said their party’s overhauling process will gain pace after eid and the dedicated and sincere leaders and activists will be evaluated in forming committees.

Though the senior leaders urge patience, Yunus Mridha, President of Khilgaon Thana unit BNP, said he does not see anything to be enthusiastic about — at least not for now.

Grassroots party leaders and activists are losing the hope that the party will be able to make a turnaround as it does not have such visible move. ‘Without a well-thought-out plan and strategy it won’t be possible to overcome the current crisis. BNP top brass should realise it and act accordingly,’ he said.