Dhaka: Mentioning that the government has no intention to divide BNP, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu here on Saturday said Khaleda Zia’s party is ‘crumbling because of her baffling politics’.

He came up with the remarks at the 122nd episode of BBC Bangla Sanglap, held at TCB auditorium in city’s Karwan Bazar area.

Inu, also the president of Jatio Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, said, ‘Opportunist quarters of a political party always tend to switch political platform whenever they get the chance. However, it can’t crumble a big political party.’

BNP is currently in danger as the party chairperson has moved away from democratic means of politics, taking the assistance of Jamaat-e-Islami, war criminals and fundamentalists, he alleged.

BNP vice-president Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed who also joined the Sanglap deferred with Inu, saying, ‘There can be no smoke without fire.’

The BNP senior leader said the government would try to split up BNP since the popularity of the government is declining day by day.

He said, ‘Though ruling party Awami League has been at daggers drawn with Jamaat-e-Islami, they’re recruiting Jamaat activists into the party at this moment; … may be they’re trying to do so with BNP in the future.’

Claiming BNP as the most popular political party of the country, Hafiz said one or two leaders can leave the party but BNP will remain integrated under Khaleda Zia’s leadership.

Talking about the consequences of dividing an opposition political party, political scientist Dr Rownaq Jahan said splitting opposition political parties is not a rare case in Bangladesh history as opportunist leaders change political identity either to save themselves from oppression and lawsuits, or to get close to power.

Former diplomat and vice-president of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Humayan Kabir also spoke at the programme.