Anatomy of a political party-- BNP
Friday, 1 October 2010
Ferdous Rahman
The country's main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the mainstream centre-right political one in Bangladesh, celebrated its 32nd founding anniversary early last month. Late President Ziaur Rahman founded BNP on September 01, in 1978. The party held power in Bangladesh for four separate terms.
Since its birth in 1971 in a bloody struggle against Pakistan, Bangladesh underwent a series of upheavals, coups and revolts after the assassination of its founder and Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on August 15, 1975. However, it was Ziaur Rahman, who was the beneficiary of Bangabandhu's assassination.
The loyal soldiers of Colonel Taher, who was the main architect of the event of soldiers' uprising of November 07, in 1975, freed Ziaur Rahman, the then Deputy Chief of Staff, who was under house arrest. Thereby, Taher restored Zia to the post of the army chief. But in return Zia rewarded him with death penalty.
Ziaur Rahman was first sworn in as President on April 21, 1977 while he was elected President on June 12, 1979. Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, took over the helm of the BNP after the assassination of her husband. Led by Khaleda Zia, the BNP governed the country twice.
Military dictator Ziaur Rahman founded BNP in cantonment, followed the footsteps of the Pakistan Army to legitimize his 'civilisation' of army rule and gradually replaced democracy by Islamism. The BNP was established basically to provide a political platform for him after his assumption of power during Bangladesh's volatile period of Martial Law from 1975 until 1979. Ideologically, the party has professed Bangladeshi nationalism, described as the Islamic consciousness of the people of Muslim majority Bangladesh, in order to counter the secular Awami League.
For this, he initiated a 19-point program of action on April 30, 1977. He decided to contest for the presidency. As a result, a nationalist front, called Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal, was formed in 1978 and afterwards he went into form the BNP, having in view the forthcoming election for the Jatiya Sangsad. The Ganatantrik Dal was declared dissolved, and was rather merged with the newly-formed BNP. President Zia himself was its convenor, and ultimately became its first chairman. Finally, President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army personnel at the Circuit House in Chittagong on May 30, 1981.
Ziaur Rahman brought the anti-liberation and pro-Pakistan group, the Jamaat-e-Islami and their linked organizations back from political banishment. These people had collaborated with the Pakistani army in Bangladesh, and were responsible for the rape and massacre of thousands of Bangladeshis.
Although BNP has continued speaking about establishing democracy in the country since their birth, but there is a serious lack of democracy and absence of democratic system within the party itself. It has miserably failed to establish a democratic system within its own party and the party leaderships continued a sort of dictatorship in running the party affairs. Chairman of the party holds absolute authority and everything is determined as per her desire. The wish of the chief of the party is given the highest importance. Within the party, power has remained exclusively in the hands of the Zia family, with Begum Khaleda Zia leading the party since the assassination of Ziaur Rahman.
Democratically-elected BNP government led by Begum Khalida Zia ruled Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to October 2006. But she failed to understand the essence of 'civilian rule' and, therefore, did not promote the culture of democracy. She appointed her elder son Tareque Rahman as the Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP in 2002, violating the democratic political norms and practices.
Since its tenure in power from 2001 to 2006, the BNP has faced huge controversy with accusations of unbridled corruption from the Bangladeshi media. Hundreds of its leaders, including Khaleda Zia, her sons as well as dozens of its former ministers and lawmakers were arrested on corruption charges by the interim administration in Bangladesh during the 2006-2008 political crises.
The party has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the growth of militant Islamic extremism in the country and for allying itself with Islamic fundamentalist parties including Jamaat-e-Islami. It is well known that Begum Zia dismissed the reports on the JMB as the creation of the media's imagination. But the country-wide bombing by the JMB on August 17, 2005 forced her to admit this organization's existence. Lately it has also been reported that BNP was involved in the grenade attack on Awami League rally on August 21, 2004.
The party was receiving criticism for getting behind at the race with other major parties in upholding democracy as it was through a long pause of holding no council. The fifthNational Council took place on December 8, 2009. But the council was criticized by many as it empowered the re-elected party chair-person Khaleda Zia to pick other members for the National Executive Committee and Standing Committee, ignoring the party charter that stipulates election to the posts. Moreover, the BNP National Council also elected Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman as a powerful Senior Vice-Chairman (also ex-officio member of standing committee) in a move apparently designed to smooth his path to the party helm.
Ziaur Rahman also adopted the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which involved declaration of martial law -- takeover by military rulers headed by him and ratified all changes made to the Constitution between August 15, 1975 and April 9, 1979; and all governments that were formed during that period.
But recently the highest court of the country after 34 years upheld that the amendment was illegal. On August 29, 2005, a High Court Bench in a landmark ruling declared that Fifth Amendment and the martial law regulations proclaimed during that period were illegitimate and unlawful.
However, as an old political party in the country, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as the people expect it to do, does need to show now wisdom in practising a proper political culture. It should understand the changed attitudes and aspirations of the people where its leaders would be judged on positive contribution to strengthening democracy and promoting good governance in the country.
The writer is Coordinator, Media for Development. He can be reached at e-mail:
ferdous.rahmaan@gmail.com
The country's main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the mainstream centre-right political one in Bangladesh, celebrated its 32nd founding anniversary early last month. Late President Ziaur Rahman founded BNP on September 01, in 1978. The party held power in Bangladesh for four separate terms.
Since its birth in 1971 in a bloody struggle against Pakistan, Bangladesh underwent a series of upheavals, coups and revolts after the assassination of its founder and Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on August 15, 1975. However, it was Ziaur Rahman, who was the beneficiary of Bangabandhu's assassination.
The loyal soldiers of Colonel Taher, who was the main architect of the event of soldiers' uprising of November 07, in 1975, freed Ziaur Rahman, the then Deputy Chief of Staff, who was under house arrest. Thereby, Taher restored Zia to the post of the army chief. But in return Zia rewarded him with death penalty.
Ziaur Rahman was first sworn in as President on April 21, 1977 while he was elected President on June 12, 1979. Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, took over the helm of the BNP after the assassination of her husband. Led by Khaleda Zia, the BNP governed the country twice.
Military dictator Ziaur Rahman founded BNP in cantonment, followed the footsteps of the Pakistan Army to legitimize his 'civilisation' of army rule and gradually replaced democracy by Islamism. The BNP was established basically to provide a political platform for him after his assumption of power during Bangladesh's volatile period of Martial Law from 1975 until 1979. Ideologically, the party has professed Bangladeshi nationalism, described as the Islamic consciousness of the people of Muslim majority Bangladesh, in order to counter the secular Awami League.
For this, he initiated a 19-point program of action on April 30, 1977. He decided to contest for the presidency. As a result, a nationalist front, called Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal, was formed in 1978 and afterwards he went into form the BNP, having in view the forthcoming election for the Jatiya Sangsad. The Ganatantrik Dal was declared dissolved, and was rather merged with the newly-formed BNP. President Zia himself was its convenor, and ultimately became its first chairman. Finally, President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army personnel at the Circuit House in Chittagong on May 30, 1981.
Ziaur Rahman brought the anti-liberation and pro-Pakistan group, the Jamaat-e-Islami and their linked organizations back from political banishment. These people had collaborated with the Pakistani army in Bangladesh, and were responsible for the rape and massacre of thousands of Bangladeshis.
Although BNP has continued speaking about establishing democracy in the country since their birth, but there is a serious lack of democracy and absence of democratic system within the party itself. It has miserably failed to establish a democratic system within its own party and the party leaderships continued a sort of dictatorship in running the party affairs. Chairman of the party holds absolute authority and everything is determined as per her desire. The wish of the chief of the party is given the highest importance. Within the party, power has remained exclusively in the hands of the Zia family, with Begum Khaleda Zia leading the party since the assassination of Ziaur Rahman.
Democratically-elected BNP government led by Begum Khalida Zia ruled Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to October 2006. But she failed to understand the essence of 'civilian rule' and, therefore, did not promote the culture of democracy. She appointed her elder son Tareque Rahman as the Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP in 2002, violating the democratic political norms and practices.
Since its tenure in power from 2001 to 2006, the BNP has faced huge controversy with accusations of unbridled corruption from the Bangladeshi media. Hundreds of its leaders, including Khaleda Zia, her sons as well as dozens of its former ministers and lawmakers were arrested on corruption charges by the interim administration in Bangladesh during the 2006-2008 political crises.
The party has also been accused of turning a blind eye to the growth of militant Islamic extremism in the country and for allying itself with Islamic fundamentalist parties including Jamaat-e-Islami. It is well known that Begum Zia dismissed the reports on the JMB as the creation of the media's imagination. But the country-wide bombing by the JMB on August 17, 2005 forced her to admit this organization's existence. Lately it has also been reported that BNP was involved in the grenade attack on Awami League rally on August 21, 2004.
The party was receiving criticism for getting behind at the race with other major parties in upholding democracy as it was through a long pause of holding no council. The fifthNational Council took place on December 8, 2009. But the council was criticized by many as it empowered the re-elected party chair-person Khaleda Zia to pick other members for the National Executive Committee and Standing Committee, ignoring the party charter that stipulates election to the posts. Moreover, the BNP National Council also elected Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman as a powerful Senior Vice-Chairman (also ex-officio member of standing committee) in a move apparently designed to smooth his path to the party helm.
Ziaur Rahman also adopted the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which involved declaration of martial law -- takeover by military rulers headed by him and ratified all changes made to the Constitution between August 15, 1975 and April 9, 1979; and all governments that were formed during that period.
But recently the highest court of the country after 34 years upheld that the amendment was illegal. On August 29, 2005, a High Court Bench in a landmark ruling declared that Fifth Amendment and the martial law regulations proclaimed during that period were illegitimate and unlawful.
However, as an old political party in the country, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as the people expect it to do, does need to show now wisdom in practising a proper political culture. It should understand the changed attitudes and aspirations of the people where its leaders would be judged on positive contribution to strengthening democracy and promoting good governance in the country.
The writer is Coordinator, Media for Development. He can be reached at e-mail:
ferdous.rahmaan@gmail.com