Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and activists say they are passing their days in panic, as they feel insecure even within their homes that has made them virtually inactive in politics and kept them silent on major national issues.
Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, BNP Standing Committee member, said panic and fear do exist in the country now but he said these would not hang out for long.
"We are working out plans for the next election, which will be unveiled soon. Then we will start full-fledged preparations at all levels. I hope then we will overcome anything standing on our way and will forge ahead," he told the Daily Observer on Thursday.
The party lamented the inactivity blamed on arrests and tortures by law enforcing agencies who in recent times have trailed BNP men and women anywhere they are found, let alone gathering for a meeting or rally. This utterly "non-political" behaviour of the law enforcers -- police and RAB -- have left them in a frightening situation.
On the other hand, BNP is often blamed by critics for taking a back seat in national politics, but party leaders say despite the intention for being active they failed to do so mainly because of panic and creeping frustration among the rank and file, with little hope of the situation changing anytime soon.
So, they fell silent on significant national issues including militant attacks, anti-militancy drives, hike in gas prices and recent tragedies like Chittagong hill collapse and poor handling of natural disasters in the country.
BNP says leaders of its professional bodies including journalists became somewhat quiet because of police harassments that have grown alarmingly in recent years.
Over the years police and other security agencies did not allow the party to hold a single rally or street programme. Even they refused permission to BNP to hold indoor programmes, which the BNP leaders branded as undemocratic and aggressive.
As such "atrocious" actions continue, question is whether and how the BNP, one of country's two biggest political parties, will take part in parliamentary elections due by end of next year or early 2019.
BNP leaders said they are scared as eminent people like journalists Shafiq Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman were arrested in "false" cases and recently another "drama" is being played centering poet and columnist Farhad Mazhar.
But the views on the other side regarding these "controversial" people are starkly different. The government and law enforcers say they have so far been dealt with on the basis of proven charges as per law of the country. Their prosecution is not over yet.
As part of an alleged crackdown on the BNP, many leaders of the party have also been sacked from their respective institutions in last few years and many others are afraid of losing their jobs.
Journalist Abdul Hye Sikder, however, told the Daily Observer, "It is partially true that the (BNP) professional bodies are not functioning. They have off the stage because of harassment meted out to them."
"Law enforcing agencies do not allow us to hold any meeting. Even for holding an indoor meeting, we have to seek permission and submit list of the participants to the police," he alleged.
About 25 pro-BNP professional bodies including teachers, doctors, journalists, agriculturists and engineers run their activities under the leadership the Bangladesh Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad.
Before Dhaka City Corporation elections, BNP formed Shoto Nagorik Committee headed by former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof Emajuddin Ahmed. During that time, the committee conducted its activities with the slogan "Bash Joggya Dhaka Chai" (We want a livable Dhaka). But all these ended up in a fiasco.
Recently, some distance has been created between BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the pro-BNP "intellectuals" for what they say the ex-PM does not evaluate their suggestions.
For example, they have been pursuing Khaleda either to sever ties with Jamaat-e-Islami or maintain a strategic distance with it. But BNP is yet to implement this suggestion.
Also, BNP introduced a provision for constituting a "think-tank" that will carry out research activities and organise seminars for the party, and train party leaders and activists but it is still ignored by the party leadership.
Some party insiders say Khaleda is more inclined to having a strong ally like Jamaat than paying heed to the non-political or quasi-political intellectuals.
