Days passing in anxiety, anticipation, and concern

Yesterday (Saturday) I was surprised when I left for the office from home. The streets were completely empty, and though it wasn't a curfew, the situation was indicative of hartal (shutdown), today (Sunday), there is a countrywide dawn-to-dusk shutdown.

I am talking about Saturday. There is no public transport. There are few private vehicles, and there are motorcycles on the road. Occasionally, there were small groups of people at street corners. Those who had urgent business to attend to had to leave their homes. It takes roughly half an hour to reach my office from Asad Avenue to Karwan Bazar. Sometimes it takes an hour and a half. It only took five minutes today.

As I headed to the office, two of my colleagues from Uttara arrived in. They said with a smile, "It only took us 20 minutes to get here." The reason for this situation in the capital is well known to all of you. BNP called a grand rally at Nayapaltan to oust government. Awami League also called a peace rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram to ensure that BNP will not leave the field. Jamaat-e-Islami wanted to hold a rally in Shapla Chattar but was not allowed. They were adamant to hold the rally even if they don't get permission. There was so much tension and anxiety surrounding this gathering.

In a letter sent to the police, the BNP claimed that up to one lakh 25 thousand people would attend their grand rally, Awami League demands two lakh. And there were at least 300,000 people on the Dhaka streets yesterday (Saturday) with Jamaat men. With three lakh people on the streets, Dhaka city quickly came to a standstill, causing anxiety and fear.
This fear and apprehension are not limited to today alone. This anxiety and fear have been building up for the past few days. In recent days, people have been hesitant to venture outside, even on their days off. The BNP has been carrying out various programmes for quite some time, all aimed at demanding the government's resignation in a single stroke. Therefore, their grand rally on Saturday was part of this ongoing programme. However, police have been raising concerns about the venue of the program for the past few days.

Furthermore, Awami League leaders have been aggravating the situation with various threats. The BNP has consistently demanded a peaceful rally, and they have no intention of creating any disturbance or causing any confrontations. They had made a commitment to the police to conclude their rally before the Maghrib prayers. However, in recent days, there have been multiple concerns expressed by the ruling party regarding various issues. While the BNP leaders did not openly utter such words, the Awami League leaders, in expressing their concerns, seemed to suggest that the BNP would resort to violence and chaos after their gathering, demanding the government's resignation. These statements led to a perception that the Awami League was apprehensive and, as a result, they were taking a hardline stance.

It has been repeatedly said that if the BNP resorts to violence or if they engage in a sit-in protest, their situation could resemble that of Hefazat. The ruling party leaders have also indicated that any violence initiated would lead to a violent response, further fueling concerns among the general people.

It seems that Awami League wants BNP to do something, so that they can carry out counter attack. The BNP seems to be aware of this situation, which is why they are cautious even during their movement for the government's resignation. As a political party, the BNP is not as passive as it may seem. Thus, the BNP was making an effort to conduct a peaceful and orderly protest.

In 2014 and 2015, BNP created anarchy in the country in the name of movement. They had added a dark chapter of violence to Bangladesh's political landscape. But even after killing people in the name of agitation day after day, BNP could not fulfill its demands. Instead, their name got associated with extremist groups, both at home and abroad. To avoid this tarnished image, the BNP has adopted a new style for their protests, aiming to appear peaceful and disciplined in their recent movements.

Since last year, they have been conducting peaceful, democratic, and non-violent movements. Even though their demands may not have been met, the participation of common people in their programs increased enormously. Foreign powers also show significant sympathy and support for their cause. BNP wants to reach its goal by capitalizing on this domestic and foreign support.

However, on Saturday noon, when the BNP's rally was taking place in Nayapaltan, there was widespread violence and clashes occurring in the vicinity. The fuss escalated when the sound of an explosion, possibly a sound grenade, was heard in the vicinity of the BNP rally site. Towards the end of the protest, near the BNP rally site, a confrontation and violence resulted in the tragic death of a police officer.

At one stage, the gathering spiraled into chaos, and a confrontation began. The protesters started a hunger strike, and BNP's Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal. This marked a return to a strategy of shutdown by the opposition party after nearly eight and a half years. In the latest development, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has reportedly been detained and taken to Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch (DB) office at Mintu Road. Both parties' rhetoric and actions have further intensified mutual threats and allegations, exacerbating the sense of violence. This is raising concerns that the situation may become even more volatile ahead of the elections.

The question arises as to what the BNP will do if the government does not heed their one point demand for immediate resignation. It is not yet clear what course of action the BNP will take. Whether they will participate in the elections or abstain from them remains uncertain. If they do not participate in the elections, will it give them another opportunity to confront the Awami League on the empty field? Foreign powers, especially the United States, are advocating for a free, fair, and peaceful election. Even if the BNP chooses not to participate, if the election is perceived as being conducted freely, fairly, and peacefully, how will they respond to that?

Author: Columnist and Head of News, ATN News.