| Bangladesh Nationalist Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল |
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|---|---|
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| Leader | Begum Khaleda Zia |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Naya Paltan, Dhaka |
| Ideology | Bangladeshi nationalism, economic liberalism, religious conservatism corporatism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Official colors | Blue |
| Website | |
| http://www.bnpbd.com/ | |
| Politics of Bangladesh Political parties Elections |
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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl), commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. It is currently the largest opposition party in the Jatiyo Sangshad, the Parliament of Bangladesh.
Founded in 1978 by General Ziaur Rahman, the 6th President of Bangladesh, the party has evolved into one of the most powerful political entities in South Asia. The BNP was established by President Zia to provide a political platform for him after his assumption of power during Bangladesh's volatile period of martial law from 1975 till 1979. The BNP also accommodated not just his supporters, but also those traditionally opposed to its principal rival, the Awami League, which had a virtual monopoly domination in Bangladeshi politics prior to the martial law period. Ideologically, the party has professed Bangladeshi nationalism, described as a more inclusive and Islamic consciousness of the people of Muslim majority Bangladesh, in order to counter the Awami League's secular Bengali nationalism. The BNP has since its inception been opposed to communism and socialism and advocates vigorous free market policies.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has held power in Bangladesh for five separate terms. Amongst its leaders, four have become President of Bangladesh and two have become Prime Minister of Bangladesh. 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, her husband and the party's founder.
In recent years, the BNP has faced huge controversy with accusations of unbridled corruption from the press. Hundreds of its leaders, including Begum Zia, her sons as well as dozens of its former ministers and lawmakers were arrested on corruption charges by the military-backed interim administration in Bangladesh during the 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis. The party has also been accused of paying a blind eye to the growth of Islamic extremism in the country and for allying with Islamic fundamentalist parties, such as the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which had also opposed the independence of Bangladesh.
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History
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President Ziaur Rahman, during his tenure, reoriented the country's foreign policy, and moved away from the pro-Indian position of the Awami League government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He instead turned towards Muslim majority countries, including former sister country Pakistan, and the West, including the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. He introduced a free press. Ties were also strengthened with the Peoples Republic of China, and Saudi Arabia. President Ziaur Rahman visited many nations in the effort of promoting relations with Bangladesh.
Party Ideology
The BNP promotes a very center-right policy combining elements of conservatism, corporatism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism and anti-communism. It is more popular among the country's business class, military, and conservatives. The party believes that Islam is an integral part of the socio-cultural life of Bangladesh, and favors Islamic principles, as well as cultural views together. This is particularly seen through its alliance with the Islamic party of Jamaat.[1]
Since the 2001 General Election, the party's religious points of view has been largely shifted against inclusion of religious minorities, and it went with an alliance with Islamic party of Jamaat, although a number of leaders representing the minority communities were nominated for the elction. Even though BNP has tried to show that it is all inclusive, evidence points to the fact that BNP has been responsible for ethnic cleansing of religious minorities in Bangladesh. Under the rule of Khaleda Zia, the persecution of minorities intensified during 2001-2006.[citation needed]
The 2007-2008 period
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After Khaleda Zia was detained by the transitional government in 2007, some party members chose Hafizuddin Ahmed to lead the party; Zia's supporters did not recognize this. The electoral commission subsequently invited Hafizuddin's faction, rather than Khaleds Zia's, to participate in talks, effectively recognizing the former as the legitimate BNP. Khaleda Zia challenged this in court, but her appeal was rejected on April 10, 2008.[2] However by the end of August, stance of Election Commission changed subsequently and the Election Commission confessed to public that his decision to send Hafizuddin the invitation was a mistake. He also admitted that the Election Commission's behavior to the party has been biased and he begged pardon for that to the nation. The conflict between some parts of the BNP and the Hafizuddin, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan-led faction took place after a large procession during party's Joint General Secretary Tarique Rahman's release on September 3, 2008. Some factional leaders were chased and heckled by supporters in front of Tarique's Hospital. Since then the factional part has been remaining silent and appearing inactive. Before this, another defeat of reformist faction took place after one of the recognized and leading reformist Saifur Rahman denied himself to be a reformist and made his position very clear under the leadership of Khaleda Zia.
The party faced a landslide defeat at the hands of the Bangladesh Awami League in the 2008 Bangladesh general election, in which the 4-party alliance led by BNP won only 32 seats out of 299 constituencies, of which the BNP alone got 29.[3] Although the BNP's share of electoral votes had steadily increased in the past - it got 30% in 1991, 33% in 1996 and 40% in 2001 - the 2008 election brought a reversal of fortunes with only 33% of votes. Although concrete evidence of such is yet to be presented, there were massive speculations in the Bangladesh media that young first time voters, who comprised 31% of the entire electorate this year, overwhelmingly rejected the BNP because of its association with corrupt businessmen, Islamic fundamentalists, and war criminals. Now they are trying to fight with Sheikh Hasina.
The 5th National Council
The party has been receiving criticism for getting behind at the race with other major parties in maintenance of democracy as it was through a long pause of holding no council. However after emergence of certain sanctions from the Election Commission, the party presidium took initiatives to hold country-wide conventions for the elected grass-root leaders come up and be active part of the larger event to take place as the final stage.[4]
But the council was criticised by many as it empowered 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.[5] Moreover the BNP National Council elected Khaleda Zia's son Tareq Rahman as a powerful Senior Vice-Chairman in a move apparently designed to smooth his path to the party helm.[5]
The final stage of the effort, the 5th National Council, took place at Bangabandhu International Convention Center of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka on December 8, 2009. The event was planned to assure the presence of a large number of party leaders representing the entire country from all regional levels.
A delegation of 40 members mostly comprising the top regional leaders, leaders of branch organizations and activists from each of 300 constituencies took part in the council. Among these 12,000 delegates, a panel of 2,512[6] had been set to chair as the councilors.
Invitees also included observers and other guests of at least 60 countries,[6] local and foreign journalists and representatives from other political parties and different organizations.
See also
References
- ^ ""God Willing": The Politics and Ideology of Islamism in Bangladesh", Comparitive studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Ali Riaz (2003).
- ^ "Bangladesh court rejects Zia appeal". Al Jazeera. April 10, 2008. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D950A7C7-789E-4318-8D4D-676BC598FD57.htm.
- ^ "Bangladesh Election Won by Ex-Prime Minister Hasina". Bloomberg. December 29, 2008. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aq.x6pBU49lE&refer=asia.
- ^ Changes to Come Through the Council, The Daily News Today, Dhaka, Friday, November 27, 2009 issue
- ^ a b Tarique made powerful senior vice-chairman
- ^ a b The 5th National Council Facts and Figures of the Event
External links
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