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The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is closely monitoring the street agitations of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, including its ongoing long march programs, while questioning the political motives and practical efficacy of such demonstrations.
Senior BNP policymakers noted that while the party is responding through parliamentary speeches and public statements, they do not view the opposition's street movements as an immediate political threat. Consequently, the ruling party has ruled out counter-demonstrations, choosing instead to focus on state governance and policy solutions to address public grievances.
The Jamaat-led opposition bloc has launched a series of street programs demanding resolutions to the fuel, gas, and power crises, alongside the institutionalization of the July mass uprising's spirit. Following their September 5 Dhaka-Chattogram convoy, the alliance conducted a long march toward Rangpur on Saturday, with further demonstrations planned for Khulna, Sylhet, and other divisional hubs. At earlier rallies, Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman fiercely criticized the government over rising living costs and deteriorating law and order, accusing the administration of betraying the public.
Rejecting the agitation's rationale, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi described the demonstrations as part of normal democratic practice, noting that while every party possesses the constitutional right to assemble, the program warrants no outsized alarm. Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman also criticized the demonstrations in parliament, remarking that organizing motorcade-heavy long marches cannot solve acute energy or gas constraints.
In contrast, Jamaat Central Executive Council member and Assistant Secretary General A H M Hamidur Rahman Azad argued that the government's visible reactions in parliament show that the opposition's pressure is felt, claiming BNP currently lacks the political capacity and moral ground to call counter-programs. While BNP strategists maintain that their post-election priority remains state governance rather than street agitprop, internal voices caution that persistent opposition campaigns on sensitive cost-of-living issues will require stronger public communication, particularly ahead of upcoming local government elections.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/politics/1f1b3e7d-0327-6120-b562-dd888d8b4d3a