Student Advisers Accused of Trying to Divide BNP

Staff Reporter

Amid ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh following the formation of the interim government in August last year, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has intensified its demand for swift elections. However, internal discord appears to be brewing within the party, particularly between BNP leaders and student advisers.

The rift became evident in recent days as student advisers accused certain BNP leaders of being opportunistic by supporting elections. They claimed that grassroots BNP activists align more with their stance against elections under the current government structure.

Observers suggest that the student advisers are attempting to create divisions within BNP, separating grassroots leaders and activists—many of whom participated in the July uprising—from those supporting elections.

Abdul Hannan Masud, the central coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, hinted at such tensions in a Facebook post on Thursday. He alleged that some BNP figures had actively worked to prevent Dr. Yunus from becoming the chief adviser of the interim government.

The dispute escalated after interim government adviser for information and broadcasting, Md. Nahid Islam, issued a strong rebuttal to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s remarks. On his verified Facebook profile, Nahid Islam accused Fakhrul of signaling a return to a “1/11-like” government. He claimed that Fakhrul’s call for a neutral government hinted at a repeat of the events that led to the rise of “Awami fascism” and the lack of accountability for past incidents, including enforced disappearances and the July killings.

Nahid Islam also accused BNP of shifting its narrative from a “minus two” discussion to proposing another 1/11-like administration in a bid to facilitate its return to power. He warned that such plans were against democracy and national interests, stating that the majority of BNP’s supporters desired revolutionary change rather than elections.

In response, a central leader of Jubo Dal, BNP’s youth wing, dismissed the claims as baseless, emphasizing that the current government lacks legitimacy. He argued that the government’s actions aim to consolidate power by creating a narrative of BNP factionalism. He affirmed that BNP leaders and activists would continue to work collectively under party decisions.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with BBC Bangla, Mirza Fakhrul suggested that student leaders seeking to form a political party should resign from the government and avoid utilizing its privileges. He called for impartiality and criticized student advisers for their divisive actions.