The 10-day ultimatum set by BNP for the government to resign for making a “safe exit” is apparently a part of its go-slow policy expecting the foreign powers to put more pressure on the government over the next general election before going for an all-out movement to realise their one-point demand.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday asked the government to step down by 28 October to make a ‘safe exit’, threatening dire consequences.

“Decide what you’ll do within the (Durga) Puja holidays. Decide whether you’ll resign and take a safe exit with self-respect or will be driven out by the people,” he said while addressing a rally arranged by the arty in the capital.

Announcing a grand rally in Dhaka city for 28 October, the BNP leader also said their grand march will start from the rally and it will continue until the fall of the current government.

“Our next programmes will be announced from the rally on 28 October to topple this government. You’ll know the next course of action from the rally,” BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told the Daily Sun when asked about their planned grand march.

BNP insiders said the party is actually maintaining a go-slow policy before going for an intensified movement as they are expecting more foreign pressure on the government to meet their demand and want to prepare their party men for a tougher movement.

“We’re actually passing time through issuing such ultimatum. We also don’t want to make the members of other community unhappy by staging programmes during Durga Puja.  At the same time, we’re expecting more foreign pressure on the government during the period alongside preparing our party men,” a senior BNP leader told the Daily Sun, wishing not to be named.

He also said this time they do not want to take any whimsical decision regarding the movement strategy as their anti-government movement was met with failure on many occasions in the past for wrong strategies.

The BNP leader further said the grand march as pronounced by their party secretary general at Wednesday’s rally is nothing but just a threat to the government to concede to their demand.

“We have no plan for sit-in at or march towards the Election Commission from the rally. Our party will just announce next movement programmes from the rally,” he added.

The party insiders said though the BNP leaders are threatening to wage a tougher movement demanding resignation of the government, dissolving parliament, reconstituting the Election Commission and arranging the election under a neutral caretaker administration, they are still in doubt about whether they will be able to intensify it and make it effective to realise their demand.

The party faces another setback as Islamist parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh and Hefajat-e-Islam, have not yet joined their simultaneous movement.

“It seemed earlier that Jatiya Party, led by GM Quader, will join our simultaneous movement but now they’re taking preparations for election under the current Awami League government. The strategies of Islamist parties are also not clear. Consequently, BNP is on the streets alone as most of the current allies have no organisational strength,” another central leader of BNP told the Daily Sun.    

He said in this situation, BNP is heading towards the ultimate course of action very carefully.

Mentioning that the party will move ahead through the 28 October rally to topple the government, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said, “We’ll turn the people’s strength into upsurge to oust the government.”   

Talking to the Daily Sun, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Saiful Huq, also one of the top leaders of Ganatantra Mancha which is carrying out movement with BNP simultaneously, said they will go for nonstop movement from 28 October.

He said they have planned to hold more rallies, lay siege and blockade to important state institutions like Ganabhaban and Secretariat to compel the government to resign. “Even hartal may also be enforced if necessary. We’ll try to carry out programmes peacefully. Everything depends on the government’s behviour,” he added.

BNP insiders said it is taking adequate preparations to ensure a massive turnout at the Dhaka rally.