Although a number of leaders and activists of the major opposition party BNP and its allies are already waging an anti-India campaign, the BNP does not want to be at the forefront of the campaign but rather patronise it from behind the scenes.

Asked about their stance on the anti-India campaign, BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan declined to make any comment in this regard.
Insiders said that though the party is not officially running the anti-India campaign,

it is patronising it from behind as other parties, who are taking action simultaneously with the BNP, are already running the campaign to boycott Indian products in broad daylight.
At the same time, the leaders and activists of the BNP, its front, and associate organisations are also indirectly carrying out the ‘Boycott India’ campaign.

Wishing not to be named, a central leader of the BNP told the Daily Sun that “There is a silent support of our party leaders in the campaign. Our party men, from grassroots to central, think that the Awami League

has come to power again with the support of India. So India should be given a message by boycotting their products.”

He said the BNP cannot take a concrete decision on carrying out the anti-India campaign due to several reasons, including differences among the party’s top leaders and calculating the aftermath of the campaign directly against the neighbouring country.

Speaking at a programme at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office on Thursday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, without mentioning the name of India, said, “We stand in solidarity with the social movement against those who openly support the fascist government. It is justified to boycott the country’s products.”

“In 2014, diplomats from neighboring countries came to support the government openly. In 2018, they also recognised the election that was held at night. This time in 2024, a particular country (India) openly said that they supported this government after such a big dummy election. But the US, UK, Australia, and Canada are saying that they are for fair elections, not for any particular party,” he added.

Speaking to the Daily Sun, Shahadat Hossain Selim, general secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party of Bangladesh, said, “A fascist government is being run in the country with the support of India. Currently, a puppet government exists in Bangladesh, which follows India. We will gradually transform our movement into an anti-India campaign.”

Former vice president of Ducsu Nurul Haque Nur, who is also the president of Gana Odhikar Parishad, said, “The Indian government has supported this unelected Awami League government to come to power. People want to send the message to India that they are supporting a government that has no public support.”

Several opposition political parties, including components of the 12-party alliance and Gana Odhikar Parishad, have been openly waging an anti-India campaign in several parts of the country, including Dhaka city, in recent weeks.

According to the Daily Sun, some BNP standing committee members declined to comment in this regard while the matter was discussed at the party’s standing committee meeting on 25 March.

The party insiders said the BNP could not take a final decision on their stand on the campaign as there was a difference of opinion among the standing committee members over anti-India policies, the sources at the meeting said.

Finally, the meeting was adjourned without taking any final decision, which may be finalised in the next meeting likely to be held on Monday.
Throwing away his Indian shawl in front of the party’s central office at Nayapaltan in the capital on 20 March, Rizvi said boycotting Indian products means boycotting the Awami League government.

“Our party leaders and activists won’t buy any Indian products. We won’t buy Indian items. We’ll use our homegrown goods. We won’t buy the products of those who don’t show respect to the people of Bangladesh,” he said.

Terming the decision to boycott Indian products is logical, the BNP leader said. At least 63 parties, including the BNP, have expressed solidarity with the call as social media is abuzz with the ‘Boycott India’ campaign.

Talking to the Daily Sun, BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said, “I don’t know about our party’s stance on the anti-India campaign. But according to my point of view, if it’s possible, we should buy our own products instead of foreign ones. It’ll help boost our economy.”

Insiders said the party men are unhappy with the party’s international affairs committee for their failure to convince influential foreign countries, particularly India, in favour of their movement.
The BNP formed a 21-member foreign relations committee in February 2019, led by Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

A member of the foreign affairs committee, speaking anonymously, criticized the committee’s lack of activity, stating, “No member of the committee has any specific activity. The committee even didn’t hold any meetings yet.”