A large number of leaders and supporters of Al Qaeda connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have become extremely frustrated at Tarique Rahman for whimsically running the party which is gradually pushing BNP towards extinction. This anger and frustration reached its peak when Tarique Rahman instructed party leaders to boycott local government elections as well as any elections in Bangladesh. According to a credible source, Tarique Rahman is telling party leaders that BNP does not need to participate in any election to return to power. Instead it will return to power through “street revolt”. Several members of Tarique Rahman’s inner circle, including owner of a private television channel, are almost openly saying – Awami League government shall be ousted from power once Joe Biden wins November 5 presidential election. They are also saying, after November 5, Washington’s pressure on the Awami League government shall be intensified.
Meanwhile, BNP is facing a pivotal moment characterized by internal strife and leadership uncertainties. The absence of its chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia who is serving rigorous imprisonment on corruption charges since 2017 has pushed the party under the whimsical leadership of Mrs. Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, a convicted terrorist who is living in the United Kingdom since 2007.
Although Tarique Rahman is seen by the United States as a “notorious and feared figure” and “symbol of kleptocratic government and violent politics in Bangladesh”, he has been trying to get support from the Biden administration by hiring Hunter Biden as lobbyist in exchange for millions of dollars.
But now, as Tarique Rahman has signaled of his unwillingness of participating in any election in Bangladesh unless he is allowed to return to Bangladesh, a key figure in the Biden administration has expressed extreme dismay and has been calling upon BNP leaders to immediately replace Tarique Rahman with “someone else” if the party wants to avoid the fate of going extinct or become branded as undemocratic force. This message although has greatly shattered Tarique Rahman, he has no alternative option.
Accordingly, party’s imprisoned chairperson Khaleda Zia has instructed BNP’s senior leaders to replace Tarique Rahman with his daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman, while Tarique wants his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko’s widow Sharmila Rahman Sithi to become party’s chairperson. It is anticipated that Tarique’s willingness of having Sithi instead of his own daughter as BNP’s chairperson is because with Sharmila Rahman Sithi, the party actually shall be run under Tarique Rahman as a de facto chairman.
Meanwhile, according to another source, Khaleda Zia has spoken to Barrister Zaima Rahman a number of times and requested her to take leadership of the party and save BNP from going extinct. In this regard, Zaima reportedly expressed grave dissatisfaction at her father Tarique Rahman and even held him responsible for missing the opportunity of returning to power by boycotting January 7 general election.
Barrister Zaima Rahman reportedly told her grandmother Khaleda Zia, BNP’s current policies are totally against democratic norms, which is gradually tarnishing the image of the party to the international community. She reportedly branded BNP as a “club of apolitical figures”.
The post Renegade inside BNP against Tarique Rahman appeared first on BLiTZ.
