Mir Afroz Zaman 

BNP is going to start a purge campaign in the party to weed out miscreants ahead of the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh. At the same time, BNP leaders are claiming that the party is being unfairly blamed in various cases.

Despite repeated warnings from the party's top leaders and taking organizational measures, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has failed to control its leaders and activists. The party's leaders and activists across the country are accused of being involved in various crimes, ranging from extortion, rape and murder.

According to the human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra, there have been 349 incidents of political violence across the country in the last 11 months, in which 87 people have been killed and 3,929 injured. Of these incidents, BNP and its affiliates were involved in 323, and at least 77 of the dead and 3,653 of the injured were BNP activists.

BNP's affiliates Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal recently expelled five of their members. The expelled members are accused of being involved in the brutal murder of scrap dealer Lal Chand alias Sohag. Sohag was brutally murdered in broad daylight in front of Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital.

The murder is alleged to have been committed over a dispute over the control of scrap business and extortion. The murder has sparked widespread outrage across the country. Seven suspects have been arrested in the incident so far.

In addition, recent high-profile incidents include an attack on a police station in Lalmonirhat, the rape of a woman in Tajumuddin Upazila of Bhola, the assault of a former Chief Election Commissioner and the assault of two women at a restaurant and bar in Dhaka. These incidents have garnered widespread criticism as they have made headlines and made headlines on social media.

In Lalmonirhat, BNP workers attacked Patgram police station and forcibly snatched away two people convicted in a mobile court. Later, the joint convener of Patgram Municipal Jubo Dal and a former upazila BNP member were expelled for their involvement in the incident.

Patgram Upazila BNP president Shafikar Rahman admitted that controlling such a large organization is challenging. He said, "BNP is a big party. We cannot say that everyone here is innocent, everyone is good. We have repeatedly instructed leaders and activists at the district level not to get involved in criminal activities. Still, many violate those instructions."

The party has also taken organizational action against those involved in the Bhola rape incident. However, Raisul Alam, member secretary of BNP's Bhola district unit, said that the party cannot take responsibility for the crimes of any individual. He said, "We are in no way encouraging these incidents. There will always be some bad people in a big party. The entire party cannot be held responsible for their crimes."

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said that BNP has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on violations of discipline. He said, 'We as a party have decided that strict action will be taken if any member violates discipline.

After the Awami League government was ousted from power through a mass uprising in August last year, there are allegations that BNP and its affiliated organizations have been involved in one after another in violent and criminal activities at the local level.

A report by the Human Rights Support Society published last week said that from January to June last year, at least 529 incidents of political violence occurred in the country, in which 79 people were killed and more than 4,124 were injured.

302 incidents were due to internal conflicts within BNP, in which 2,834 people were injured and 54 were killed. In the remaining 140 incidents, BNP leaders and activists clashed with members of other parties.

The report said that most of the incidents of violence were related to local dominance, revenge, disputes over party committees, extortion and land or property grabbing.

Dhaka University teacher Professor Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah

said, "BNP is not the only one responsible for these incidents." He also cited the fragile law and order situation in the country as a significant reason for this.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has repeatedly said that his party has taken the strictest action against members involved in any wrongdoing.

In a virtual speech from London on February 22, he said, "BNP is the only party that does not deny any wrongdoing. If anyone from our party is involved in wrongdoing, we will not take action against them."

A few days later, on February 27, Tarique Rahman ordered leaders and activists to refrain from criminal activities in a party meeting. At that meeting, at least 105 leaders spoke about ongoing problems within the organization such as extortion, land grabbing and tender rigging. But these warnings are not having much impact on the party's leaders and activists.

According to the human rights organization Ain Salish Kendra, 35 people were killed and 1,105 were injured in at least 409 internal clashes within the BNP between March and June this year.

BNP leader Salahuddin said that they have started a purge campaign within the party. Through this, the miscreants within the party, starting from the district to the grassroots, will be eliminated.

Stating that during the Awami League era, state power was maintained through a culture of fear, he said, 'This poisonous culture has penetrated every level of society.