Straight on the heels on charges of election fraud, the BNP leadership has announced that it will commence its country-wide protest plan to challenge and, perhaps overthrow Awami League rule on Wednesday.
Claiming that the Bhola-3 by-election was riven with fraud, Begum Khaleda Zia has decided to operationalize her plans to try to bring about a public clamor to oust the sitting Awami League government. I suspect the timing of the election has little to do with the announcement of what she hopes is a period of social unrest, though the announcement has been timed to reflect on some of the anger amongst BNP activist at what sounds to all other hears like a thumping defeat.
Meanwhile Awami League leadership is pushing back just as hard. Citing the record that the Awami League did not incite recrimination against the BNP after winning office in 2008, Al leader Tofail Ahmed, nevertheless charged that the people of Bhola 3 had voted against the BNP’s record whilst in power after 2001.
This is tough politicking, an exchange that must shred the hides of young rhinoceros’, the world over.
