BNP’s grassroot rivalries rear heads ahead of local polls 

Leadership rivalry, competition for election nominations, demands for new organisational posts and allegations of misconduct have emerged as major challenges for the BNP’s grassroots organisation as local government elections and the party’s national council approach.

After being out of power for a long period, the BNP formed the government this year. The party’s central leadership now faces the task of running the government while also restructuring its organisation.

BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman told the The Daily Observer that, it was natural for several leaders of a major political party to want to contest elections.


However, she expected the number of leaders seeking nominations to fall as the election approaches. 

She said a coordination committee would be formed before the election to resolve local-level disputes and improve coordination among grassroots leaders and activists. 

Competition for local government nominations is already visible in several areas.

In Ganipur Union of Rajshahi's Bagmara Upazila, at least six BNP leaders and supporters have started campaigning for the chairman's post, according to reports by The Daily Observer local correspondents.

In Rampal Union of Munshiganj, at least seven BNP leaders have expressed interest in the same post. Similar competition has been reported from other parts of the country. 

The issue is more complicated because local government elections are being held without party symbols. As a result, several BNP leaders could contest independently, potentially dividing the party's support among multiple candidates. 

The BNP's "one leader, one post" policy was included in the party constitution nearly a decade ago, but it has not yet been fully implemented.

Many leaders at the central and district levels continue to hold more than one organisational post. This has frustrated some relatively junior leaders, who believe multiple posts held by senior leaders are limiting their own opportunities. 

The party's national council has added another dimension to this competition.

The last BNP national council was held on March 19, 2016. Although the party constitution requires a council every three years, no council has been held since then.

With preparations for the next council now gaining attention, steps are being taken to restructure the party organisation at different levels. 

The BNP has also taken steps to fill vacant posts in different committees.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told the media that the party was considering promoting the next-ranking leaders in respective committees to vacant positions created by deaths, expulsions and other reasons, in line with organisational rules. 

The internal competition has also been accompanied by allegations of extortion using the BNP's name, influence.

According to the BNP source disciplinary action has been taken against more than 7,000 party leaders and activists for violating party discipline. The measures included expulsion and demotion as part of the party's efforts to maintain discipline and take a tough stance against corruption and extortion.

Selima Rahman told The Daily Observer that Bangladesh's politics had experienced what she described as "moral degradation" over the past 17 years.

She alleged that corruption and wealth accumulation under the previous political system under the fascist government had created a perception among grassroots activists of other parties that politics was a way to make money. 

She said the BNP wanted to move away from that political culture.

According to her, programmes are being organised to promote people-oriented politics among party leaders and activists. Workshops on the BNP's "31-point" agenda are also being held for grassroots activists ahead of the election. 

Political analysts say the local elections and the national council present two simultaneous challenges for the BNP's grassroots organisation.

The same leaders may compete both for local election nominations and for organisational positions at the national council, potentially affecting internal political relations. 

Ruhin Hossain Prince, former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, told The Daily Observer that, grassroots members would not necessarily accept decisions from senior leaders if they believed those leaders were driven mainly by the pursuit of power rather than political principles.

He stressed the need to develop the political and ideological foundations of grassroots activists and for senior leaders to provide ideological leadership. 

The issue of candidate selection is particularly sensitive because the BNP is not contesting local government elections under its party symbol.

The central leadership therefore cannot formally allocate the party symbol to a candidate. Several leaders seeking party support are instead trying to remain in the race on the basis of their personal popularity and organisational standing. 

Another challenge is the status of the party's district committees.

The terms of 72 of the BNP's 82 district and metropolitan committees have expired, making it more difficult to select candidates and collect opinions from the ward, union, upazila and district levels. 

He said the council could institutionalise decision-making. On local elections, he suggested that the party support the most popular candidate where it cannot formally allocate a party symbol. 

According to data from Ain o Salish Kendra, 20 people were killed and 933 injured in 105 incidents of internal BNP conflict during the first six months of this year.

At least 80 people were also injured in clashes between different BNP factions during party anniversary programmes in the same period.

Since the fall of the fascist Awami League government in 2024, internal conflicts within the BNP have declined. 

However, analysts have warned that these conflicts could increase again over the party's national council and local government elections.

The causes of these incidents varied, including disputes among local leaders, competition for nominations and disagreements over political programmes. The data therefore do not represent a single type of organisational dispute. 

The party's central leadership has taken steps to contain the disputes.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has instructed local leaders to consult potential candidates in their respective areas, select an acceptable nominee and resolve internal disagreements. 

At the same time, preparations are under way to restructure the organisation ahead of the national council.

The challenge for the BNP is to keep that competition within party rules and democratic processes. 

Selima Rahman has proposed coordination committees to settle grassroots disputes before the elections, while also highlighting workshops and programmes based on the BNP's "31-point" agenda.

Prince has called for stronger political and ideological foundations among grassroots leaders, while Professor Naim Akhtar Siddiqui has suggested supporting broadly acceptable candidates as a way to reduce disputes over nominations.