On Wednesday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) declared a non-cooperation movement against the government, urging citizens to defer payments of all taxes, utility bills, and other financial obligations. Simultaneously, the opposition party announced a series of mass contact programs scheduled for December 21-23 and a nationwide blockade planned for December 24 to underscore their demands.
Addressing a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General, unveiled these fresh agitation programs. Rizvi urged the public to boycott the January 7 "dummy election" and refrain from going to polling centers on the election day. He called on officials and employees assigned for voting duties to abstain from discharging their responsibilities, asserting that the Election Commission had already prepared the list of parliament members at Ganobhaban, to be announced on January 7.
As part of the non-cooperation movement, Rizvi encouraged the populace to postpone payments of taxes, utility bills, and other dues to the government. He also questioned the security of depositing money in banks, urging citizens to consider the safety of their funds.
Rizvi further instructed BNP leaders and activists not to appear before the court in what he referred to as "false" cases. However, there is skepticism among a significant number of opposition leaders and activists, including those from the BNP, regarding the successful implementation of the non-cooperation movement. They believe it would be challenging to carry out in the current context, given recent instances where people defied imposed strikes and blockades.
Some BNP insiders mentioned that the announcement of the non-cooperation movement lacked adequate campaigning in its favor, and even top leaders of the allies were not informed about it before the public announcement. There are concerns about the practicality of the movement, especially considering the active presence of law enforcement during election campaigns and the potential for disruption by activists of the ruling party and its allies.
In addition, grassroots leaders express reservations about citizens refusing to pay utility bills, fearing that authorities may disconnect their services, leading to unnecessary hardships.
