The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its coalition partner, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, are mobilising for a last-ditch effort from 18 December to disrupt the upcoming general elections, despite the former’s internal opposition to collaborating with the latter.

“Our movement is going on to restore democracy and people’s suffrage. We will not stop until our objective is realised. The BNP will enter the next phase of movement as the ‘final act of the election drama’ by the government sets next week,” Abdul Moyeen Khan, BNP standing committee member, told the Daily Sun.

“As the history of the subcontinent testifies, the people of Bangladesh will achieve their victory in due course and bring about the change in our country reflecting the cherished desire of the common people of Bangladesh,” he added.

“This will be our do-or-die movement. All opposition political parties will take to the streets with maximum presence to make the programmes successful. The Islamist parties, including the Jamaat, will also accompany us actively in the movement,” a senior BNP leader told the Daily Sun wishing anonymity.

He said senior leaders have been holding a series of meetings with leaders from all tiers across the country for the last few days to reorganise them to

ensure their participation in the programmes. The goal is to “destabilise” the country and compel the government to stop the polls and meet other demands.

BNP sources also said party policymakers are holding meetings with top leaders of its allies to come up with strategies to take to the streets to forge an “effective” movement.

As part of the preparation for the next course of action, the party is reshuffling leadership in many districts where the respective leaders were either arrested or failed to play the expected roles.

In the latest update, BNP Chairperson’s Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas has been assigned to coordinate the ongoing political activities in Pabna district, according to an order of the party on Monday.

Barishal City BNP Joint Convener Ziauddin Shikder has been given the duty of acting convener until further order as the city unit convener Moniruzzaman Farooq and 1st Joint Convener Ali Haider Babul are in jail.

Besides, senior leaders, who are now behind the scenes and staying in hideouts to escape arrest, are likely to come to the front on Thursday to encourage party men to intensify the movement.

Meanwhile, the party and its allies have announced to enforce a nationwide 36-hour hartal from 6am today till 6pm tomorrow to realise their demands – resignation of the government, cancellation of the election schedule, and the release of their leaders and activists.

On 14 December, the BNP will pay homage to martyred intellectuals at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the morning to mark Martyred Intellectuals Day.

To celebrate Victory Day, the party is scheduled to place wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar on 16 December.

Later, party leaders and activists will place wreaths and offer prayers at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

Then the party is likely to enforce blockade or hartal in the coming days more intensely with the highest participation of the leaders and activists on the streets.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim said, “Movement will be intensified in the coming days. BNP leaders are interested in forging movement together with us.”

However, insiders said the leftist parties in the coalition, who are in simultaneous movement, have expressed their objection to carrying out a joint movement with the Jamaat.

They said BNP leaders are trying to convince the allies, assuring that the Jamaat will carry out movements separately. There will also be a secret treaty with the Jamaat to carry out the movement together.

Wishing not to be named, a top leader of Ganatantra Manch, a coalition of six political parties, mostly leftists, told the Daily Sun some pro-Jamaat leaders in the BNP want to conduct movement jointly with the Islamist party while the anti-Jamaat leaders are in jail.

Meanwhile, 21 leaders and activists of the BNP and the Jammat on Monday were sentenced to different jail terms in two separate sabotage cases filed in 2012 and 2018.