BNP standing committee member and former minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan said, there is no leadership crisis in BNP. He said, even if the top leaders are interned, the new leadership of the party will emerge from the people. Dr. Khan also mentioned that BNP is not afraid to face the people in real elections. Rather, the ruling Awami League is afraid of going to the fair elections, for which they are preparing to hold farce elections.

This senior leader of BNP identified and said that how the upcoming national elections will be can be understood by looking at the two by-elections held recently. Referring to these two by-elections as 'dress rehearsal' of Awami League, he further said that Awami League has lost the last chance to gain confidence. Their nature is revealed. BNP will not go to this kind of rigged elections.

Dr. Moyeen said these things in an exclusive interview given to the online news portal Barta24.com about the ongoing political crisis and the position of BNP.  Planning Editor Ashraful Islam talked to Dr. Moyeen.

Barta24.com: The prevailing political situation, who are the top leaders of your party? The public question is whether BNP is suffering from any leadership crisis?

Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan: This question may arise in the minds of many people of the country. But the reality is this - Bangladesh Nationalist Party is a political party whose motto was derived from the idea of protecting people's rights. That is why we have learned in BNP that the party is bigger than the individual; the country is bigger than the party. Today I will briefly say something about this. That is not only a political party like BNP, just as the leadership of any political party is not formed overnight, the leadership of a political party cannot be destroyed overnight. So the question of leadership vacuum that you mentioned - I have no doubt that many people in the country may have this kind of doubt, today the ruling party may even be happy that they have taken the leadership of the BNP to a vacuum - but it is actually just a wish of theirs. The reality is this, the roots of BNP are rooted in the people, and that is deep in the hearts of the grassroots people. In fact, the driving force of BNP is the people and that is why no question of leadership crises is applicable to BNP even in the face of hundreds of obstacles. And that is the difference between BNP and Awami League. What we have seen is the strength of Awami League, they pride themselves on their organizational ability, I am not denying it; But it is sad that their organization has taken to the streets today to terrorize on the orders of that chain of command. And they want to wipe out the opposition party in this country today by combining party terrorism with state terrorism.. Not only do they want to wipe out the opposition party but also the ideology that they have wiped out is the democracy of Bangladesh. They tried once in the past to take away the freedom of speech and basic rights of the people of Bangladesh by forming Baksal. But the people of this country resisted their efforts. Regrettably, Awami League wants to do the same thing a second time by establishing unwritten Baksal.

But no wonder, their efforts were once defeated by the heart desires of the people of Bangladesh and today we believe that their ambition for the second time - the ambition to take away the democracy of the people of Bangladesh - will be met very soon. The reason for this belief is that we believe in people power. We do not believe in the power of government, administration or police administration. I don't believe in the power of rifles, I don't believe in the power of tear gas, I believe in the power of democracy. What needs to be explained here is that if this democracy does not exist, and then Bangladesh does not exist. We realized a truth within the framework of Pakistan. What is that truth? That is, Pakistan was created in such a mindset that democracy can never develop there. Because the grass root people of Bangladesh realized this fact, they left the illusion of life and jumped into the liberation war. Millions of people shed their blood and vowed, 'Life will go but democracy will not'.

Today, after 52 years of independence, it is a shame and disgrace. Regrettably, the current Awami League government claiming to be a pro-independence force has abandoned democracy, which could never happen if Awami League was truly a pro-independence force. Besides, BNP was established under the leadership of Shaheed Bir Uttam Ziaur Rahman, a sector commander of the liberation war. We created BNP by believing in the liberation war. And that is why I say that the fear you have expressed can never happen. BNP leadership cannot be empty. This BNP was, is and will be. If the leadership of BNP is vacated through injustice, then new leadership will emerge from the people, just as you are witnessing today's situation.

Barta24.com: So much for the overall assessment... to be specific, all the programs of the party are being announced virtually. Can it create a dilemma or accelerate the dissolution of the party?

Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan: You have drawn my attention to the current reality. See you say it yourself and I admit it too...Our Secretary General has been imprisoned on false charges..One by one our Standing Committee members have been detained, our Vice-Chairmen have been imprisoned, and our organizational leaders have been arrested.

Prominent leaders have been jailed, district committee presidents-secretaries have been jailed; If I ask the counter question, has the government been able to stop our movement? Could not ,the reality of BNP is that the internal structure of our party is such an automatic system that when the leadership above me leaves, I will stand with that banner. You see, 10 days have passed today, but we are still observing the blockade. But the long distance buses from Dhaka have not left today. A bus owner said in the news that the media workers brought up today, with whom to drive the bus? Only one passenger has arrived throughout the day. This proves that today we have the right to take away the democracy of the government and speak for the people of Bangladesh, those who work hard, who are really building the country, they don't launder money abroad, they want to vote safely once in 5 years... They have realized that today's struggle is Not just BNP's struggle..BNP is not doing blockade or hartal because it will come to power. The movement is to bring back the rights of the people. For the past one year we have been holding peaceful programs for a noble cause. I will return this right to the people, the basic right of the people of Bangladesh. I will deliver to those who have the right to vote. This is not a big desire among ordinary people? For once in 5 years will be sure to vote smoothly. This is human psychology. They feel that they are not able to cast their vote; the government has taken away the vote of the people of Bangladesh. Today's time, this time BNP will come to power is not a struggle...we have led this movement to return the voting rights of the people of a country to them. Is it not a big demand for common people? See from the time of Mughal Empire, they could not completely subdue Bangladesh. So leadership is not a big question today. The important thing is the just rights of people. So this struggle has turned into a people's movement. Until we can return this basic right of people, our movement will continue. Besides, this time there has been an infusion of fresh energy as opposed to a fracture in the party in the face of the challenge.

Barta24.com: Ask the common people of the country, even the marginalized, whether BNP will go to the end in the upcoming Jatiyo Sangsad elections?

Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan: Many local and foreign media have asked me this question, I want to answer this question in plain language. Many people ask why BNP does not want to go to the election? Why is BNP anti-election? Why is BNP boycotting the election? Those of you who say these things are completely wrong. BNP is never anti-election. BNP has never said that they will not go to the next election. BNP has never said that they will boycott the next election. BNP has said that if fake elections like 2014 and 2018 are held in the future, then BNP will not participate in those elections under any circumstances. BNP will surely go to the elections, BNP is not afraid to face the people through elections, which is the fear that Awami League is getting today. And it is very clear, what Awami League wants is to make a farce in the name of elections. Through the farce they will build a rigged parliament by showing fake elections.. You have seen the two by-elections held on November 5 (2023) as an example of the elections they have done in the past. The event in the November 5 by-election is the dress rehearsal of the Awami League government for the upcoming elections. They have completed that dress rehearsal and this is how they want to conduct the next general election. Awami League lost the last chance to gain confidence. Their nature is revealed anew today. Needless to say, BNP will not go for this type of election. That is why the BNP today will continue to struggle to form a people's government by involving the people - taking the people into confidence, with the support of the people...not to power it.