Disillusioned AL Members Can Join BNP: Rizvi

As BNP is set to launch a two-month membership drive starting May 15, the party is opening its doors to disillusioned Awami League members who had previously become inactive or distanced themselves in protest against their party’s misdeeds.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, however, said they will remain vigilant to prevent Awami League affiliates involved in acts of terror, land grabbing, money laundering and plundering from infiltrating the party.

When journalists asked whether Awami League leaders and workers could become members of BNP, Rizvi responded, "Let’s say someone has been inactive in politics for a long time, or there were individuals who once supported the Awami League but later grew disillusioned with its misrule, brutality, looting, and money laundering—those who did not support such activities and have already distanced themselves from the Awami League. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to join our party?"

He said their party is mainly targeting fresh people who have a good reputation and acceptability in society, such as retired officials, teachers, government employees, bankers, NGO workers, farmers, or even labourers.

“In this case, the criteria for becoming a member of our party is whether or not the person believes in our ideals," the BNP leader said.

He said their party expects that people from all sectors of society who support BNP, those loyal to the party, and those who uphold nationalist thoughts and ideals, will be interested in becoming members of the party.

The BNP leader assured them that they would implement a review system to ensure that undesirable elements do not infiltrate the party.

He explained that those interested in becoming members of the party will need to purchase a primary membership form for Tk 20. Along with the payment receipt, there will also be an affidavit, referred to as the application form, as outlined in the party’s constitution.

He said those wishing to become primary members would be required to fill out this application form.

“Later, these forms will undergo a verification process. There will certainly be verification because individuals involved in criminal activities—such as terrorism, land grabbing, and money laundering—will try to infiltrate in various ways. We will strongly avoid that by focusing on fresh individuals from society, those who have a good reputation, and those who are known as respectable people in their communities,” Rizvi said.

He said the party would conduct a primary membership collection drive alongside the renewal programme from May 15 to July 15.

Rizvi mentioned that the party had earlier formed a sub-committee, with him as convener and BNP Treasurer Rashiduzzaman Millat as member secretary, to carry out the membership renewal campaign.

He said the committee had a meeting earlier in the day at the party’s central office and decided to conduct the two-month drive to also collect new members for the BNP.

Through the membership collection and renewal drive, Rizvi said, they would be able to assess how many people are interested in engaging with the party's politics.

He also said the drive would begin with inaugural programmes in all divisional cities, with divisional organising secretaries and assistant secretaries supervising the campaign.