BNP's objective was to create anarchy, hold people hostage: Foreign ministry tells diplomats

The BNP's objective of the 10 December rally was to create anarchy on the streets and hold people hostage to force through their unlawful demands, the foreign ministry told diplomatic missions.

In a non-paper note on Monday, the ministry said BNP leaders resorted to vandalism and anarchy in defiance of the lawful and reasonable restrictions imposed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government shared the information with the foreign missions stationed in Dhaka to leave no room for "misinformation" and "confusion", the UNB reported.

"It is nothing new. It falls within the normal diplomatic practice as we always do that and keep all informed when something big happens," he told reporters, noting that BNP's entire plan to create anarchy centring December 10 went in vain.

"They were in a celebratory mood and wanted to prove that the government does not have any friends," Alam said.

Regarding the arrest of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas, the non-paper note said initial investigation showed the two BNP leaders were involved in planning deliberate violence and chaos by instigating their party workers to attack law enforcement members.

Earlier on 6 December, fifteen foreign missions in Bangladesh, including those of the USA, the UK, the EU and Japan, reaffirmed the importance of adhering commitment to peaceful assembly and free, fair, inclusive, electoral processes in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The White House on December 10 also called on the Bangladesh government to fully investigate reports of violence against journalists and human rights activists ahead of the major political protest, and urged all parties to refrain from violence.

The "non-paper on recent political situation in Bangladesh" said BNP leaders announced plans to bring around 2.5 million people from all across the country to Dhaka.

A non-paper is a term used in diplomacy to refer to a paper that doesn't carry an official letterhead or seal of a government.

"Assessing the possible implications on security, public safety, safety of properties, public mobility and overall law and order situation in the capital ahead of the glorious Victory Day on 16 December, 2022, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police [DMP] offered BNP the permission to hold their public meeting at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan having enough space for large gathering," read the note.

However, BNP leaders insisted on holding the meeting on the busy road in front of its party office in Naya Paltan, giving no good reason, it added.

Amidst the political standoff, the DMP was working on alternative venues as the BNP did not want to hold the public meeting at the Suhrawardy Udyan.

"Presumably, BNP leaders wanted to make a political issue out of the venue. Their objective was to create anarchy on the busy public street as they did in 2014 and 2018 before the national elections," it said.

"There was no restriction on peaceful assembly as the BNP organised nine public meetings in nine divisional districts. BNP took a ploy to press for the constitutional right to peaceful assembly through unlawful and violent means."

Later, the BNP agreed on an alternative venue (Golapbag Math) for their 10 December meeting, which went peacefully without any major incident, read the note, adding, "This reflects the Government's willingness and efforts to ensure freedom of expression and assembly."

The circumstantial evidence shows that the actual plan of the BNP was to occupy the street forcefully and unlawfully three days prior to the scheduled public gathering, it added.