The BNP high command has decided to take a tougher stance against a section of its grassroots leaders and activists amid growing complaints that their misconduct is damaging the ruling party’s image and giving the opposition more room to criticise.
Party leaders said disciplinary action has been ongoing, but enforcement slowed in many areas, prompting the leadership to push for stricter and more active measures.
Senior leaders said the issue has now reached the highest level, with the leadership making it clear it will no longer be treated as a routine organisational problem. Instead, the party plans to combine disciplinary action with legal steps against those found involved in misconduct.
The decision comes amid growing concerns within the party that a section of grassroots BNP members have been involved in extortion and other criminal activities since the party took office, damaging the government’s image.
A senior BNP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We do not tolerate violations of party rules. However, after the election, enforcement slowed in many areas, allowing some leaders to flout party instructions and engage in misconduct. That is why we have decided to take a tougher, more active stance against them.”
According to party insiders, the high command has instructed senior leaders of the BNP and its affiliated bodies to remain cautious, monitor the situation closely, and take preventive steps on the ground.
BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince said, “If anyone tries to use the party’s name for unethical acts, action will be taken against them… Party leaders and activists have been instructed not to get involved in any unethical activities for business interests or jobs.
“…There will be no leniency in this regard. If any misconduct comes to the notice of our prime minister [BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman], no one will be spared.”
Party sources said the high command has received numerous complaints from grassroots units in multiple districts about local leaders clashing over tenders, while some have also been accused of unlawful activities linked to control of business establishments.
They added that such complaints have reinforced a growing perception within the party of indiscipline at the local level.
Following the party’s landslide victory in the February 12 election, Prime Minister and BNP Chief Tarique Rahman on February 16 directed lawmakers to maintain coordination with grassroots leaders and ensure all political activities remain within legal boundaries.
He said that any wrongdoing at the local level would damage the party’s credibility and weaken public trust.
Meanwhile, the leadership is also concerned about outsiders using the party’s name to influence local disputes, pursue personal interests, or engage in misconduct.
Local leaders have been urged to stay alert in this regard and take action if the BNP’s name is used for intimidation, extortion, factional feuds, or other abuses.
Syed Emran Saleh Prince said, “There are many who are not members but are using the party’s name to engage in unethical acts -- we are taking immediate action against them too.”
Additionally, internal clashes within the BNP and its affiliated bodies have emerged as another major concern, as party leaders said repeated factional confrontations are weakening grassroots discipline and risking long-term damage to public confidence in the party.
Human rights data cited by party sources illustrate the scale of the problem.
According to Ain o Salish Kendra, 28 incidents of BNP infighting in February left 186 people injured and three dead. The organisation also recorded one clash involving Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal that left one person dead.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Support Society reported 88 internal clashes in March.
Party leaders said such figures have reinforced the high command’s view that the problem can no longer be ignored. They warned that if factional conflict continues unchecked, it could damage both the party organisation and the government’s standing.
A senior BNP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the party aims to reorganise itself ahead of the local government polls to restore organisational discipline and strengthen it at all levels.
Among the steps taken against misconduct was the expulsion of a father and son on April 14 over their alleged involvement in a political dispute that led to a clash in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila.
A central BNP press release identified them as upazila BNP convening committee member Khoka Mia and union BNP activist Tofayel Ahmed Rana, and said both were stripped of their primary membership and all party posts over allegations of involvement in violence, clashes, and bloodshed within the party.
On April 9, two BNP groups clashed over the jhute trade, leaving two pedestrians with bullet injuries, after which the party expelled Fatullah thana Jubo Dal convener Masudur Rahman.
However, the party has yet to take action over a clash between two groups of BNP leaders and activists in Natore on March 19 over dominance, which left a police officer injured.
On April 1, a Narayanganj metropolitan Swechchhasebak Dal president was named in a case over a kidnapping followed by murder, but the party has yet to act on the incident.
On March 24, three people were killed in post-polls violence in Brahmanbaria, but the party has not taken action against its leaders and activists.
