Destitute Grassroots in the Spring of Power: BNP's Psychological Crisis and Organizational Challenges

- Professor Dr. Asif Mizan.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won the 13th National Assembly elections held on February 12, 2026 after a decade and a half long anti-dictatorship ordeal and the glorious student coup of 2024. On February 17, public leader Tarek Rahman MP took over the responsibility of running the state. Although it seems to be the ultimate peak of a political success, behind this honeymoon of power, the main driving force of the party - a large part of the Trinamool leaders and workers is immersed in a deep and hidden psychological crisis. Even though their own party is in power, the hardships of the life of the tried and tested soldiers of the streets have not decreased; Rather, they are living in their own homes under the influence of the 'opportunistic' and 'hybrid' cycle that has suddenly emerged within the party.

Equations and Sociological Contexts of Deprivation

Analyzing the current situation in the light of Ted Robert Gurr's theory of 'Relative Deprivation', a terrible picture emerges. When the gap between expectations and achievement skyrockets, public anger sets in. Those who have been disenfranchised by judicial harassment, imprisonment and systematic oppression for the past 15 years, today see the benefits of power accruing instead to 'spring cuckoos' or beneficiaries, that resentment can turn from deprivation to rebellion. In the words of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of capital, the "political capital" of the renegade workers is today hostage to the "financial capital" of some leaders. This structural disparity is creating a new type of 'Political Elitism' within the party, which is synonymous with devaluing grassroots sacrifices.

The Politics of Infiltration: An Ideological Deviation

Honorable Prime Minister and Party Chairman Mr. Tariq Rahman MP has repeatedly announced the 'Zero Tolerance' policy regarding intruders, but its implementation at the field level is still hampered by institutional weakness. Complaints are being made.The cronies of fascism or opportunistic groups still infesting various levels of administration and local party structures are being rehabilitated under the umbrella of influential leaders. This is seen by Rajpath workers not only as an organizational error, but as an 'Ideological Betrayal'. The internal conflicts occurring in 2025 and the first half of 2026 are not primarily personal conflicts; Rather, it is an unwritten grassroots war to protect the party's transparency and against the corruption of hybrids.

A four-point organizational proposition for sustainable governance

The following reforms are the need of the hour to consolidate victory in the upcoming local government elections and to preserve the tradition of BNP as a people-oriented and dynamic political force:

1. Internal Purge:

For those in power who are indulging in extortion, tender bidding or usurpation and tarnishing the image of the party, 'zero tolerance' should be implemented not only on paper but in practice. A special 'Investigation Cell' should be set up to permanently expel the controversies from the party.

2. Internal democracy and merit based evaluation:

The culture of pocket committees or nepotism must be banished forever. Leadership should be selected through direct voting or transparent performance reviews in each unit. It is now essential to involve the sacrificed workers in the important work of the state and the party on the basis of merit.

3. National Heroes Rehabilitation and Welfare Fund:

It is a moral responsibility to ensure a state and party 'social safety net' for the families of those who have gone missing, murdered or maimed in the last decade and a half. Employees need to be valued as partners, not just voting machines.

4. An end to drawing room politics and public involvement:

The central leaders should leave the 'Asimukhi' politics and return to the roots. A permanent 'two-way communication' platform should be developed to listen to the grievances of the grassroots, so that there is no barrier to the true picture of the ground reaching the top leadership.

The unkind lesson of history is that a party that underestimates its adversaries quickly loosens its foundations in the heat of power. BNP is in power today.But the sustainability of this power will depend on the spontaneous confidence of the grassroots. If hybrids and opportunists are weeded out and real warriors on the ground are not given due recognition, this accumulated anger may one day lead to a major political explosion. In the upcoming local elections, the real 'core strength' of the BNP may be the leadership of street fighters rather than pocket committees. It must be remembered that grassroots appeasement is the key to long-term good governance.

Author: Professor Dr. Asif Mizan
Political Analyst and Academician and Vice-Chancellor, University of Daru Salaam, Mogadishu,Semalia.