Bangladesh opposition MPs plan mass resignation

A possible resignation en masse from Bangladesh parliament and the delivery of an ultimatum to the government to resign within a specified time are the issues now sparking off a raging debate in the opposition camp.

Sources said top leaders of the main opposition BNP, Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote informally discussed the two issues in last few days.

They said the BNP was under pressure to give an ultimatum to the Awami League government to resign by March 30 at the four-party alliance meeting in the capital planned for March 21.

Opposition leaders, mostly MPs, have suggested tendering their resignation en masse on the first day of the upcoming parliamentary session beginning on March 29. But the main opposition BNP is yet to decide on the issue.

BNP hardliners, who had spoken of a mass resignation in mid-1998, are now against the idea. They fear that the government could launch a crackdown on the opposition immediately after the resignation and hold by-elections for the vacant seats.

A senior BNP leader admitted that the issue of resignation from parliament and issuance of an ultimatum to the government is being discussed, but nothing concrete has come out as yet.

He said the party is closely observing the situation and gathering information from different quarters in a bid to anticipate the government's next moves. He said the opposition lawmakers might resign from parliament if the Awami League does not resign and hand over power to a caretaker government by the end of this month.

Sources said the Jatiya Party and Jamaat along with the BNP hardliners are trying to convince BNP chief and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia to issue a seven-day ultimatum to the government at the March 21 public meeting in the city.

They have suggested announcement of a series of action programmes as well as tendering of en masse resignation on the first day of the ensuing session of parliament if the idea of ultimatum does not seen feasible.