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Download PDF A part or faction of a political party from now on cannot formally do indoor politics like a fully-fledged party as the caretaker government on Monday cancelled its earlier notification that had given factions full party status.
The new meaning of a political party came up when the home ministry issued a fresh circular after the caretaker government lifted restrictions on indoor politics on Monday.
On September 9 last year, the government relaxed the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) allowing limited-scale indoor politics only in the capital.
“To meet the objective of this circular, part of any political party will also be included as political party,” said a gazette notification of the home ministry issued on September 9. This allowed a part of a political party to hold indoor meetings to work for bringing reforms in the party.
Sources in the home ministry said the explanation was excluded this time because the government high-ups did not instruct them to include it.
“In fact, the explanation was dropped carefully as the political parties seem to be united,” a source in the ministry said, adding that now a part or faction of a political party cannot enjoy the benefits a party has been enjoying since the EPR was relaxed.
Interestingly, since September 9 the country has witnessed splitting of or processes to split major political parties.
The BNP was formally divided following the October 29 meeting of the BNP Standing Committee that appointed pro-reform leaders M Saifur Rahman and Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as acting chairman and acting secretary general of the party.
The Awami League also faced a lot of difficulties to remain united as several groups emerged in the party under some senior leaders in the name of reforms.
The September 9 explanation of the meaning of a political party also contradicted the constitution in this regard.
According to article 152(1) of the constitution, a political party includes a group or combination of persons who operate within or outside parliament under a distinctive name and who hold themselves out for the purpose of propagating a political opinion or engaging in any other political activity.
The electoral laws and the Representation of the People Order 1972 also recognise the constitution’s definition of a political party.
According to the constitutional provision, political parties in Bangladesh conduct their activities with names distinctive from each other.
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