Major opposition BNP has planned to take preparations for an intensified movement against the incumbent government in future through using the iftar parties during the month of Ramadan.

The party, which has held meetings with its former and current mayors of the local government units, now plans to sit with the executive members and officials of the party’s national executive committee to take opinion of the party leaders about their next course of action, BNP sources said.

BNP insiders said the opposition party, which has already failed to intensify movement for realisingits 10-point demand, including resignation of the government, has now planned to go for an all-out movement after Eid-ul-Fitr.

“Our movement is going on. The pace and nature of the movement will be determined based on the arising situation. So, we can’t say when we will go for an all-out movement,” BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy told the Daily Sun.

BNP sources said the party has planned to hold iftar parties as part of its organisational activities during the month of Ramadan in a bid to evaluate capacity of its Dhaka north and south city unitsand prepare for an intensified movement.

At the same time, the opposition will alsocontinue approaching influential countries and international organisations to draw their attention and support in favour of the BNP’s ongoing anti-government movement, the sources added.

Sources inside the Dhaka city units of BNP said the party has planned to hold iftar parties in at least 50 thana areas of Dhaka north and south city units for revamping the party men while the party’s front and associate organisations and pro-BNP professionals’ organisations will also host iftar parties.

The BNP standing committee in its meeting held on Monday took a number of important decisions regarding preparing the Dhaka city units for their next course of action through the iftar parties and organisational meetings.

At the same time, the party policymaking body also decided to hold meeting of BNP national executive committee to take opinion about the movement and to give necessary instructions to them, the meeting sources said.

The BNP senior leaders held meeting with the current and former mayors and chairmen of local government units, including Union Parishad’s former and current mayors, for 10 days in the capital from February 23 till March 16 and discussed the party’s next course of action and possible strategy of movement.

In the meeting with around 2,367 former and current people’s representatives of grassroots local government units, the party high command also made it clear that the BNP will not participate in the next general election under the party in power and will carry out strong movement to realise their demands, the party sources said.

A number of the grassroots leaders who were present in the meeting said the grassroots leaders in the meetings presented sorry state of the organisation, including internal conflict.

They also suggested that the party senior leaders should strengthen BNP’s Dhaka city units, ensure successful movement in the capital increasing the presence of the central leaders on the streets and resolve internal conflicts before intensifying movement, they added.

“We are evaluating our party’s capacity to forge a strong movement through holding meetings with the grassroots and central leaders. We may go for a harsher movement with the one-point demand of resignation of the government in April,” BNP joint secretary general Majibar Rahman Sarwar said.

A senior leader of the BNP wishing not to be named said the party has now taken a decision to hold meeting with the members of the party’s national executive committee soon to discuss the party’s next course of action and make their next strategy of movement.

“The BNP has taken a decision to reshuffle the party’s standing committee through filling up vacant posts with new leaders. At the same time, expulsion order of many leaders will be withdrawn and step will have to be taken to remove internal conflicts before starting the all-out movement,” he added.

BNP sources said the party’s organisational capacity is in a sorry state due to internal conflict and lack of proper leadership. Besides, tenure of many committees of different units of the party and its front organisations has already expired, they said.

The party held its sixth council session in March 2016. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was elected chairperson and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as secretary general. The 19-member standing committee was also formed during the time.

Later, a number of posts of the party’s policymaking body have fallen vacant due to various reasons, including deaths.