BNP will hold a protest rally on Friday marking the first anniversary of the jailing of its chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
Political analysts think BNP should now focus on a movement over a single issue of Khaleda Zia's release to revive the party and rejuvenate its demoralised leaders and activists.
The protest rally will begin around 2:30pm at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh Friday afternoon, marking the anniversary.
Party senior leaders will address it, said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Besides, the party's different units across the country will hold the similar programme on Saturday.
BNP had a plan to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday, but the party later postponed it due to the ongoing Ekushey Book Fair at the same venue.
On 8 February, 2018, Khaleda Zia was sent to the abandoned central jail at Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka after a lower court sentenced her to five years imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.
BNP claimed that the case is a politically motivated one.
On 30 October, the High Court doubled her five-year jail term as she challenged the lower court verdict.
On 29 October, Khaleda Zia was convicted in Zia Charitable Trust case and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment by a special court.
The BNP chief has now been facing around 36 cases, including Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable ones.
After the jailing of their chairperson, BNP waged a peaceful movement and passed their days with different action programmes for over two months.
Later, the party joined different city polls, and finally the national election apparently leaving the issue of Khaleda Zia's release for the court to settle.
BNP nominated Khaleda Zia as its candidate for contesting the national election from Feni-1, Bogura-6 and Bogura-7 seats, but the apex court and the election commission announced her ineligible for the polls.
Though the party joined the election leaving her in jail, BNP suffered defeat in government controlled election.
Raising an allegation of massive vote rigging, the BNP rejected the election results and demanded a fresh election under a neutral administration.
Khaleda Zia's lawyers said the BNP chief now needs to get bail in four cases for walking out of jail, but the issue of her release depends on the good will of the government.
"It would be very tough to free Khaleda Zia through a normal legal process as the government has destroyed all the institutions, including the judiciary. I personally don't believe we'll be able to have her released from jail depending on the rule of law," said BNP vice-chairman and Khaleda's counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain.
He said the only way to free her is to heat up the street. "Until we do it, we won't be able to have Khaleda Zia released from jail."
Dhaka University ex-vice chancellor professor Emajuddin Ahmed said it is apparent that BNP senior leaders are facing a trouble to run the party in absence of Khaleda.
He said BNP could neither register that much protest against the 'questionable' national election nor come up with any effective programmes to revitalise its grassroots.
Emajuddin also said BNP should carry out both legal battle and movement to have Khaleda freed and stage a comeback in politics.
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the government has kept Khaleda in jail for a year only to put BNP in trouble.
"We're trying to get her released through a legal battle. We'll also come up with action programmes to mount pressure on the government to free her."
BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar said he is in doubt whether it will be possible to free Khaleda from jail through a legal process. "I think Khaleda Zia won't be freed if we can't initiate a strong fight on the streets."
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said neither the court nor the lawyers can free Khaleda without the government's good will.
"Khaleda Zia will be freed by seven days if the government stops its political interference. So, we must now wage a united movement to force the government to free her."
YS