What Awaits the BNP in Power?

M A Hossain,

Politics eventually meets reality. Campaign slogans fade; governing remains. An electoral mandate is not a trophy but a test. For the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returning to power would mean confronting a nation weary from political turbulence, economic strain, and social fragmentation. Expectations are high—impatiently so. The next government will be judged not by rhetoric, but by results.

The first and most immediate challenge is price stability. If a government cannot discipline the market, the market will discipline the government. For years, essential commodities—rice, edible oil, onions, sugar—have drifted beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Seasonal price spikes before Ramadan have come to feel less like market fluctuations and more like organized exploitation.

This is not merely an economic failure; it is a moral one. When daily necessities become luxuries, it is the working poor who absorb the shock. Addressing this demands more than publicized crackdowns. It requires dismantling entrenched syndicates, enforcing competition laws, digitizing supply monitoring, and strengthening independent oversight bodies. Transparent import policies and strategic buffer stocks must replace reactive governance with preventive control. Inflation is more than a statistic; it is political volatility in numeric form.

Second comes law and order. A state that tolerates mob justice weakens itself. Recent years have seen episodes of public violence, partisan clashes, and a troubling perception that enforcement agencies were hesitant or politically influenced. Public safety cannot depend on party affiliation.

A BNP government would need to professionalize policing, ensure judicial swiftness against organized violence, and send a clear message that no political identity offers immunity. Visible, impartial enforcement is the foundation of public trust. Without it, insecurity becomes a daily tax on civic life.

Third is economic recovery. Capital flight, weakened accountability, pressure on foreign exchange reserves, and currency depreciation have undermined confidence. Economic revival cannot be improvised through short-term fixes. Institutional discipline must be restored. Anti-corruption mechanisms must function independently. Suspicious financial outflows require transparent audit and legal pursuit.

Simultaneously, structural reforms—tax rationalization, subsidy targeting, and export diversification—are essential. Bangladesh’s earlier growth story, powered by garments and remittances, demonstrated resilience. That resilience must now be modernized and broadened. Political stability cannot endure without economic credibility.

Fourth is the question of youth. Academic disruption and politicized campuses have left many students uncertain about their futures. Youth activism is a democratic right, but it must not devolve into disorder. Universities must operate consistently. Scholarship opportunities and employment pathways should expand. The aim should not be to silence young voices but to redirect their energy toward national reconstruction.

Finally, institutional credibility must be rebuilt. Governance is less theatrical than opposition politics, yet far more demanding. Regulatory bodies, the civil service, and oversight agencies require insulation from partisan interference. Reform will provoke resistance from entrenched interests who benefit from opacity and disorder. Leadership will be measured by its willingness to persist. Power is temporary; responsibility is immediate. History, as ever, will be unsparing.

M A Hossain, political and defense analyst based in Bangladesh. He can be reached at: writetomahossain@gmail.com

This article published at :

1. Pakistan Observer, Pak : 18 Feb, 26