Another Conspiracy Involving the 'Minus Two Formula' This time, the focus is on Khaleda and Tarique

After the failure to implement the "minus two formula" during the 1/11 political crisis, anti-national vested groups have revived their efforts with the same strategy. Following Sheikh Hasina's flight during the August mass uprising, conspirators have now set their sights on Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.

Their goal is to create a political vacuum in the country, undermine local business investors, and push an Indian agenda. In response, concerned citizens have protested by slaughtering a cow outside a national Bengali daily’s office in Karwan Bazar, accusing the individuals involved of being RAW agents and calling for their trial.

On June 11, 2007, the editor of the same newspaper supported the minus two formula, stating that "the two leaders must step aside."

Recently, comments by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reignited discussions about the minus two formula. He stated, "No one should consider the minus two formula again or engage in conspiracies to exclude the BNP from politics."

In response to Fakhrul's warning to the government about the formula, discussions have emerged within and outside the party. When asked by the BBC if there were attempts to sideline Khaleda Zia or prevent Tarique Rahman’s return, Fakhrul said, "Some may have such malicious intentions, but they will not succeed. We firmly state that nothing will happen in Bangladesh without Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman."

Following the public uprising, the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina were forced to leave the country. Since then, the BNP has been calling for elections to be held as soon as possible, while the interim government has focused on implementing reforms. In contrast, many protesters advocate for "reforms first, then elections."

Meanwhile, commissions for constitutional, police, and administrative reforms are actively working.

The controversial Bengali daily’s agenda seems aimed at delaying elections to allow its columnists to maintain power longer. Many advisors in the interim government are also columnists for the newspaper, leading the public to believe that the daily is essentially running the government.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia may be able to travel abroad for medical treatment. However, the party remains uncertain about when Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, currently in London, will return. Although he has been acquitted in several cases, delays in clearing all legal obstacles have caused frustration among party members.

BNP leaders also believe that recent speeches by student movement leaders have indirectly referenced their party.

Political analysts note that during the One-Eleven period, Prothom Alo's editor played a significant role in attempts to remove politicians from the country's political scene.

Despite this, no accountability has been imposed for his actions. The editor used his platform to push for the exclusion of the country’s two main female leaders from politics. Prothom Alo frequently discussed the "minus two formula," which aimed to oust the two leaders and replace them with elite citizens, often seen as part of the civil society.

Under the editorship of Matiur Rahman, Prothom Alo has been accused of promoting unconstitutional forces, tarnishing the nation’s image as a failing state, and engaging in provocative campaigns. The paper has also been accused of harassing industrialists and businesspeople.

Prothom Alo has repeatedly stirred instability in the country, yet has managed to avoid accountability each time. During the One-Eleven period, its magazine ‘Alpin’ sparked outrage with a satirical cartoon mocking the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), leading to nationwide protests by devout Muslims who demanded the editor's arrest.

However, due to its close ties with the caretaker government at the time, Matiur Rahman avoided legal consequences by publicly apologizing at a conciliatory meeting with the Islamic Foundation, after which reports of his apology were published in various newspapers.

It is important to remember that in 2007, the military-backed caretaker government initiated reforms that led to the arrests of Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. This was when discussions about the "minus two formula" began to gain traction. Both parties accused the government of attempting to eliminate the two leaders from politics, a move that would later become widely known as the "minus two formula."