On the night of 1 July, a local leader of the BNP's youth wing, Jubo Dal, allegedly led an attack on two women at a restaurant and bar in Banani, Dhaka.
The incident sparked a barrage of criticism after CCTV footage of the assault went viral on social media.
The outrage spurred the BNP into action, with the party expelling the accused Jubo Dal leader Monir Hossain the next day.
A Jubo Dal statement declared: "The party has no ties with miscreants, no one will be spared if they commit a crime."
This wasn't the first of such expulsions.
According to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, more than 2,500 leaders and activists have been expelled during the last 10 months, mostly for similar violations.
"If a party cannot maintain discipline within, it can not prevail. Those who violate party regulations and tarnish its image must be held accountable," emphasised Rizvi in a conversation with Dhaka Stream.
The party claims that it is taking a tough stance to maintain discipline.
Many within the party, however, say this has created an atmosphere of fear.
Questions are also being raised: Is this sweeping purge helping to preserve party unity and credibility? Or does it show a lack of control?
The surge in expulsions
Once considered the ultimate step in the succession of incremental punitive actions, expulsion now seems to have become a routine practice in the BNP.
Allegations of assaults against women, attempts to disrupt party councils, and viral audio clips involving bribery incidents have led to a slew of expulsions.
The party insists its stance is uncompromising in protecting discipline.
But many wonder how these individuals managed to hold power for so long.
Consider the example of the Santhia upazila BNP in Pabna.
Discontent reportedly crept in as soon as a new committee was formed in January, as it was alleged to have been formed via bribery.
Several leaders took to the streets in protest.
On January 12, on the day of the district council meeting in Pabna, chaos broke out.
Senior Joint Convener VP Shamsur Rahman himself was accused of leading the unrest. He was expelled subsequently, and a recommendation was sent to the central committee for permanent expulsion.
However, Shamsur Rahman claims that the allegations are baseless. "I was deliberately forced out," he told the media.
While this case may have been strictly political in motive, others demand more scrutiny.
'I was unfed for 17 years, I will feast now'
A leaked phone conversation involving Mahmudur Rahman Rubel, former joint convener of Rajpara Thana BNP in Rajshahi, went viral on social media and garnered trouble for BNP.
In the phone call, Rubel was heard saying, "I was unfed for 17 years, I will feast now".
Initially, local leaders were unsure if it was indeed Rubel. However, following the central leaders' intervention, he was stripped of his party credentials on 21 May.
"We've implemented strict measures to maintain party discipline. No matter who violates the party's ideals and principles, they will not be spared," remarked Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
"Some were trying to take unethical advantage and it posed a threat to the party. That's why such decisions are necessary," Rajshahi city BNP convener Advocate Ershad Ali Esha told reporters.
Rubel himself has yet to make any public statement, but the incident has triggered mixed reactions within the party.
Cleansing party requires hardline approach: Rizvi
BNP leader Rizvi maintains that a hardline approach is the only one the party will entertain going forward.
"Those who violate party discipline can not expect leniency. Because with this, we want to send a clear message to everyone that the party will make no compromise when it comes to discipline. It also sends a strong signal to the public that we are acting responsibly," he told Dhaka Stream.
"Sometimes external enemies try to sabotage the party from within. They prop up the saboteur to create division. Considering all these, we are taking a hard line to ensure the party's unity and reduce confusion."
With many believing that BNP can sweep to power in the next election, the party's leaders and activists remain under strict scrutiny. How the party reacts as it edges closer to power continues to be discussed across different spheres.
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