Khaleda to Chair Today’s BNP NEC Meet - JP, internal feud likely to figure prominently

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BNP Chairperson also Prime Minister (PM) Khaleda Zia is expected to collect authentic information about the field level standings of her party’s key ally Jamaat and probable partner Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad), from the party’s grassroots level leaders during its National Executive Committee meeting today.
Sources said later she will consider the opinions of the grassroots level leaders while making her mind about expanding the ruling alliance.

But internal feuds and the JP issue are likely to be the focal points for the grassroots level leaders as about 40 organisational districts have been with expired committees and more than one candidate are seeking nominations in most of the constituencies where the incumbent lawmakers are from BNP.

However, BNP high ups already directed the grassroots level leaders informally not to talk about internal feuds or embarrassing issues like price hike of essentials, sources said.

BNP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will sit today after about ten years and about 385 leaders from across the country have been invited to attend the meeting to be held in Prodanmontry Bhaban at Sher-e Bangla Nagar in the capital at 10:30am. Khaleda Zia will preside over the meeting.

Party leaders said Khaleda will give directions to grassroots level leaders and activists so that they can face the crucial few days at the field level following the handover of power in the last week of October.

“With the party leaders she will emphasise on continuing party activities after the handover of power,” said a BNP leader adding that the party’s interest might be hurt if the grassroots level leaders leave their constituencies fearing that their opponents will descend on them in retaliation, taking the opportunity of BNP not being in power.

Party leaders and activists will sit today to find out an effective strategy to win the next general election. The party high command decided to take opinions from the grassroots level leaders on the issue of Jatiya Party’s probable inclusion in the alliance so that they can be inspired to work together to ensure victory in the election, BNP sources said.

“Party leaders will talk about the next election which will be helpful for us to win it,” BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters yesterday. “Leaders and activists may also give their suggestions on expansion of the alliance,” he said.

“They may also talk about organisational activities as well as party discipline,” he added.

The NEC meeting, seen as preparatory to the next general election scheduled to be held in January next year, will focus on preparing an election manifesto, latest political situation and organisational work all over the country.

According to the programme schedule, Khaleda will sit in a closed door meeting with the grassroots level leaders after the inaugural session. The media will not be allowed access to the closed door session.

In the meantime, preparation to make the NEC meeting a success has been completed. Last night BNP Secretary General also LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan sat with the party lawmakers elected from Dhaka city. They discussed the matter as well as making successful the announced programme to celebrate the 28th founding anniversary of the party on September 1.

Party sources said the BNP high command however will not allow the grassroots level leaders to ‘criticise’ the party’s recent move to include JP in the alliance and to discuss the rebellious roles of some senior leaders like Col (retd) Oli Ahmad as senior leaders think that such discussions will boost internal feuds which could be harmful for the electoral preparation.

“Now we don’t want to give importance to the rebel leaders as the senior leaders of the party already took initiatives regarding them,” a senior leader told The Daily Star.

However, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who is also the health and family planning minister said, “The leaders may raise the issue.”

The standing committee of the party has been learnt to have decided on August 22, to maintain a slow pace regarding taking decisions about its defiant leaders including Oli Ahmed, while Khaleda talked to Jamaat leaders about the overthrown military ruler Ershad’s return to the alliance. Ershad is now the most important issue for BNP as Jamaat is opposing the move to include JP in the alliance.

Leaders and activists think that the NEC meeting is crucial as some party ministers’ and lawmakers’ fates depend on the meeting’s outcome and the party chairperson’s decision on JP’s probable inclusion in the alliance will also depend on the outcome. So BNP senior leaders are taking the meeting seriously.

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