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Download PDF Many BNP leaders including more than a hundred former ministers, former lawmakers, and current district level leaders yesterday expressed their support for the reform proposal prepared by the party secretary general in an effort to put an end to dynastic leadership and to put democracy at the centre of the party.
According to reformists, more than fifty former lawmakers of the party yesterday met Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in his Gulshan residence to express their support for the reform proposal while many others gave their consent over the phone.
“Leaders from different areas have come here today to extend their support and to thank the party secretary general for his proposal,” Ashraf Hossain, joint secretary general of the party, told a news briefing after a meeting between the former BNP lawmakers and Bhuiyan.
Ashraf however did not make it clear whether they will seek permission from the government to hold a party council amid the state of emergency to implement their proposed reforms, as an adviser to the government yesterday said it will duly consider any political party’s wish to hold a council to bring reforms to the party despite the ban on indoor politics.
Bhuiyan also exchanged views in a separate meeting yesterday morning with former lawmakers of the party elected from the constituencies of Barisal division, and he is scheduled to continue such meetings with district and thana level leaders.
Meanwhile, some persons close to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia started contacting the party’s district level presidents and general secretaries urging them not to support Bhuiyan’s reform proposal short of a party council.
Leaders from the Barisal division including former minister and the party’s Vice-president Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, former state ministers Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan and Shah Abul Hossain, former lawmakers Elen Bhutto, Rustom Ali Farazi, Zahiruddin Swapan, and Nazim Uddin Alam exchanged their views with Bhuiyan in his residence yesterday morning.
Emerging out of the meeting Hafiz Uddin Ahmed told reporters, “We cannot just sit idle for another 14 years as the party council did not take place in the last 14 years, we cannot even wait for the lifting of the state of emergency.”
“We prepared the reform proposal to put an end to dynastic leadership and to run the party in a democratic manner,” he said adding that reforms should be brought to the party constitution because the party does not need the chairperson to have absolute power.
During the BNP secretary general’s meeting with former lawmakers of the party he explained the proposal and the situation of the party to them, and sought their support for the proposal.
Among others former state ministers Rezaul Karim and Ebadur Rahman Chowdhury, former deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu, former lawmakers Abul Kalam, Shahiduzzaman Beltu, Nazim Uddin Alam, Ziaul Haque Mollah, Zakaria Taher, Justice Mozammel Haque, Shahiduzzaman, Shah Shaheed Sarwar, Zoinal Abedin, Abdul Alim, Nazir Hossain, Kalim Uddin Milon, Rezaul Bari Dina, GM Siraj, Tasmin Rana, Shahria Akhtar Bulu, and Masud Arun met Bhuiyan and expressed their support for his reform proposal.
When the reporters asked about allegations of corruption and hooliganism against some of the new found pro-reform leaders of BNP, Ashraf said, “Prove those if you have specific allegations!”
Later Ashraf Hossain briefed the reporters and said, “Leaders from different areas thanked Bhuiyan for his proposal and they also supported it.”
“He [Bhuiyan] announced the reform proposal to make the party democratic and for ensuring collective leadership in the party,” he said adding that BNP will be turned into a democratic political party if the reform proposal is adopted and implemented.
Ashraf, who is known as a close aide to Bhuiyan, firmly said, “The party must be freed from those who did wrong by using the party for personal gains, they must be identified, and our secretary general said an inquiry committee will be formed to facilitate that goal.”
When asked whether their reform proposal reached the BNP chairperson, he said, “Yes she got the proposal through a messenger.”
Asked about a possible timeframe for the party council, Ashraf said, “Reforms are what is needed right now. Despite having the provision of holding councils regularly in the party constitution, we could not have it in the last 14 years, the person who was given the responsibility by the constitution did not obey the constitution.”
Asked why there is no restriction on being the party’s secretary general for more than two terms, the former whip said according to the reform proposal, the secretary general will also have to be elected instead of being nominated like before.
Asked why there are restrictions only on becoming the chairperson for more than two terms, he said the chairperson is elected while the rest are nominated.
June 28th, 2007 at 5:01 am
Democracy needed at the centre of the party, end dynasty politics but under democratic process. Here Party secretary general A. M. Bhuiyan seems well organised to get support from the various sectors of the BNP across the country, Such excitement of division may damage the party’s image!!
June 28th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Image,Image, and Image!!What kind of Image is left
For BNP?They have to start from `ZERO’!!That what
Party secretary is trying to do.