Delwar makes his big show with ex-MPs

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BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday held a meeting with a number of party’s former lawmakers, first such meeting since his appointment as secretary general on September 2.

The meeting apparently was a show of strength against expelled secretary general of the party Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, sources said.

Bhuiyan earlier claimed that more than 100 former lawmakers of the party and most the party’s executive committee members are beside him.

Bhuiyan also held a meeting with party’s executive committee members and former lawmakers on September 15. Over 50 out of the 251 executive committee members and 63 former lawmakers had attended the meeting with Bhuiyan in the chair.

However, only 40 former lawmakers attended the meeting at Delwar’s NAM flat in the capital yesterday afternoon and expressed their support for detained BNP chief Khaleda Zia and newly appointed Secretary General Delwar Hossain.

Asked why only 40 former lawmakers attended the meeting when BNP had around 220 lawmakers (including MPs selected for the reserved women’s seats) in the last parliament, a pro-Khaleda leader said Khandaker Delwar Hossain called the meeting on short notice; so, many lawmakers could not come but they will meet the secretary general soon.

A number of former lawmakers including Monirul Haque Chowdhury, Gazi Shahjahan Jewel, Abul Kalam, Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Abdul Momin Talukder, who earlier signed a joined statement issued on September 3 rejecting the expulsion order of Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain, also joined the meeting with Delwar yesterday and expressed their solidarity with him.

Asked why the former lawmakers jumped ship, Ashraf Hossain, expelled joint secretary general of the party and a close aide to Bhuiyan, yesterday told The Daily Star, “I do not know the reason why they have changed their position since we also announced reform proposals keeping Khaleda Zia the chairperson of the party.”

Among others, BNP Vice-president MK Anwar, Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan, former lawmakers Khadija Amin, Md Shahjahan, Sohrab Uddin, Selim Reza Habib, Ashraf Uddin Nizam, Shah Nurul Kabir Shaheen, Moazzem Hossain Alal, Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Abul Kalam, Shahjahan Chowdhury, Nurjahan Yasmeen, Shirin Sultana, Rehana Akhtar Ranu, Bilkis Jahan Shirin, Rasheda Begum Hira also attended Delwar Hossain’s meeting.

Welcoming the former lawmakers, Delwar confidently said the party is united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia and there is no division among the rank and file.

Demanding the withdrawal of the ban on politics and the state of emergency, he urged the government to take immediate steps to control price hike of essentials and ensure sufficient fertiliser for the farmers.

The BNP secretary general also demanded immediate release of the party chief as well as other party leaders. He said Khaleda Zia expelled a few persons to save the party from breaking up before her arrest, as there was no other way.

He said they would set up a new workplace, only for holding press briefings, as the party’s central office is locked.

Asked whether he would take any initiative for unity, he said he has no power to do anything without the approval of the party chief in this regard. “But the door is open; so any expelled leaders can return to the party following the party constitution,” he said.

Nazrul Islam Khan, joint secretary general of BNP, said those who do not have respect for Khaleda Zia, cannot be with BNP politics, but unity is necessary to free the chairperson and for the welfare of the party as well as the country.

Former lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury said there is no scope for anyone to challenge Khaleda Zia’s leadership and the party will remain united under the leadership of the chairperson and the secretary general. “We also want to go forward keeping all with us,” he added.

Abdul Momin Talukder said those who wanted to “minus Khaleda Zia” in the name of reforms are now trying to return to the party under the leadership of Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda Zia will return to them if the law takes its own course, Gazi Shahjahan Jewel hoped adding that they have gathered at the secretary general’s home to remove confusion created by a certain quarter.

Shahjahan Mia said their faith in Khaleda’s leadership will prevail as she always took the right decision regarding the party.

“We could not gather in the past days due to some reasons and now we came here to remove all confusion and more lawmakers will come to the secretary general soon to express their solidarity with him,” Moazzem Hossain Alal, former lawmaker and general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, said.

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