Saifur offers olive branch to Delwar for party unity

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BNP Acting Chairman Saifur Rahman yesterday gave leader of another faction Khandaker Delwar Hossain a proposal for unity under the leadership of the party’s detained chairperson Khaleda Zia.

In response to the proposal, Delwar asked Saifur to accept the orders for expulsion of Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain and cancel the decisions of the meeting “called in the name of the party standing committee” on October 29.

Rizvi Ahmed, acting office secretary of BNP, confirmed The Daily Star that Saifur talked to Delwar, asked about his health and discussed political matters.

“The party is already united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia. If you still want to do something for the party, accept Khaleda Zia’s decision to expel Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain and cancel the illegal committee you formed through a midnight coup on October 29. Then we will see what we can do,” Rizvi quoted Delwar as telling Saifur.

Asked about the conversation between Saifur and Delwar, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, standing committee member loyal to Saifur, told The Daily Star, “They are old comrades in the party, so they can talk to each other…I hope Delwar Hossain will respond positively, which will be helpful for strengthening the party’s unity.”

BNP sources close to Delwar said Saifur was able catch their leader on the phone after repeated attempts since the morning. “Delwar finally received Saifur’s call in the afternoon,” a source told The Daily Star.

Saifur called his rival in the party around 4:15pm and talked for one and a half hours, sources said, adding that he reiterated their stand to accept all the decisions of Khaleda regarding the party leadership when she gets released.

“Holding a post in the party is not an important matter at this moment. We agree on the question of unity and respect Khaleda Zia’s decision in this regard,” a BNP leader quoted Saifur as telling Delwar over telephone.

The BNP source said Delwar also said he has no reservations about unity in the party but took time to get Khaleda’s opinion.

“I will try to get the chairperson’s response. You should also try to contact her,” Delwar told Saifur.

Both the factions held separate meetings and discussed the matter with their leaders last night.

Saifur, the senior most leader of BNP, was appointed acting chairman at a controversial meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee at his Gulshan residence. The meeting also appointed Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed acting secretary general of the party.

The pro-Khaleda faction outright rejected the decisions, saying that according to the party constitution, only the chairperson is authorised to call such a meeting.

Dr RA Gani, one of the senior members of the standing committee present in that meeting, later said it was not a formal meeting, so it had no legitimacy to change the party leadership.

Delwar also alleged that he was asked to join the meeting and was also threatened with death to leave his post. He could not attend the meeting due to illness.

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