Khaleda wants Oct 29 issue in reconciliation draft

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Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia wants the issue of controversial October 29 standing committee meeting to be included in the draft proposal for reconciliation of the factions.

Prepared by some pro-Khaleda leaders following discussion with pro-Saifur leaders, the draft was placed to the former prime minister through her lawyers.

But instead of giving her nod, she has sent it back and asked the unity organisers to include something specific about the October 29 meeting, where M Saifur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were appointed acting chairman and acting secretary general.

Besides, expulsion orders against Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain were not approved. The two, then the secretary general and joint secretary general of the party, were expelled by Khaleda Zia just before her arrest.

According to insiders, those behind the fresh unity move did not mention anything about the meeting in their draft. They only said the previous committee formed through the BNP council would be running the party.

Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, a leader of pro-Khaleda faction, yesterday said the reunification process is well on track and an announcement in this regard would come after Khandaker Delwar Hossain’s return.

Delwar, who was appointed secretary general by the chairperson but discarded by the standing committee, is now in Singapore for treatment.

Hannan, also an adviser to the BNP chief, denied having any misunderstanding with Delwar, who earlier rejected proposals for talks with the pro-Saifur leaders.

Earlier last week he claimed that the reconciliation initiative was at the final stage, but other leaders of his faction said they were not aware of it.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a pro-Khaleda leader and acting office secretary, yesterday told The Daily Star that he does not know anything about the unity move that Shah claimed was nearing success.

Khaleda’s lawyers Mahbubuddin Khokon and Masud Ahmed Talukder on Thursday said the chairperson wants the unity to come about in line with the party constitution.

A former lawmaker seeking anonymity told The Daily Star that Khaleda has categorically asked to incorporate a condition Khandaker Delwar has already stated the October29 meeting.

Delwar on many occasions have said the decisions taken by the standing committee must be cancelled in order for reconciliation to take place.

The draft proposal says intra-party reforms would be discussed at the party forum after the chairperson’s release. She will also give a decision regarding the expelled leaders’ fate then.

Meanwhile, a pro-Saifur leader told The Daily Star, “What Hannan Shah is doing in the name of unity is in fact an attempt at having a tight grip on the party leadership.

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