Saifur rejects Hannan offer

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M Saifur Rahman, the standing committee-appointed acting chairman of BNP, has rejected pro-Khaleda leader Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah’s proposal to cancel the decisions made by the party’s standing committee on October 29.

“Hannan Shah sent me a letter with the proposal to cancel the decision of the meeting. But if we cancel the decision, why would a discussion be held?” said Saifur while speaking with reporters following his meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires.

The decisions taken by the standing committee at the meeting at his residence were to ensure democracy and accountability in the party, Saifur added.

The BNP standing committee at the meeting on October 29 decided to appoint Saifur as the acting chairman and Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as the acting secretary general of the party.

“They [Hannan Shah and the pro-Khaleda faction] say that decisions regarding reforms would be taken at the council of the party, but we all know what happens at the councils,” he said adding that Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Mohila Dal always mount pressure during the councils so that the party followers cannot speak their mind.

“We don’t need such a council where it will be decided that the chairperson will take all the decisions,” said Saifur.

Asked whether he would take any decision to unify the party, Saifur said he had spoken with Khandaker Delwar Hossain, the Khaleda-appointed secretary general of the party, several times over phone, but they [the pro-Khaleda faction] were not willing to sit for a discussion to resolve the issues.

“I even talked to Hannan Shah over the past few weeks and discussed unification, but he has sent me a letter asking to cancel the October 29 meeting,” Saifur said.

According to party leaders, the pro-Khaleda faction leaders had prepared the draft proposal for the reconciliation of the two factions following discussions with pro-Saifur leaders. The draft proposal was then placed before Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the party, through her lawyers.

Khaleda did not approve the proposal and sent it back, asking the organisers of the proposal to include the issue of the October 29 meeting in it.

According to party insiders, the draft proposal did not mention anything about the October 29 meeting and it proposed that the previous committee that was formed through a council would run the party.

Following Khaleda Zia’s advice on the proposal, Hannan Shah, an active leader of the pro-Khaleda faction and an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, sent the letter to Saifur, urging the pro-Saifur faction to cancel the decisions made at the October 29 meeting of the BNP standing committee.

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