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Download PDF BNP’s pro-Khaleda camp appears to be headed for a conflict as two of its top leaders are at loggerheads over issues pertaining to unification and organisational decisions.
The Khaleda-loyalists are now split into two groups due to differences of opinion of the two leaders — Khandaker Delwar Hossain, the BNP secretary general appointed by party chief Khaleda Zia, and Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, an adviser to the chairperson, said party insiders.
The differences of the two leaders widened when Delwar recently took a number of organisational steps to ensure his domination in the party across the country, said BNP leaders adding that Hannan Shah differed with Delwar as the actions would further intensify internal feuds and jeopardise the unification process in the party.
On Friday, the dispute between Delwar and Hannan became more noticeable to party supporters as the latter, instead of accompanying the secretary general, arrived separately at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman to place floral wreath. Hannan gained immense popularity in the party for his service to the party and Chairperson Khaleda following her arrest.
Although both the leaders publicly said the BNP would not join the government-sponsored dialogue without Khaleda, Hannan Shah has been a proponent of attending the dialogue only to place the demand of Khaleda’s release, said party leaders adding that many senior leaders of the party are now divided into two groups — some are siding with Delwar while others with Hannan.
A BNP leader told The Daily Star last night, “Difference of opinion is a common issue and we hope they [Delwar and Hannan] will successfully overcome this through discussions since Delwar is the secretary general appointed by the chairperson herself while Hannan Shah played an extraordinary role for the party and its chairperson in times of crisis.”
Earlier on Thursday, Delwar approved the expulsion order of BNP’s US chapter vice president Solaiman Bhuiyan and general secretary Zillur Rahmna Zillu.
Sources said, the expulsion of the two US chapter leaders made Hannan Shah dissatisfied as both the leaders provided all-out cooperation to him during his recent visit to the United States.
Hannan Shah and leaders close to him had been actively working on unifying the party before May 30, the death anniversary of party founder Ziaur Rahman, but their efforts failed due to Delwar’s non-cooperation, said party insiders.
They said Hannan Shah on several occasions held discussions with reformist leaders M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed to find a way out and unify the party.
Following a series of discussions, leaders of both the factions agreed to make a formal announcement of unification, but the initiative failed as Delwar refused to endorse the plan until the decisions taken at the meeting of October 29 were declared cancelled.
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