Bangladesh News

Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, a top leader of the BNP’s reformist faction and former LGRD minister, was released on bail from Dhaka Central Jail yesterday afternoon.

After arriving at his Gulshan residence in the evening, Bhuiyan, also former BNP secretary general, for the first time demanded release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

He also urged the authorities to release and ensure proper treatment for all political leaders including Tarique Rahman, Mohammad Nasim, Mirza Abbas, Tariqul Islam, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.

Bhuiyan came out of jail at about 5:35pm yesterday after the High Court on Monday granted him two months’ ad-interim bail in the Gatco scam case.

A huge number of party leaders, workers, supporters and relatives received him outside the central jail on Nazimuddin Road in the city’s Chankharpul area.

Later, talking to reporters at his residence, Bhuiyan said on party unity that there is no alternative to being united. “I always spoke for unity in the past and am still speaking for it. The party will have to be united to win the upcoming election,” he said.

He also asked the government to implement the jail reforms and release all VIP prisoners, saying they would not go into hiding after being released.

He will place a floral wreath at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP, today.

The Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court sent Bhuiyan to jail after he surrendered to the court on May 18.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and BNP leader MK Anwar, two other accused in the case, had already been set free on High Court bail.

Mannan Bhuiyan emerged as one of the top leaders of the reformist faction of the BNP following the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11, 2007.

Later, he announced proposals to bring changes in the party constitution to make the party democratic but Khaleda Zia did not endorse him.

Khaleda expelled Bhuiyan from the party just before her arrest on September 2 last year and appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain as the party secretary general.

Bhuiyan, however, refused to accept the decision of his expulsion and tried to organise the faction to implement the reforms in the party.

The party standing committee at a controversial meeting held at Saifur Rahman’s Gulshan house reinstated Bhuiyan as its member and appointed Saifur the acting chairperson and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed the acting secretary general of the party.

The pro-Khaleda faction refused the meeting decision.

However, Bhuiyan’s initiatives failed when Saifur himself declared his leadership ineffective before leaving the country for Singapore and blamed party leaders “with background in left politics”, hinting at Mannan Bhuiyan, for splitting the party.

Before leaving his house for surrendering to the court, Mannan Bhuiyan, a veteran freedom fighter, trashed his new political mission and urged BNP leaders, workers and supporters to be united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia.