The process of reorganising the main opposition BNP is being greatly obstructed by serious intra-party conflicts between ‘reformist’ camp, and leaders who have been convicted and are known as corrupt among the party men.
Party insiders said reformist leaders are trying to get into district level convening committees of the party while convicted leaders are opposing their entry or continuation in any party committee.
And leaders who are neither reformists nor convicts want to see honest persons with organising ability in the convening committees to be announced soon for all district units of the Party.
Contacted, BNP Joint Secretary General Goyeshwar Chandra Roy said leaders of convening committees would be selected on the basis of their performance, acceptability and capability. “It does not matter who are reformists and who are not. But sentiment of the party men will be honoured.”
Sources in the party said a four-member special committee headed by Chairperson Khaleda Zia is now reviewing the list of proposed leaders of district units, and in some cases crosschecked those contacting them as well as local activists.
Grassroots party leaders from across the country in their month- long exchange of view meetings in February proposed three names for the post of convener and three or four names for joint conveners of district committees.
According to party insiders, ‘convicted and corrupt’ leaders are mounting pressure on the party leadership to exclude reformists from all committees. Even some of them are provoking party workers to insult reformist leaders.
Admitting the problems, party standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said, they (corrupt and convicts] want to serve their own interests by ‘keeping the party hostage’.
“It will be tough for a good man to continue in politics unless the situation improves. We are waiting to see good people in BNP,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.
When asked, a senior BNP leader said, “Their (convicts) pressure will have no impact as the party had to pay much for their activities. But it is also true that reformists threw the party into uncertainty during the state of emergency.”
He went on, “Considering all the matters, the standing committee (of BNP) will announce the names of convener and joint conveners of district units as soon as possible.”
Earlier last month, the standing committee had decided to form district convening committees by April 7 but failed to do so.
According to the party plan, these committees, before holding district unit councils, will organise councils at upazila and union levels.
Before holding union level councils, a drive will be launched at village level to enrol new members of the party.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh News, Bangladesh Politics, Daily Bangladesh News, News, Politics
