Bangladesh News

BNP leaders at different levels are lobbying for coveted positions in the standing and central executive committees as the party plans to include new faces in them.

Meanwhile, election commission for BNP Chairperson Election-2009 declared Khaleda elected yesterday, the last day of withdrawing nomination paper for the post of chairperson.

Commission Chairman TH Khan made the announcement at a press briefing.

The proposal for creating a post for Tarique Rahman might come from the councillors, as the party’s top leadership could not reach any decision on the matter.

Sources said a few party leaders plan to get a proposal placed by field-level councillors for creating the post of ‘co chairperson’ or ’senior vice-president’ for Tarique in the council. They are confident that the proposal will be accepted unanimously.

Hundreds of BNP leaders, workers and supporters have been gathering at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan and the chairperson’s Gulshan office for the last few days.

Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been holding a series of meetings at her office till midnight to review the progress of the council.

Party’s Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain and the conveners are monitoring the activities of sub-committees directly to make the council successful.

Congratulating Khaleda, Delwar said, “She [Khaleda] has created history through her uncompromising leadership to uphold the country’s independence and sovereignty.”

Leaders and activists of the party and its associated bodies last night congratulated Khaleda at her Gulshan office on her getting re-elected.

Party insiders said eight new leaders might be included in the national standing committee as six posts in it remains vacant while two leaders might lose their posts because of ill health.

Since the number of posts in the central executive committee will be increased to 351, many former student leaders are trying to persuade the party high command to include them in the committee.

Khaleda Zia, RA Gani, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmad, Abdul Matin Chowdhury, M Shamsul Islam and Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubuddin Ahmed are members of the standing committee.

Of them Khandaker Mahbubuddin and Matin might be dropped from the committee while leaders like TH Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, MK Anwar, Abdullah Al Noman and Mirza Abbas might be made its members.

Party insiders said a post in the standing committee might be kept vacant primarily for Tarique Rahman. If the post of ‘co-chairperson’ or ’senior vice-president’ cannot be created for him, he will be made a standing committee member after his return from abroad.

A number of reformist leaders will be ousted from party committees. However, some reformists like Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed will continue with their current posts.

Mahbub is a standing committee member while Hafiz is the vice-president of the central executive committee.