BNP taking steps to put house in order

Ruling coalition leader Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is embarking on a set of organisational programmes soon to put its house in order and face probable anti-government agitation by the opposition.

Sources said the party, dogged by intra-party squabbles and growing frustration over top echelon's indifference to party affairs, will kick off conferences in some districts ahead of party national conference sometime next year.

"The conferences will inject dynamism and greater cohesion into the party erasing inertia and long-running feuds in its ranks," said a top BNP leader.

BNP sources said the party leadership fixed the August 31 deadline to complete formation of 75 organisational district committees, but only 30 were completed by the time.

The committee formation ran into a roadblock in Ramadan and the party leadership is in favour of holding conferences in remaining units in a couple of months.

Sources said the BNP leadership is highly annoyed that leaders assigned to complete formation of fresh committees of thana and district units by August failed to finish their tasks despite repeated instructions.

Constitution of thana committees is largely complete by now and the remaining will be formed by December, BNP sources said.

They said the BNP high command has asked leaders to start committee formation in remaining thanas and districts after Victory Day on December 16 and complete the task in a month.

"I think it won't be possible to complete constitution of remaining district and thana committees in a month, but the central committee will keep constant pressure on leaders and activists concerned," said a senior leader.

He said the party leadership wished completion of committee formation in the next two months to prepare for the national council some time next year.

The last BNP national council was held in 1993 and an extended meeting in 1996.

BNP sources said stagnation occurred in the party because of non-holding of regular councils and conferences of central and local bodies.

Most leaders, from party chairperson down to grassroots ones, are holding posts even after the expiry of two-year tenures.

Khaleda Zia, who was elected party chief in 1997, is currently leading the BNP into the over six years without any fresh mandate. The BNP constitution lays down that the national council members will directly vote the chairman into office for two years.

Recently, the Hawa Bhaban-based party nerve centre is also putting pressure on district units to hold elections soon.

Central leaders allege that important local level leaders like presidents and general secretaries of thana and district units are unwilling to hand over leadership to others.

But grassroots leaders and activists alleged that their top leaders, including ministers and MPs, have remained virtually aloof from party activities since the party took office.

Sources said BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan gave all joint secretaries general of the party division-wise responsibility to complete formation of district committees.

Only Tareque Rahman, senior joint secretary general, completed much of the task and formed fresh committees in 12 districts out of 16, where 'intra-party conflict' persisted for long.