Onus on Tarique

BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman will play an important role in selecting one for the secretary general post which fell vacant after Khandaker Delwar Hossain died, said party insiders.
But before appointing anyone as secretary general, Chairperson Khaleda Zia will talk to the party leaders close to her.
Loyalty to Khaleda and Tarique will be given the highest priority for the nomination of a party leader as secretary general, said party sources.
The chairperson has not discussed the issue with anyone yet, they added.
However, there is no provision in the party constitution for an acting secretary general. Therefore someone must be appointed to the post.
Khaleda is leaving the country today for Saudi Arabia on a 10-day visit for her treatment and to perform Umrah. The senior joint secretary general might be asked to continue the routine work of the secretary general until she returns.
Party leaders think appointing a new secretary general would be a great challenge for the BNP chairperson as a number of senior and mid-level leaders are interested to get the post.
Delwar was appointed to the post for the first time in 2007 just before the arrest of Khaleda Zia during the caretaker government.
His good performance led to his being re-elected in the council held on December 8, 2009.
As per the party constitution approved in the latest party council, “The chairman can fill up vacant posts of the national standing committee and national executive committee."
Party insiders said the chairperson may pick one among Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Tariqul Islam, Shamsul Islam, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdullah Al Noman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as secretary general.
They said some leaders are trying to draw Tarique Rahman's attention on the matter.
Considering their bitter experience in the past, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman must appoint a person who will be loyal to them irrespective of the political situation in the country, party sources said.
Before going to jail, Khaleda had expelled party's former secretary general late Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan for his initiative for party reform to ensure more democratic practices in the party.
A Jamaat-e-Islami delegation, led by its acting chief Maqbul Ahmed, met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office last night.
During the meeting Khaleda told the Jamaat leaders that she would announce anti-government programmes on her return from Saudi Arabia, said sources.
Being urged to declare the programmes from a common platform, Khaleda said she would discuss the issue with all her allies before making any final decision.
Asked about the discussion, Jamaat's acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam told reporters that they paid the courtesy call to discuss several issues.