BNP plans recast in party lineup
The national executive committee of BNP is being revamped as the country's main opposition party prepares to launch a nationwide campaign to press for "mid-term elections" accusing the government of failure to run the country.
In the process a few "inactive members" might be axed from the committee that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia announced after the party held its national council in December 2009 for the first time in 16 years, said party sources on condition of anonymity.
Khaleda will undertake a countrywide mass contact progamme next month after she returns home from the United States, the last leg of her two-nation tour that also took her to the United Kingdom, the sources said.
Khaleda, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, told party workers at a meeting in London on Sunday she will tour through Bangladesh to forge a tough movement demanding that the government steps down to allow holding of mid-term parliamentary polls.
She wants the 386-member national executive committee, a policy-making organ of the party, to be more dynamic before she starts the countrywide campaign of rallies, the sources said. They said after the mass contact campaign she is likely to announce programmes for an anti-government agitation.
Khaleda already assigned party's acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan the task of making a list of inactive members of the national executive committee.
Mirza Fakhrul told the Daily Star that they will sit soon to decide how they will go about identifying the sleeping members of the committee. "The direction has come from the chairperson so we can't ignore it," he added.
Party sources said the process is being delayed due to Nazrul's illness. It will start after he gets well, they said adding that senior leaders of the party will help Mirza Fakhrul and Nazrul in preparing the list.
Sources close to the process said those who consistently failed to take part in the party's recent anti-government programmes such as street demonstrations are being considered as "inactive". The chairperson is annoyed with such members and they might be dropped, they said.
The national executive committee has so far met twice, the last meeting was held last month to review the political and economic situation of the country.
Committee Member Rehana Akhter Ranu, also a member of the parliament, raised the issue of "inactive" members at the meeting on April 23, and demanded they be dropped to make room for more dynamic leaders. She was cheered by a number of mid-level leaders.
Khaleda also took note of the demand and declared at the meeting that "inactive" leaders will be axed from the committee and replaced by those who are more active and dedicated to the party and its programmes.
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