Hannan Shah ready to sit with reformists

BNP chairperson's adviser Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah said he is ready to sit with the reformist group without any pre-condition and hoped for forging unity in BNP.
“I am positive about unity. I've taken the initiative not alone, I've taken all with me for this effort,” he told news agency UNB yesterday night over the phone.
But he would not say when they are meeting with the reformist group headed by Saifur Rahman.
“There will be no pre-condition. We are hopeful of sorting out differences when we meet. They will return to the mainstream,” he said
When contacted pro-reformist leader Maj Gen (retd) ZA Khan, who is also an adviser to the BNP chairperson, said he would welcome and join Shah in his efforts for unity.
Stepping several steps ahead towards unity Khan said the decisions of October 29 standing committee meeting chaired by Saifur Rahman at his house can be scrapped through discussion.
“We are ready to rescind any decision for the sake of unity. Let us sit first for talks. Everything can be decided through discussion,” he said.
“I don't see unity as too difficult if we sit together. We want the unity as early as possible for we want to participate in the election unitedly,” he added.
BNP was split when Chairperson Khaleda Zia sacked Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain as secretary general just before she was taken into custody in September last year. Her unilateral decision without consulting deepened the crisis in BNP.
BNP standing committee meeting on September 29 announced Saifur Rahman as acting chairperson and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed as acting secretary general of the party.
This was not accepted by Khaleda Zia who remained firm in her decision of keeping Khandker Delwar Hossain as secretary general.