Few more rebel leaders await Bhuiyan fate
BNP leaders loyal to detained Chairperson Khaleda Zia are planning under the leadership of the newly appointed secretary general to expel a few more leaders close to expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan for their alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
Party sources said Khaleda may soon issue expulsion orders against more leaders including party standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman through her lawyers.
She may also announce the name of a leader as the acting chairperson or chief coordinator to run the party in her absence, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Bhuiyan and his followers may make a counter announcement of actions including expulsion or release of suspected corrupt leaders. These leaders even include detained party chief Khaleda Zia.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday rejected Bhuiyan's claim that they are the mainstream BNP.
Delwar claimed that they are the mainstream BNP and said, "People will decide who are the mainstream BNP and who are outsiders...Politics cannot be pursued unlawfully, it requires people's support.
"Have patience for a few more days...You will see who have the majority support," he told reporters at his NAM apartment residence.
Delwar described Bhuiyan's reform proposal as a "package deal" and said Bhuiyan announced the proposal on "special interest".
He expressed surprise at Bhuiyan's claim that the BNP will win the next election under his leadership. "Has he [Bhuiyan] got the magic lamp? How can he say this before the election?" he said.
He also rejected Bhuiyan's claim that many wrong deeds were done in the last five years which have destroyed the party's image. "Everything was right when he [Bhuiyan] was in power, but now everything is wrong as he is no longer in power!" Delwar said.
On party reforms, he said it would be done in accordance with the party constitution when the ban on politics is lifted. "We will call party council when time comes," he said.
Expelled BNP joint secretary general Ashraf Hossain meanwhile said, "We represent the main BNP as Khaleda Zia did not follow the party constitution in expelling us. The decision [of expulsion] is not acceptable to us.
"BNP will be organised under our leadership and we are working according to the party constitution," Ashraf told reporters after a meeting with Bhuiyan at the latter's Gulshan residence yesterday.
He said they will continue their efforts to implement the reforms to make the party democratic.
ZA Khan, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, also said, "We are the main BNP and we will implement the ideology of late president Zia."
HANNAN SHAH VISITS MUNSHIGANJ
ASM Hannan Shah, adviser to the BNP chairperson, yesterday trashed Bhuiyan's claim of having 100 leaders with him and said Bhuiyan only has 17 former MPs with him.
There are five lakh registered leaders and activists of BNP and only about 150 people were present at Bhuiyan's meeting on Thursday, Hannan told reporters after distributing relief materials in Madhyapara union of Sirajdikhan upazila in Munshiganj.
"Now the main duty of the mainstream BNP is to organise the party under the leadership of Khaleda Zia," he said.
Asked why Bhuiyan, who was the minister of the "most corrupt" ministry, has not been arrested yet, he said Bhuiyan is being patronised by a special quarter. The plan of Bhuiyan and his followers will not be successful, he added.
On the dialogue with the Election Commission he said no dialogue will be held keeping the party chairperson behind bars.
Hannan Shah said he is now performing the duty of a coordinator in the absence of Khaleda.
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