Most BNP men in Kushtia are with Delwar, 3 ex-MPs claim

Majority of BNP leaders and activists in Kushtia have expressed their support to party's new secretary general Khondokar Delwar Hussain, three out of four former lawmakers in the district claimed.
The party rank and file expressed their 'full confidence' in the leadership of Khaleda Zia, they said while talking to this correspondent.
They alleged that expelled secretary general Mannan Bhuiyan is “misleading” party men in the name of reform.
This correspondent also talked to many other front ranking leaders including presidents and secretaries of upazila units who are party councilors and hold vital posts.
A good number of Kushtia BNP leaders and activists including upazila presidents and secretaries led by former lawmakers Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi and Sohrab Uddin met with Khondokar Delwar at his residence in Dhaka on Wednesday and expressed their support to him, party men said.
Rumi was elected from Kushtia-4 (Khoksa-Kumarkhali) constituency and Sohrab from Kushtia-3 (Sadar) in 2001 election.
Those who met Delwar included woman affairs secretary Syed Fahima Rumi, district BNP joint secretary Khondokar Sazedur Rahman Bablu, Kushtia city BNP secretary Kutub Uddin Ahmed, Khoksa upazila BNP president Syed Amzad Ali and some leaders of Jatyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD).
Another former lawmaker--Sahidul Islam--, now on the run being listed as a corruption suspect by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), also expressed his support to Khaleda Zia.
“There is no alternative to Khaleda Zia to lead BNP as she carried the ideology of late President Ziaur Rahman”, Rumi told this correspondent over cell phone.
Rumi, general secretary of Kushtia district BNP and elected twice from Kushtia-4 constituency, is known as a powerful party leader in the district. He is the son of former BNP lawmaker late Syed Mas-ud-Rumi.
Sohrab Uddin, organising secretary of Kushtia BNP, is publicly known as an honest politician. He was elected from Kushtia Sadar constituency for the first time in 2001 by defeating prominent Awami League leader barrister Amir-ul-Islam. Shorab also scored the second highest number of votes in 2001 parliamentary election.
“All leaders and activists of BNP in the district are with us and support Khaleda Zia,” Sohrab told this correspondent.
“Mannan is misleading party leaders and activists”, Sohrab said.
Asked about reform in the party Mehedi Rumi said, “Will we eat the fruit by uprooting the tree?”
Asked about two other former BNP lawmakers from the district --Reza Ahmed Bachchu Mollah and Abdul Khaleque Chantuwho reportedly joined Mannan Bhuiyan, Rumi said, “They will not be able to do any harm to the party in Kushtia”.
“No body is with them as they are now detached from party leaders and activists at grassroots level”, Rumi said.
Bachhu Mollah, son of late post and telecommunications minister Ahsanul Haq Mollah was elected from Kushtia-1 seat in the by-election following his father's death in 2004. Abdul Khaleque Chantu was elected twice (1991 and 1996) from Kushtia-3.
This correspondent also talked to a good number of leaders at district, upazila and union levels.
They criricised Mannan Bhuiyan, saying he is also not free from corruption. They claimed that Mannan Bhuiyan is using the shield of reform to save himself. He is also surrounded by beneficiaries during the BNP-Jamaat rule, they claimed.
They claimed that Bachhu Mollah joined Mannan Bhuyian to evade arrest and Abdul Khaleque Chantu is now detached from party activists.
Five extortion cases were filed against Bachhu Mollah in last three months. Charge has been framed in one of the cases, while the rest are under investigation.
Kushtia is a stronghold for BNP for long. BNP captured all four parliamentary seats in the district in 1996 and 2001 elections. BNP got three seats in 1991 election while Awami League got one.