BNP reforms reeling from intra-party row

The process of reorganising the main opposition BNP is being obstructed by serious intra-party conflicts among its top leaders over formation of district committees as announcement of its district level convening committees remains stalled.
Meanwhile, the party is yet to finalise its decision on the fate of 'convicted and corrupt' among party men though they are ineligible for any party committee as per its constitution.
Clause 7 of the party constitution says individuals known to be corrupt or infamous individuals in society are ineligible for the party's national council, national executive committee, national standing committee or executives at any level.
National Standing Committee of BNP, highest policymaking body of the party, last month decided to form convening committees in organisational districts dissolving all district committees by April 7.
The party high command, however, failed to finalise the names of conveners and joint conveners of the convening committees, BNP insiders said.
Party Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Thursday said they are still working on it for announcing all district level convening committees soon.
But party insiders said the names of convener and joint convener could not be finalised because of internal conflicts among some senior leaders who are trying to get into district level convening committees.
Standing committee is yet to take any decision on forming many district committees like Feni, Comilla, Manikganj, Barisal and Chittagong and Dhaka city.
Feni, known as Khaleda Zia's district, are divided into two factions--one led by chairperson's brother Saeed Iskander and another by Mosharraf Hossain MP-- while decision on Comilla committee could not be taken due to an obstacle allegedly made by standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.
Delwar Hossain is facing a big challenge in his district Manikganj from local leaders as they are creating obstacles to form its convening committee.
Beside these districts, the standing committee is under pressure from some influential leaders to form Dhaka, Chittagong and Barisal city and district committees.
Earlier, the standing committee held a series of meetings during the last few weeks and decided in principle to form convening committees after dissolving all the district committees to reorganise the party from the grassroots level.
The standing committee has already reviewed six divisional reports on reconstitution of party units from the grassroots level.
Joint secretaries general Abdullah Al Noman, Mirza Abbas, Selima Rahman, MA Mannan, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Nazrul Islam Khan prepared the reports in consultation with upazila, thana and municipality unit leaders of the six divisions.