Action council faces fresh setback

Issuance of a circular containing the guidelines regarding formation of All-Party Action Council (APAC) has become uncertain as a section of Jatiya Party leadership declined to accept the modalities of its formation.

The Liaison Committee of the BNP-led opposition alliance, after nearly one and half months of discussion, had finalised and approved the structure of the APAC on Thursday last.

The liaison body had decided that the APAC committee would be constituted with not more than 101 members, headed by a convenor. The committee will be formed at all cities, districts, pourashavas (municipalities), thanas, wards and unions of the country to expedite the on-going one-point movement.

Sources said though the JP Chairman HM Ershad had okayed the composition of the APAC, a section of his party leadership, including the JP secretary general Naziur Rahman Manjur, were opposed to it.

They said Manjur and his associates demanded a provision for having co-convenors in the APAC and a smaller APAC committee. They opposed a big committee of 101 members and abolition of the position of joint convenors.

Manjur feared that BNP would lead the APAC in almost all tiers under the final composition and that in that event JP would get fewer posts of convenors.

Due to this fresh dispute, a scheduled meeting of the four secretaries general of BNP, Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, was cancelled all on a sudden yesterday.

The meeting was to be held at 29 Minto Road, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, at 6:30pm yesterday. The secretaries general were scheduled to sign the circular yesterday which, in turn, was to be despatched today.

As per the schedule, Jamaat secretary general Matiur Rahman Nizami along with party's liaison committee representatives, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Qader Mollah and ATM Azharul Islam rushed to Minto Road in time, only to find the office empty.

Qader Mollah tried to contact BNP and other leaders from the Minto Road office by telephone. Finally he came to know from the BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan that the meeting had been cancelled. The Jamaat leaders expressed their dissatisfaction as none had informed them about the cancellation of the meeting.

BNP's Mannan Bhuiyan was also waiting at the party central office for attending the scheduled meeting.

Liaison sources said the meeting had been cancelled as the JP secretary general could not be contacted. A liaison representative told The Daily Star that despite frantic efforts, he could not contact Naziur Rahman Manjur.

"We were forced to cancel today's meeting as none could get in touch with the JP secretary general by phone," the liaison leader added.

However, Anwar Zahid, who is representing the BNP in the liaison committee, told The Daily Star that the meeting of the four secretaries general 'was not scheduled' for yesterday.

He said that he was making contacts with the leaders of the alliance and trying to hold the meeting today (Saturday). He, however, could not confirm whether the secretaries general would meet today. Zahid, however, denied that there was any dispute within the alliance.

Despite repeated tries, JP and Jamaat leaders, especially Naziur Rahman Manjur, were not available for a comment on the 'fresh dispute'.