Party for all, power for one

The Awami League and the BNP claim that they are working for strengthening democracy in the country. But democratic practice within the two major parties still remains a far cry. We ran a report on Monday on how AL ignores its own charter in running the party and we are carrying a report today on the BNP.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia enjoys the absolute authority to convene the party's national executive committee meeting. But, over the last 25 months, she hasn't called any.
The committee, entrusted with the vital task of coordinating activities of different other bodies of the BNP, must sit at least once in every six months as per the party charter.
Comprised of 390 central and grassroots leaders, the committee can recommend action against any member and take steps to resolve intra-party dispute regarding formation of any committee.
“But since the last meeting of the national executive committee in April 2012, the BNP chief has not taken any move to convene any meeting of such an important body, said a BNP standing committee member.
“If madam [Khaleda Zia] does not want, nobody dares raise the matter before her.”
Talking to The Daily Star, a BNP standing committee member said as one of the largest political party in the country, BNP continuously speaking about establishing democracy in the country since its birth in 1978, but there is lack of democratic practices within it.
“It's true that we do not follow our own charter,” he said. “It's easy to write good things in a charter or book but hard to implement.”
Khaleda's power was consolidated further through the last national council held on December 8, 2009.
To meet the criteria for registration with the Election Commission, the BNP earlier had added some new provisions in its charter, empowering the national council to elect chairperson and other office bearers for the national standing and executive committees.
But things were totally opposite at the council. She became the chairperson and her son Tarique Rahman senior vice-chairman. Both were unopposed.
Instead of proposing ways to establish intra-party democracy, the council also authorised Khaleda to pick the remaining members and office bearers of the standing and executive committees.
Without asking anyone, Khaleda can dissolve the national executive and standing committees anytime.
Another senior BNP leader said the provision for holding of national council once in every three years was also ignored when the last and fifth council was held 16 years after the previous one.  
According to the constitution, executive committees at city, district, upazila and union levels were supposed to sit every three months but the BNP central office does not have any record about it.
And, many BNP leaders have forgotten when the last meeting of BNP chairperson's advisory council was held.
However, four meetings of the national standing committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, took place since February. The latest changes in the BNP charter say the standing committee will sit in every three months.