Internal conflict seems to have escalated in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as deprived leaders are staging demonstrations protesting the decision of the top brass over the formation of committees without council sessions.
To vent their anger, the deprived leaders, protesting the recently formed Chhatra Dal, staged demonstrations in front of the BNP’s central office at Nayapaltan on Thursday.
Demanding their inclusion in the central committee, they alleged that the partial central committee was formed in exchange of money.
Many competent leaders were dropped as the body was formed through a syndicate, they said.
The Rakib-Nasir committee dropped many leaders who remained on the streets after last year’s October 28.
The protesters alleged that a cocktail was hurled recently in front of the BNP office in a planned manner and the blame was put on the deprived leaders.
During the demonstration, they said that they would continue their movement until their inclusion in the central body.
Amid the protest, BNP senior secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi assured the deprived leaders of solving the issue in consultation with BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman.
In a major move, the BNP on June 13 dissolved the committees of Dhaka north and south city units, Chattogram city unit, Barishal city unit and the central committee of the Juba Dal, the youth front of the party.
A release, signed by the party’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, said that the convening committees of four city units and the central committee of the Juba Dal would be declared later.
The Dhaka city north, south, east and west units of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP, were also dissolved on June 14.
After dissolving those committees, the BNP reformed the party's advisory council and national executive committee aiming at revamping the organisational activities to face the upcoming political challenges. It also announced a
partial central committee of 260 members for the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal on June 15, appointing Rakibul Islam Rakib and Nasir Uddin Nasir as president and general secretary respectively.
The move has created a sense of fear among the competent leaders as those committees are being formed in an undemocratic way. Even the senior leaders have not been consulted before taking such move by acting chairperson Tarique Rahman.
As per the party constitution, national council is supposed to be held by every three years. But the party held its last council session on March 19 in 2016.
Apart from the student wing, commotion is also brewing up among the leaders of the other bodies.
Many senior leaders are in fear of losing their posts as BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, what they say, is making the reform in the party exercising the party’s constitutional power bestowed upon him.
They think that acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, who is staying in London, will complete the reshuffle by exercising the party’s constitutional power.
Tarique, who was awarded life imprisonment in August 21 Grenade Attack Case, is holding meetings with leaders and activists virtually.
But, the move has helped develop a sense of frustration among the leaders and activists of the grassroots. A section of leaders expressed sheer frustration as 45 leaders were given positions in the advisory council and national executive committee just before the Eid-ul Azha.
They observed that many competent leaders were not placed in the posts they deserve to keep the ‘yes men’ in the committees through the recent reshuffle.
They fear that if the competent leaders are neglected, it would put a negative impact during the upcoming anti-government movement.
