National council

Venue permission eludes BNP

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going ahead with preparations for holding its much-awaited national council on March 19, despite uncertainties over permission for the venue, according to party leaders. The party is evolving new strategies so that it can hold the council in time, even if the authorities give them permission for the venue at the last moment, a BNP leader said. The BNP high command has directed the grassroots-level leaders to prepare lists of councillors and delegates and send them to the party headquarters, said a standing committee member.
The sub-committees, formed earlier to make the council a success, are meeting regularly to discuss various aspects.  The party high command has asked them to submit their reports by the first of March, he said. The sub-committees have also been told to make preparations for the council as there is little time left, said the leader. The party is also planning to print several sets of posters to mark the national council to keep up the morale of the party rank and file, he said. The party plans to publish posters in early March without giving a specific date or mentioning the name of the venue. It will publish posters for the second time with the specific date for the council after getting permission for the venue, he added.
The party sought permission for one of three venues a couple of weeks ago to hold the council on March 19, but the authorities are yet to reply. “We are moving ahead for the council taking March 19 as the date,” said BNP acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Talking to The Independent he said they are still waiting for permission to hold the council at a venue chosen by them. He said they had sought the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on a priority basis, considering its capacity to accommodate a large number of people.  “We are also holding talks with the authorities of Suhrawardy Udyan and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh,” he added. Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, chairman of the election commission to elect party chairperson and senior vice- chairman, said he has met and discussed different aspects with the two top leaders of the party .  
“We may announce the election schedule on May 4 if the council is held on March 19, giving 15 days’ notice. We are determined to make the council a success,” Sircar, also a standing committee member, added. BNP joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they were in constant touch with the authorities to get permission for  any one of the three places chosen by them. He regretted that preparations are being hampered due to delay in getting permission. The drafting sub-committee has discussed the speech of the party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, while publication sub-committee has sought write-ups and articles for the party souvenir on the occasion of the council. Other work of publication is also going on, said party insiders.
The party standing committee, at a meeting on January 23, decided to hold the council on March 19. On February 12, the party formed the council preparatory committee, headed by Khaleda Zia, and set up 11 sub-committees to make the council a success. The last council of the BNP was held on December 8, 2009. According to the party constitution, the national council is supposed to be held every three years. The party tried to hold its national council several times, but failed to do so because of political turmoil in the country.

National council

Venue permission eludes BNP

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going ahead with preparations for holding its much-awaited national council on March 19, despite uncertainties over permission for the venue, according to party leaders. The party is evolving new strategies so that it can hold the council in time, even if the authorities give them permission for the venue at the last moment, a BNP leader said. The BNP high command has directed the grassroots-level leaders to prepare lists of councillors and delegates and send them to the party headquarters, said a standing committee member. The sub-committees, formed earlier to make the council a success, are meeting regularly to discuss various aspects. The party high command has asked them to submit their reports by the first of March, he said. The sub-committees have also been told to make preparations for the council as there is little time left, said the leader. The party is also planning to print several sets of posters to mark the national council to keep up the morale of the party rank and file, he said. The party plans to publish posters in early March without giving a specific date or mentioning the name of the venue. It will publish posters for the second time with the specific date for the council after getting permission for the venue, he added. The party sought permission for one of three venues a couple of weeks ago to hold the council on March 19, but the authorities are yet to reply. We are moving ahead for the council taking March 19 as the date, said BNP acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Talking to The Independent he said they are still waiting for permission to hold the council at a venue chosen by them. He said they had sought the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on a priority basis, considering its capacity to accommodate a large number of people. We are also holding talks with the authorities of Suhrawardy Udyan and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, he added. Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, chairman of the election commission to elect party chairperson and senior vice- chairman, said he has met and discussed different aspects with the two top leaders of the party . We may announce the election schedule on May 4 if the council is held on March 19, giving 15 days notice. We are determined to make the council a success, Sircar, also a standing committee member, added. BNP joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they were in constant touch with the authorities to get permission for any one of the three places chosen by them. He regretted that preparations are being hampered due to delay in getting permission. The drafting sub-committee has discussed the speech of the party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, while publication sub-committee has sought write-ups and articles for the party souvenir on the occasion of the council. Other work of publication is also going on, said party insiders. The party standing committee, at a meeting on January 23, decided to hold the council on March 19. On February 12, the party formed the council preparatory committee, headed by Khaleda Zia, and set up 11 sub-committees to make the council a success. The last council of the BNP was held on December 8, 2009. According to the party constitution, the national council is supposed to be held every three years. The party tried to hold its national council several times, but failed to do so because of political turmoil in the country.