BNP makes fresh attempt to revamp organisation

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has taken a fresh initiative to reorganise the party at the grassroots level, to gear up the organisation for future movement and in preparation for the next elections, according to party leaders. The party high command has asked party secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to complete the reorganisation work, where new committees have not yet been formed. The party was able to hold the conference of only a dozen district committees, out of 75 organisational districts, before the last national council in Dhaka on March 19, said the leaders. New committees will be formed through conferences at different levels wherever it is necessary, the leaders said.
After formation of the party's central bodies, both BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman have given priority to reorganisation of the party within the shortest possible time, to boost party activities, they added.
The BNP high command plans to launch a fresh movement to demand fresh elections under a non-partisan election-time government after the party is reorganised, said a senior leader, preferring anonymity. This time, the party has taken the reorganisation plan seriously and aims to complete the work within two to three months, he said. The secretary-general has been given the task of supervising the reorganisation process, while vice-chairman Mohammad Shajahan is coordinating the whole exercise, said the leader. Mirza Fakhrul has asked the party organising secretaries and assistant organising secretaries to prepare and submit reports on the state of the organisation in their respective districts, upazilas, municipalities and unions, so that steps can be taken accordingly.
BNP vice-chairman Mohammad Shajahan, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the reorganisation work, said the organisation secretaries have been asked to submit their organisational reports focusing on update as to when the committees at the district, municipality and upazila levels were held. Priority will be fixed after receiving all the reports, while joint secretaries general will be given responsibility based on a zone, to look after the reorganisation process, he said. The BNP leader said no time-frame has been set to complete the task, but he feels that it could be possible within two months.
He said dedicated and tested leaders would be evaluated in the district committees. Many posts would become vacant as many district leaders would have to resign following the “one-leader-one-post”
policy. BNP joint secretary Khairul Kabir Khokan said they could not complete the reorganisation work before the council due to the "prevailing situation".
He said the organising secretaries would collect data after visiting different districts across the country. The leader hoped that they would be able to complete the task by October.
Organising secretary Nazrul Islam Manju said they have been asked to file updated report on the organisation.
He said the committees should be formed through conference, otherwise, the reorganisation would not be successful.
The BNP, which is now neither in Parliament nor in the streets, has been working to reorganise the party during the past seven years, but was unable to complete the task, according to party sources.
Party leaders, however, blamed the government for carrying out repression on their activists and not allowing them to hold conferences and form committees.
The BNP high command had taken the initiative to reorganise the party after its debacle in the 2008 general election, but it failed to form almost half of the districts committees before the fifth council held on December 8, 2009.
Even grassroots level leaders were given two extensions to complete the task.
A few months after the fifth council, the party took a fresh initiative to reorganise the party at the district and upazila levels, but did not succeed due to intra-party feud and group rivalry at the local level and unwillingness of local leaders. Later, the party got involved in the movement for restoration of the caretaker government system. After the 2014 general election that was boycotted by the party, the BNP chairperson held meetings with leaders of district committees and dissolved 13 district committees, including those of Sunamganj, Sylhet, Chuadanga and Khulna, in a bid to reform the committees. Despite making attempts, the party failed to complete the reorganisation work during the last two years. Party leaders claimed that they have formed 12 to 13 district committees, including those of Rangamati, Kurigram, Jhenaidah and Gaibandha, before the last council. Mirza Alamgir has had two meetings with party joint secreta ries-general, organising secretaries, and assistant organising secretaries, to discuss the reorganisation
process.

BNP makes fresh attempt to revamp organisation

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has taken a fresh initiative to reorganise the party at the grassroots level, to gear up the organisation for future movement and in preparation for the next elections, according to party leaders. The party high command has asked party secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to complete the reorganisation work, where new committees have not yet been formed. The party was able to hold the conference of only a dozen district committees, out of 75 organisational districts, before the last national council in Dhaka on March 19, said the leaders. New committees will be formed through conferences at different levels wherever it is necessary, the leaders said. After formation of the partys central bodies, both BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman have given priority to reorganisation of the party within the shortest possible time, to boost party activities, they added. The BNP high command plans to launch a fresh movement to demand fresh elections under a non-partisan election-time government after the party is reorganised, said a senior leader, preferring anonymity. This time, the party has taken the reorganisation plan seriously and aims to complete the work within two to three months, he said. The secretary-general has been given the task of supervising the reorganisation process, while vice-chairman Mohammad Shajahan is coordinating the whole exercise, said the leader. Mirza Fakhrul has asked the party organising secretaries and assistant organising secretaries to prepare and submit reports on the state of the organisation in their respective districts, upazilas, municipalities and unions, so that steps can be taken accordingly. BNP vice-chairman Mohammad Shajahan, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the reorganisation work, said the organisation secretaries have been asked to submit their organisational reports focusing on update as to when the committees at the district, municipality and upazila levels were held. Priority will be fixed after receiving all the reports, while joint secretaries general will be given responsibility based on a zone, to look after the reorganisation process, he said. The BNP leader said no time-frame has been set to complete the task, but he feels that it could be possible within two months. He said dedicated and tested leaders would be evaluated in the district committees. Many posts would become vacant as many district leaders would have to resign following the one-leader-one-post policy. BNP joint secretary Khairul Kabir Khokan said they could not complete the reorganisation work before the council due to the prevailing situation. He said the organising secretaries would collect data after visiting different districts across the country. The leader hoped that they would be able to complete the task by October. Organising secretary Nazrul Islam Manju said they have been asked to file updated report on the organisation. He said the committees should be formed through conference, otherwise, the reorganisation would not be successful. The BNP, which is now neither in Parliament nor in the streets, has been working to reorganise the party during the past seven years, but was unable to complete the task, according to party sources. Party leaders, however, blamed the government for carrying out repression on their activists and not allowing them to hold conferences and form committees. The BNP high command had taken the initiative to reorganise the party after its debacle in the 2008 general election, but it failed to form almost half of the districts committees before the fifth council held on December 8, 2009. Even grassroots level leaders were given two extensions to complete the task. A few months after the fifth council, the party took a fresh initiative to reorganise the party at the district and upazila levels, but did not succeed due to intra-party feud and group rivalry at the local level and unwillingness of local leaders. Later, the party got involved in the movement for restoration of the caretaker government system. After the 2014 general election that was boycotted by the party, the BNP chairperson held meetings with leaders of district committees and dissolved 13 district committees, including those of Sunamganj, Sylhet, Chuadanga and Khulna, in a bid to reform the committees. Despite making attempts, the party failed to complete the reorganisation work during the last two years. Party leaders claimed that they have formed 12 to 13 district committees, including those of Rangamati, Kurigram, Jhenaidah and Gaibandha, before the last council. Mirza Alamgir has had two meetings with party joint secreta ries-general, organising secretaries, and assistant organising secretaries, to discuss the reorganisation process.