The BNP has started evaluating the opinions of its grassroots-level leaders before taking the next course of political action to free chairperson Khaleda Zia and force the government to hold the next general polls under a neutral administration, according to party leaders.

As part of the plan, the party's standing committee members yesterday held a meeting at their chairpersons’ Gulshan office to assess and review the opinions of grassroots-level leaders.

Earlier, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had summoned top district leaders and held a series of meetings from August 3 to August 4.  

During the meetings with central leaders, the grassroots-level leaders called upon the central leadership to wage a strong movement to free Khaleda Zia and force the government to hold the next general elections under a neutral administration. Some of them expressed their resentment over the recent role of Jamaat-e-Islami, a major partner of the 20-Party Alliance, for its participation in the Sylhet city corporation. They also termed Jamaat as a barrier in forging a greater electoral alliance and suggested that the ties with the Islamist party should be severed.

The grassroots-level leaders also expressed their frustrations with the internal feud among leaders of the BNP Dhaka city units.

Presidents, senior vice-presidents, secretaries, senior joint secretaries and organising secretaries of 78 organisational districts, under 10 organisational divisions of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Cumilla, Mymensingh and Faridpur, joined the meetings in different sessions over the two days.

“We have reviewed and discussed the opinions of the grassroots leaders. We'll soon determine our next course of action,” said a standing committee member, preferring anonymity.

He said the meeting also discussed the latest development in the political arena and possible course of action to free party chairperson and holding the next polls under a neutral government.

BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the meeting was a part of their regular meetings with the party secretary general to review the latest political development. He also said all contemporary issues, including the legal state of chairperson’s release, were discussed.

Another standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, echoed his words.