The BNP wants to hold its overdue national council by March, which is likely to see the induction of fresh blood in the party leadership, according to party leaders. The leaders said the BNP high command would like to give priority to changes in its standing committee, the party’s top policymaking body, in order to be better prepared for its next course of action as well as the next general polls, they said. They said at least nine new faces were expected to be inducted in the standing committee and the party’s acting secretary general might become fulltime secretary general.
In the council, the opinion of grassroots leaders will be given due importance in the formation of committees at different levels. Young and tested leaders may be included in good positions after considering their roles during the party’s past movements, the BNP leaders said.
Vacancies in the standing committee due to deaths and illness of members would be filled up with dedicated faces.
Those likely to be included in the standing committee are BNP vice chairmen Shah Moazzem Hossain, Abdullah Al Noman, Selima Rahman, Sadeque Hosain Khoka, and the party chairperson’s advisers, Dr Osman Faruk, Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Abdul Awal Mintoo and Amir KHasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
The Khaleda Zia-led party, however, refused to officially confirm the date of the next council. “No date has been fixed so far, but we are planning to hold it soon. A decision in this regard would be taken at a party meeting,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told The
Independent. BNP joint secretary general Mohammed Shajahan said they have already resumed the process of party reorganisation at the grassroots level and to hold the party’s national council simultaneously.
Shajahan said the reorganisation activities were an ongoing process and would not hamper holding of the national council. “If we fail to complete the grassroots conference before the national council, we will continue the process after the council,” he added.
He said BNP leaders would soon meet the party acting secretary general to discuss the reorganisation process and holding of the next council.
He also said that they would not fix any deadline to complete the formation of grassroots committees though conferences this time.
The grassroots conference would be held without making any announcement because of, as he claimed, “government obstruction”.
BNP international affairs secretary Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon said they wanted to hold the national council by March.
Asked how they would hold the council in March considering the UP elections, Ripon said both would go together.
He claimed that the conferences for most of the grassroots committees, including the district organising committees, were already completed. “We hope to complete the rest within the next two months,” he added.
As part of the party reorganisation, the BNP may also soon announce the new committees of some front organisations like Juba
Dal, Krishak Dal and Secchasebok Dal.
The last BNP council was held on December 8, 2009. According to the party charter, the national council is supposed to be held every three years. Though the BNP had tried to hold its national council several times earlier, but failed to do it because of the political turmoil in the country.