Bangladesh
Khaleda-Tarique BNP: Several leaders trying to get rid of Khaleda Zia-Tarique Rahman from party
Dhaka, January 14: Despite a series of "incredible" defeats, the long-running rift in the BNP over the rationale for voting under the current government and the Election Commission has reached a tipping point in the country's politically marginalized party. So much so that some leaders of the party are thinking about removing party chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman from the outfit.
According to sources, at least a dozen of the leaders who took part in activities outside the party's agenda in violation of party discipline are under surveillance by the party's high command.
Allegedly, despite repeated warnings, these leaders, who are already growing distance from the party, did not listen to him and this is why the top leadership of the party is very skeptical about their intentions. Their dubious movements, activities and the fact that many of them have not been involved in party activities for a long time has given rise to the idea that these leaders are creating a parallel force to take control of the party from Khaleda Zia-Tarique Rahman.
Interestingly, these 'breach of party discipline' leaders have gone out of the party program and joined hands with some other organizations to take part in several anti-government and anti-Sheikh Hasina protests, which has caused the party heat and suspicion. Although politically the worst enemy of the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, the statement of the top leadership of the BNP, even though it is anti-government, is not part of the party's program. Because if any such activity has adverse consequences, BNP will suffer. So those who are ignoring the interests of the party and the discipline of the party are seeking the loss of the party.
According to some senior party leaders, a large part of the leaders who went against the original leadership of the party during 1/11 and proposed reforms and a part of the former student leaders are involved in the process.
Leaders claim that a couple of them are working as spies for the party. At the top of the list of these suspicious BNP leaders are a member of the standing committee, seven vice chairmen, four advisers to the chairperson, a former state minister, a teacher leader, expelled Chhatra Dal leaders, members of allied organizations including Muktijoddha Dal and six senior leaders of Dhaka Metropolitan BNP.
Meanwhile, two people have been protested for violating party discipline. Meanwhile, Shawkat Mahmud, advisor to the chairperson, replied to the show. However, Major (Retd.) Hafizuddin Ahmed, a reformist leader of One-Eleven, did not respond. Instead, he hinted at resigning, saying he would raise the issue of the party's high command directly with reporters at a press conference.
Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists staged a protest in the capital's Purana Paltan-Gulistan area on December 14 demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The protest was led by BNP leader Shawkat Mahmud, Syed Muhammad Ibrahim of Kalyan Party, Sadek Khan, general secretary of Muktijoddha Dal, and Selim Bhuiyan, principal of mass education.
Besides, Maulana Munjurul Islam Afendi, acting secretary general of Ulamaye Islam (Qasemi) and some of his followers also took part in the protest. According to several Jamiat leaders, Maulana Afendi stayed in Purana Paltan with his followers at the instigation of party leader Maulana Monir Hossain Qasemi.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the party may have different views. But no one is ‘out of party discipline’. Leaders and activists of a political party can never break party discipline.
Rumor has it that over the past few days, a number of political parties and some professional leaders, including the Jamaat and the Left, have united to demand the fall of the government. That is why they chose December 14. When the news reached the top level of BNP in London, a strong message came from there. This is not a party program, a strict message is conveyed to the president and general secretary of each organ and allied organization so that the leaders and workers do not participate in the program in any way.
However, the senior leaders of the BNP have been inactive for a long time due to the dominance of Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Zia.
This number is increasing day by day. BNP party sources said the party's standing committee member Lt. J. (Retd.) Mahbubur Rahman, Vice Chairman Shah Moazzem Hossain, Abdullah Al Noman, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, Advisory Council members Zainul Abdin Farooq, Abdus Salam, Habibur Rahman Habib, Aman Ullah Aman, Ataur Rahman Dhali and many other leaders and activists are inactive today due to the influence of Tarique's leadership. Although all of them have positions, they do not have the opportunity to speak in the team.
Speaking to the top leaders of the BNP at one time, it is known that only because of Tarique Rahman, they are almost inactive in Rajnarat today. Averse to.
They said that when the BNP formed the government in the 2001 elections, Tarique Rahman started forming a separate zone to share his mother's power.
In the name of grassroots workers' conference, Tarique Rahman wanted to decorate the BNP with young leadership by gradually eliminating senior leaders. As a result, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was cornered in the party in 2008 in a power struggle with her son. Since then, one by one, the senior leaders of the party have been leaving him and asking for reforms. From then on the journey of decline of BNP started.
Some senior and one-time top leaders of the BNP, who did not want to be named, said that the main hero of the decline of the BNP was Tarique Rahman. Only because of him there is division in BNP today.
Opposition groups called for a boycott of the by-elections in protest of the party's decision.
After the by-election of Dhaka-17 constituency, many people have started opening their mouths. The statements of several leaders from the BNP's grassroots to the highest policy-making forum, they do not know the answer to the question why the BNP is participating in the by-elections and local government elections after the 11th parliamentary elections on December 30, 2016. Many of these leaders feel that the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia's imprisonment on February 8, 2016 has raised questions about her decision not to move properly, to go to the polls, to finalize candidates, and to join parliament.
However, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said at various times that they believe the only way to change the government is through elections. For this they are taking part in the election.
Disagreeing with the secretary general's statement, a vice chairman and a joint secretary general of the party said, "Those in power will commit irregularities in the elections and we will just watch - it does not happen." Its name is not election or politics. Voters are not going to the polls but are telling the BNP that you are not on the right track. The party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman does not seem to understand this from London.
An important leader of the party said, "I don't think Tarique Rahman has a real picture of the country and the party." The decision is being taken on the basis of 'misinformation' provided by a special syndicate comprising some party leaders. Due to this, most of the decisions of the party are wrong and Tarique Rahman has to bear the responsibility. The BNP and the acting chairman are being widely criticized by the general public for this.
A top BNP leader has openly questioned the party's participation in the elections under the current system. At a recent event, he said, why do we go to such elections? I go when I shouldn't go to the polls, I don't go when I should go.
