I read the following article in the New Age headlined "Controversy rages over powers vested in Khaleda by BNP constitution" and found it humorous. Isn't it funny how all these BNP leaders are so intensely scrutinizing the BNP constitution? On one level it is silly because the same ppl who talk about the BNP constitution, never cared about such things as constitutions, rule of law, etc.
But on another level, it is a great change - this is how things should move - based on rules, constitutions, deliberations instead of the whims of a single person. In a single year, the politicians have gone from looting and violence to referring to constitutions, reforms, etc. Nice!
- M. Raheem
New York
Controversy rages over powers vested in Khaleda by BNP constitution
Staff Correspondent
The constitution of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party gives the chairperson absolute authority in making decisions on party affairs, senior leaders of the party having allegiance to Khaleda Zia said on Saturday.
Followers of Saifur Rahman and M Hafizuddin Ahmed acknowledged the chairperson's authority in making decisions but claimed such decisions needed to be approved by the standing committee.
'The constitution gives the chairperson absolute authority to hire and fire anybody. There is no scope to raise questions about a decision made by the chairperson,' said Mir Shawkat Ali, once a vice-chairman of the party.
He told New Age on Saturday that any meeting of the standing committee should be
convened by the secretary general after being asked by the chairperson who would chair the meeting.
'No meeting of the standing committee can be held without the chairperson attending,' Shawkat said brushing aside the decisions of the meeting of standing committee members at Saifur Rahman's house on October 29 that made the latter acting chairperson.
M Hafizuddin Ahmed, named acting secretary general by the same meeting, meantime, claimed that whatever decisions the October 29 standing committee meeting had taken, were made in line with the party constitution.
Asked if the post of the acting chairperson was specified in the party constitution, M Saifur Rahman, hesitantly said at his first press briefing after assuming the charge that everything was not mentioned in the constitution.
Hafizuddin came up with a clarification the following day, saying that the standing committee had taken the decisions as per the 'doctrine of necessity' — a move censured by the leaders loyal to Khandaker Delwar Hossain as a conspiracy to fragment the party.
Followers of Delwar said that some conspirators were trying to misinterpret the clauses of the constitution to implement their own 'agenda'.
'They know that their arguments are weak and unconvincing and they have now come
up with a new agenda – to
make the party constitution controversial,' said one of the five joint secretaries general of the party.
The BNP constitution was formulated in 1978 and amendments were made at the
party council in 1993 and also by the standing committee
itself in 1995. 'After so many years, they have discovered that the amendments were not approved by the council,' he said adding that the same standing committee — mostly its present members — brought amendments giving the chairperson the absolute authority to make decisions.
Another senior leader, who was a cabinet minister in Khaleda Zia's last cabinet, cited the example of promulgation of ordinances in absence of the parliament and said endorsement of the 1995 amendments by the party council was not possible as no council session was held since then.
'Is it that all ordinances promulgated by president Iajuddin Ahmed are illegal since they have not yet been rubberstamped by parliament?' he asked rejecting the controversies surrounding the party constitution and the chairperson's authority.
The joint secretary general also pointed out that if
amendments defining the
chairperson's authority were not lawful, the appointment of so many big shots in the party hierarchy and their actions would be considered illegal by the same token.
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