| Khaleda to lead BNP for life Standing committee decides unanimously, okays expulsion of Bhuiyan and Ashraf, scraps October 29 meeting; talks with EC, govt approved Courtesy Daily Star 14/9/08 Abul Kalam Azad and Rashidul Hasan | 
| | Senior BNP leaders sit next to party chief Khaleda Zia during the party's Standing Committee meeting held at its office at Naya Paltan in the city yesterday. Photo: STAR | In an unprecedented move, BNP yesterday decided that its Chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead the party for life.
The decision came at a meeting of the standing committee, the party's highest policy-making body, late in the afternoon.
Briefing journalists afterwards, Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui proposed that Khaleda should be given the party helm for keeps. The proposal was accepted unanimously.
Tanvir said they firmly believe she will be in a sound physical and mental state to lead them for life. “The party will never be minus her.”
Political observers say granting Khaleda lifetime mantle of BNP will undermine the caretaker government's efforts to end the culture of the same old faces being in charge of the political parties.
It also goes against electoral reforms espoused by the Election Commission (EC) and the recently revised Representative of the People Order (RPO).
Khaleda, also former prime minister, was let out on bail Thursday after a year in detention on graft charges.
She convened the meeting to discuss the latest political developments and the party's preparations for dialogue with the government.
Before yesterday, the standing committee last met with Khaleda in the chair in February last year.
Delwar said, “The committee has decided to join talks with the government and the EC. Schedules and agenda for the dialogue will be firmed up at a meeting of the four-party alliance.”
The meeting that went on for over an hour beginning at 4:40pm cancelled the controversial October 29 decisions appointing M Saifur Rahman acting chairperson and Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed acting secretary general.
Held at the party headquarters at Naya Paltan, it also approved the expulsion of former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and joint secretary Ashraf Hossain.
Khaleda expelled the two a day before her arrest on September 3 last year.
However, it could not be known if Tarique Rahman's resignation was discussed.
Tarique, the BNP chief's elder son, tendered resignation as the party's senior joint secretary general Thursday. The same day he left the country for treatment abroad.
Eight of the 11 current members of the standing committee -- Khaleda, Delwar, Saifur, RA Gani, Tanvir Siddiqui, M Shamsul Islam, Khandker Mahbubuddin Ahmed and Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman -- were present at the meeting.
Abdul Matin Chowdhury could not attend due to illness while Moudud Ahmed and Khandker Mosharraf Hossain are in jail.
At the news briefing, Tanvir Siddiqui said the standing committee has approved all the decisions and steps taken after Delwar took over as the secretary general.
It expressed satisfaction at the release of Khaleda, her sons and other BNP leaders who were detained in anti-corruption drive after the changeover of January 11, 2007.
It also endorsed a 17-point proposal that includes demands for withdrawal of the state of emergency and all 'false' cases against the BNP chief and other leaders, and holding of the parliamentary polls first.
A group of BNP activists booed when Saifur and Lt Gen Mahbub, who had been siding with the pro-reform BNP faction, were walking into the Naya Paltan office.
Leaders and workers of the party and its front organisations gathered in their hundreds to greet their leaders after a long time.
CEC MEETS CA
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed. He briefed the caretaker admin boss about the outcomes of its dialogue with different political parties.
Huda told the CA that they would not be able to announce anything specific and detailed about the upazila and parliamentary elections before talks with BNP. He hoped the talks would take place soon. | |