The National Executive Committee of the ruling BNP yesterday met after long five years but there were no discussions on many burning issues including the recent rise in militancy.

The meeting attended by 97 members mostly from Dhaka, however, agreed to hold a big public rally on December 21 at Paltan Maidan to show the party's strength.

The meeting was held at the Bailey Road residence of BNP Secretary General and LGRD

Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who chaired the meeting.

It was expected that issues related to the rise of the militants, countrywide serial bomb blasts, Jamaat-e-Islami, demands of the opposition, restructuring of the party and other burning political matters would be discussed during this meeting.

But none of the issues was raised in the meeting at the instruction from the BNP high command, party insiders said.

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The last National Executive Committee meeting of BNP was held in early 2001 when the party was in the opposition.

Yesterday's meeting started with grievances expressed by many leaders about the five years' delay in holding such an important meeting.

But Bhuiyan watered down any possibility of a hot debate by requesting the participants not to raise any issue other than the December 21 rally.

Criticising opposition leader Sheikh Hasina's demand for a special UN team for investigating the bomb attacks, Bhuiyan said, “They are insane. One day Awami League demands investigation by the Scotland Yard and the other day, they demand something else.”

The opposition is trying to divide the people and declaring programmes to create anarchy in the country, Bhuiyan further said.

He urged the opposition to join the government's move against the militants and requested it not to politicise the issue to reap political benefit out of it.

Terming the militants the enemy of the country's independence, sovereignty and democracy, he said, "We must not be afraid of them and work together to face them. The government is determined to eradi-

cate militancy from the country."

Party Vice president and Environment Minister Tariqul Islam, Information Minister M Shamsul Islam, Communications Minister Nazmul Huda, Jute Minister Shajahan Siraj, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Lt Gen (retd) Mir Shawkat Ali, State Minister for Law Shahjahan Omar and Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, among others, spoke at the meeting.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rhaman, state ministers Lutfozzaman Babar, Amanullah Aman, Alamgir Kabir, Ziaul Haque Zia, Prof Rezaul Karim and Maj (retd) Kamrul Islam, BNP leaders Mafiqul Hasan Tripti, Sirajul Islam Selim and Emran Saleh Prince were also present.