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No unity meeting as Saifur falls sick

He asks Khaleda group to accept reforms, rebels

Staff Correspondent
M Saifur Rahman, acting chairman appointed by the standing committee, yesterday urged the proKhaleda leaders to accept intraparty reforms, reinstate those expelled, and shun the practice of selling nominations in the interests ofa united BNP.
In a day or two, he and Khandakar Delwar Hossain, secretary general appointed by Chairperson Khaleda Zia, might meet to discuss different issues relating to reconciliation.
Insiders say despite efforts a meeting between the two stalwarts could not be held last night as the former finance minister was feeling sick.
The faction led by Delwar, meantime, remains rigid in their stance against return of the expelled leaders including Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan.
Sources said Delwar-Saifur meet would seek to get rid of these roadblocks.
Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Saifur said, "I told them (Delwar-led group) that reforms have to be accepted and those
expelled reinstated.”
He added, "I'm one of the founding members of the party and I would never do anything that might break it up."
Nominations must not be given in return for large sums of money, observed the former finance minister.
"Reforms are not about Awami League or BNP. It is a national agenda," he noted adding that a lot of institutions here are in immediate need of reforms.
Pro-Khaleda leaders maintain that they have no objection to Saifur and others coming back into the fold.
A former lawmaker close to Delwar told The Daily Star, "We have no problem with Saifur and others returning, but the fate of Bhuiyan and his followers rests on the chairperson."
Most of those in Saifur-led faction want to reunite keeping aboard all including Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain, who were expelled from the party by Khaleda Zia but reinstated as members by the standing committee. rising from near the presidential palace.
The rebels, in olive-green battledress and white armbands, were roaring around in camouflaged pick-up trucks, witnesses said, and had been welcomed with joy in some districts.
Witnesses also said the main prison in Ndjamena had been stormed and inmates released, while security sources reported some looting had taken place.
Clashes had begun around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the capital, rebels and military sources said, while a French army source later said around 2,000 rebels were engaged in fierce battles with government troops in the city.
In Paris, French Defence Minister Herve Morin said rebels were closing in on the presidential palace.
A rebel column of some 300 trucks had swept 800 kilometres (500 miles) since Monday from bases in Sudan.
Almost the only resistance from government forces came on Friday near Massaguet, 50 kilometres (35 miles) from the capital, where army chief of staff Daoud Soumain was killed, a military source said.
French troops based in Chad were guarding foreign residents grouped in several locations in Ndjamena pending their evacuation.
Morin said a military Airbus was flying to Ndjamena Saturday to fly out the expatriates, who include more than 1.000 French citizens.
Rebel leader Abakar Tollimi told AFP his forces would respect international rules on the protection of foreigners.