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BNP reformists active again at all levels

Process on to accommodate all despite hardliners' opposition

Rakib Hasnet Suman
Despite strong opposition from influential sections of BNP, the so -called reformist leaders of the party have started to become active again in the organisation's central and grassroots level, since they were allowed to come back into the party’s mainstream by Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
But the party's former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who is known as the architect of the failed 'reform initiative', and Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain have no chance of returning to the party before a party council, which might be held by the year-end, said party insiders. Both of them were expelled from the party by the chairperson for violating discipline'.
Many ’reformist’ leaders however are remaining silent in the face of the opposition since they believe they will be restored in the party automatically in time as the current belligerence against them is destined to dissipate. They also think some leaders, who were jailed or convicted during the immediate past emergency regime, are stoking the hostility against them, as those leaders are fearful of losing their positions in the party, the insiders said.
Party Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday that although the tug of war between the factions has yet to come to a definitive conclusion, a process is on to accommodate all.
"The situation is gradually normalising, and efforts are on to allow all leaders into the party, for strengthening theorganisation." hesaid.
A group of leaders, who sided with Mannan Bhuiyan, are now trying to become active in the party again. Among them Party Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Vice-president Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, Dr Osman Farruk, and Dr Moyecn Khan arc now already very active.
Osman Farruk and Moyeen Khan arc members of the party's budget observation team formed by the chairper-son, while she assigned Hafizuddin Ahmed, also former water resources minister, to work on the issue of much controversial Tipaimukh dam. which has become the party's frontline of political agitation lately.
Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka. who was the first to demand curbing of the power of the party chairperson following the 1/11 regime change, might be appointed as the city unit convener in a bid to reorganise the party, sources said.
Besides, many 'reformist' leaders, some of whom are also former lawmakers, already managed to get posi-
tions in newly formed district convening committees.
But a section of 'hardliner loyalists', including Secretary' Generaj Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Joint Secretary General Mirza Abbas, is strongly opposing the return of the 'reformists' into the ranks of the party.
Mirza Abbas in several meetings urged the party chairperson not to bring the 'reformists’ back into the party, saying they should not be accepted, as they 'betrayed' the party during bad times’
But some 'reformist' leaders said they think the party has no alternative but to accept them, considering
their abilities to organise, and their popularity in respective constituencies.
"We didn't do anything wrong, the people know very well about the reputation of those who are opposing us." a former lawmaker who is also a former ’reformist' told The Daily Star.
He said most of the ’reformist' leaders are known as fair politicians and are popular, while those who are opposing them are known as corruptionists.
"BNP's performance in the recent election would be much better if all leaders were allowed back into die party before the poll," he added.