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BNP plans major changes in party constitution

Chairperson to have more power, central body to expand

Rakib Hasnet Suman
BNP is planning to bring massive changes to the party constitution bolstering the chairperson's authority, in light of its experience during the immediate past emergency regime when it almost split.
The amendment proposals also include one for electing the secretary general through the national council, and another for expansion of the central executive committee.
The party's constitution and declaration amendment subcommittee that had been formed as a part of the preparations for the national council scheduled for December 8, came up with the proposals, after collecting reform proposals from workers and leaders of all levels.
Now the streamlined proposals will be submitted to the chairperson for discussion in the standing committee which will finalise those for submission to the national council.
Committee sources said both the chairperson and secretary general will be elected by the councillors and both of them will have three-year tenure, if the new provisions are accepted.
Permission of immediate supervisory committees will become mandatory for all units to use portraits of party founder also late president Ziaur Rahman, Chairperson Khaleda Zia. and their son Tarique Rahman in posters or leaflets. The sub-committee led by former minister Tariqul Islam is expected to meet today to finalise the proposals for submission to the chairperson.
"We want to make our constitution more democratic, but we must keep in mind what happened during the emergency period. We feel no scope should be left for anyone to misuse the constitution against the party's interest under any circumstance.' a member of the sub committee told The Daily Star.
On October 29, 2007 during the immediate past emergency under a caretaker government, a meeting of the BNP standing committee was held in late Saifur Rahman's home in Gulshan that declared Saifur and Maj (retd) Hafiz as the acting chairman and acting secretary general respectively, who became to be known as leaders of the reformist faction'. The incident triggered a factional feud that brought the party to the brink of a split.
But later most participants of the meeting said they had been forced to join it, which had been convened using a constitutional provision that makes it mandatory for the standing committee to meet at least once a month.
In light of that incident, the sub committee is proposing a provision that will allow only the chairperson to convene standing committee meetings which has to be convened at least once in every three months.
The central executive committee will be expanded allowing 351 members instead of existing 251, with a view to incorporating more leaders into the central level, and all units of the party will add new posts of secretaries for freedom fighters affairs, human resources affairs, law affairs, and science and technologyaffairs.
According to the proposals, ifany member of the party
contests in any election violating party decision, he or she will be expelled from the party, but will be allowed to appeal against the disciplinary action within 30 days of the decision, and the party has to resolve the issue within 90 days of the appeal.
Every unit of the party will have an advisory council that will be formed comprising former leaders of respective units, and no leader may hold more than one post simultaneously.
Now many BNP leaders including some senior ones are holding multiple posts in the party, giving rise to resentments among newer leaders who are expecting posts for themselves.