BNP will not rush to form committee

The new committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) Dhaka North Metropolitan unit will not be formed anytime soon. However, those aspiring to leadership positions have already started lobbying for places on the committee. Nearly a dozen candidates are in the race for positions in the “Super Two,” the top two leadership posts.

The BNP high command is looking for candidates with a “clean image.” The party does not want to face the same types of allegations that led to the dissolution of the previous committee. For this reason, the BNP’s top leadership is considering taking more time, if necessary, rather than rushing the formation of a new committee.

Several BNP leaders familiar with the matter said the new leadership would be selected based on organizational experience, connections with grassroots activists, sacrifices for the party, personal integrity and public acceptability. Among these considerations, a clean image will receive the highest priority.

Immediately after the change of power on August 5, 2024, numerous allegations began emerging against leaders and activists of the BNP’s Dhaka metropolitan units. Many leaders of the Dhaka North unit still face various allegations, including extortion, garment factory takeovers and land grabbing. Although no one is speaking publicly about these allegations, the party’s central leadership has information about them. Field level investigations have also found evidence supporting many of the allegations.

Against this backdrop, the BNP high command was extremely angered by two consecutive incidents in Dhaka North recently. One involved an attack on and an attempted takeover of the Radda MCH-FP Center, a maternal and child health care center in the Mirpur 1 area. The other involved a land grabbing incident near Mirpur Cantonment.

Within days of these incidents, the BNP dissolved the Dhaka North Metropolitan unit’s convening committee. The committees of Dhaka North Jubo Dal and Dhaka Metropolitan West Chhatra Dal were also dissolved.

As the capital, Dhaka is home to the BNP’s most important political unit for strategic reasons. Therefore, the party does not want to leave the Dhaka metropolitan unit without leadership for an extended period. At the same time, various calculations are underway to determine the leadership in view of the unit’s importance.

Speaking with leaders at different levels who are involved in reorganizing the party, Agamir Somoy learned that new faces could be brought into the upcoming committee. In that case, those who held important positions in the dissolved committee are less likely to return to leadership roles, although many of them are seeking positions in the new committee.

They are also trying to convince the high command that the allegations against them are unfounded. Meanwhile, many leaders and activists of the BNP’s Dhaka North unit want their own leaders to hold the top positions in the new committee. They want the new committee to be formed from among leaders already within the Dhaka North metropolitan unit.

On September 30, the 51-member convening committee of the BNP’s Dhaka North Metropolitan unit, led by Aminul Haque and Mostafa Zaman, was dissolved. Aminul Haque, who served as the committee’s convener, is the state minister for Youth and Sports. He wants to retain a top leadership position in the new committee.

According to information gathered by Agamir Somoy, most leaders and activists of the party’s Dhaka North unit also want him to return to a top position because of his organizational skills, sacrifices during the anti-authoritarian movement and struggle, and his support for party workers.

Mostafa Zaman, the member secretary of the dissolved committee, also wants to become president of the new committee.

Meanwhile, the names of several others are being discussed for the position of president. They include Mostafizur Rahman Segun, M. Kafil Uddin Ahmed and Md. Afaz Uddin, who served as joint conveners of the dissolved committee. Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton, administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and S. M. Jahangir Hossain, a member of parliament from Dhaka 18 and another joint convener of the dissolved committee, are also being considered.

In addition, A. B. M. A. Razzaq and Gazi Rezaunul Hossain Riaz, both joint conveners of the dissolved committee, are aspiring to become general secretary of the new committee. Anwaruzzaman Anwar, a senior member of the dissolved committee, also wants to join the top leadership of the new committee.

Asked about the matter, Kafil Uddin Ahmed told Agamir Somoy, “If the party gives me the opportunity to take on an important responsibility, I will use my past experience and organizational skills to work toward making the BNP’s Dhaka North Metropolitan unit stronger, more dynamic and better organized.”

Anwaruzzaman Anwar said, “The leaders and activists of the BNP’s Dhaka North Metropolitan unit want leadership from within the metropolitan unit. I am one of those aspiring to lead. If the party gives me the responsibility, I will carry it out with honesty and dedication.”

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said work was underway to form a new committee for the party’s Dhaka North Metropolitan unit.

He told Agamir Somoy that party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would decide on the new committee after consulting the relevant leaders. The process could take some time. However, he said organizational activities also needed to continue and that the party chairman was taking this into consideration.

Responding to a question, Rizvi said the new committee would be formed from among the party’s dedicated and tested leaders.