Shahidul Islam Chowdhury
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is likely to nominate AKM Hafizur Rahman, lawmaker-elect for the Bogra 2 constituency, for the position of the deputy speaker of the parliament, according to an aide to the party’s chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda also blasted some party leaders for their proposal to nominate her eldest son, Tarique Rahman, now being treated in London, to contest the polls for a Bogra constituency which will be vacated before she takes oath as lawmaker.
‘Subject to the approval of the BNP parliamentary party, the party will nominate AKM Hafizur Rahman as deputy speaker in the first session of Jatiya Sangsad,’ said the aide after an informal meeting attended by Khaleda Zia and some party stalwarts Sunday night in her office at Gulshan.
The participants in the meeting proposed the names of three lawmakers-elect — AKM Hafizur Rahman for Bogra 2, Mosharraf Hossain for Feni 3 and Jafrul Islam Chowdhury for Chittagong 15 — for the position of the deputy speaker.
‘They [participants] reached a consensus that AKM Hafizur Rahman would be the right person for the position as the party high command, including the chairperson, is unwilling to nominate two senior lawmakers-elect — MK Anwar and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury — as deputy speaker as there is dearth of “experienced and enlightened” MPs in the opposition,’ the aide said.
The BNP-led main opposition, which have 30 members in the 300-strong parliament, need the service of MK Anwar and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to face the ruling political archrival Awami League-led alliance in the house. The Awami League-led alliance has 258 members in the parliament.
The Jatiya Sangsad speaker, Jamiruddin Sircar, the BNP’s secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, M Shamsul Islam and RA Ghani also attended the meeting.
Some young leaders at the meeting requested Khaleda Zia to nominate her eldest son Tarique Rahman to contest the by-election for a Bogra constituency. ‘Nominate bhaia [brother] for a Bogra constituency,’ one of them said.
She became annoyed and rejected the proposal right away, said a source attending the meeting. ‘Why do you involve him [Tarique] in everything?’ she said. ‘Let him be treated and complete his studies.’
‘Some leaders and ministers were apparently involved in thievery, but only Khaleda Zia and the party are bearing the liability,’ said Khaleda, who had also been detained in jail between September 3, 2007 and September 11, 2008.
Her statement seemingly puzzled a senior minister and some former lawmakers, who attended the meeting, said another source.
Tarique, released on bail on September 11, 2008, is now being treated in London for multiple ailments.
Khaleda, who won three electoral constituencies — Feni 1, Bogra 6 and Bogra 7 — in the December 29 general elections, will quit two seats before taking oath as lawmaker later this month.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
