MOVE TO REVAMP BNP
Local leaders want bad elements to go
Abdullah Juberee
Grassroots-level leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have hailed the decision to reorganise all its committees stressing that the party should cleanse its ranks of harmful elements.
The party’s top policymaking body, the standing committee, on Sunday decided to reorganise all the committees in a bottom-up approach and complete the move with the holding of its national council session.
The party secretary general, Khandaker Dewlar Hossain, said the high command had already summoned the thana-level leaders, including presidents and general secretaries or the conveners and joint-conveners and also sent a questionnaire to assess the situation at lower tiers.
The questionnaire comprises 22 questions about the members of the committees, including their occupation, income sources, involvement in local governments, educational qualification, information about whether they have criminal records or have been convicted and whether they strictly go by organisational rules in running the units.
Six committees have been formed for six divisions, led by joint secretaries general and organising secretaries, to interview the grassroots leaders and submit reports to the standing committee by February 28.
Abdullah Al Noman and Mizanur Rahman Minu are in the team for Dhaka division, Gayeswar Chandra Roy and Kazi Asaduzzman for Chittagong division, Nazrul Islam Khan and Shamsuzzaman Dudu for Sylhet, Selima Rahman and Mohammad Shahjahan for Khulna, Mirza Abbas and Aman Ullah Aman for Rajshahi and MA Mannan and Mashiur Rahman for Barisal.
The Dhaka divisional team will begin interviewing leaders of thana units under Sherpur district at 4:00pm at the party’s central office, said the team leader Abdullah Al Noman.
But most of the thana-level leaders, whom New Age contacted Monday, said they were yet to receive any letter or questionnaire from the high command.
Even some of the joint secretaries general were still unaware of the committees formed and their terms of reference. ‘I am yet to know what my duty is. Nobody informed me about the committees or their terms of reference. I just saw it in newspapers and television channels,’ said joint secretary general Gayeshwar Roy.
Joint secretary general Mirza Abbas hoped that his committee would be able to begin work today. ‘The committees were formed Sunday night and we spent Monday informing the people concerned and asked them to come to Dhaka. We hope we would be able to submit report by the deadline,’ he said adding that his committee would go for field trips if needed to get a real picture of the lower committees.
Former state minister for education and president of Kachua upazila unit in Chandpur, Ehsanul Hoque Milan, has received the letter from the party central committee. He viewed the move to revamp the party as positive though it should have been started much earlier. ‘The lower units need proper guidance from the upper echelon,’ he said.
The convener of Satkania upazila unit in Chittagong, Sheikh Mohammad Mohiuddin, hailed the decision to reorganise the committees as the past committees had been dominated by the local lawmakers. ‘The centre should listen to the voices of the grassroots, otherwise the attempt would go in vain,’ he said.
KM Anisur Rahman, convener of Nalchhiti upazila unit in Jhalakati, said he had not received any letter till Monday evening. He welcomed the initiative and said it should have been done much before. ‘The elements harmful for the party should be dropped, otherwise the move would fall flat,’ he said.
Jahangir Alam Jinnah, president of Sundarganj upazila unit in Gaibandha, said he had heard the news through media but received no letter from the centre. He said the move for reorganising the party would reap results if the opinion of grassroots leaders were taken into consideration. ‘Similar committees were formed in the past but there were no results. They even did not visit a single unit rather submitted reports after discussing with a few people,’ he said.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
