Bhuiyan asserts control over BNP

Dhaka, Sept 5 – Deposed secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan Wednesday asserted that only reformists constituted the mainstream of the BNP.

"We are the mainstream. We will take part in the next election by cleaning up the party," Bhuiyan said, two days after he was expelled from the troubled BNP by chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was arrested in a corruption case Monday.

He urged BNP leaders and workers not to veer away from the ideals of the late president Ziaur Rahman in an apparent show of political muscle-flexing.

He made the remarks at a rushed meeting with senior BNP leaders at his Gulshan home.

"BNP will remain united by the ideals of Zia," Bhuiyan said. "We will bring changes to politics through reforms. We will turn Bangladesh into a modern state."

He remarked that the country would not go back to the pre-Jan 11 state of violence.

Speakers at the meeting demanded a withdrawal of the decision to expel Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain.

In his reaction to the expulsion, Bhuiyan said both were expelled at the moment when BNP needs most to be united.

"I have been with BNP for the last 25 years. I was expelled without any notice after serving the party as secretary general for 11 long years," he said.

"My post might have been changed, but does that mean I have to lose primary membership of the party altogether? If this is the rule, then where is democracy?"

He also mentioned his role as a minister over the last 5 years, and in the activities of parliament and for the party.

Depicting the pre-Jan 11 situation of the country Bhuiyan said: "The two major political parties of the country were in conflict with one another. They were damaging property. They kept people hostage through strikes."

"The country would have faced a civil war if the events of Jan 11 did not take place," said Bhuiyan of the interim administration's installation.

He also mentioned that a lot of politicians were "unmasked" after Jan 11. "They were in politics to make fortunes, not for the sake of people."

On BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's endeavours to establish good governance and social development, Bhuiyan said: "Zia worked his entire life for the welfare of people. But his party has lost the trust of people in the last five years."

"BNP needs to clear out corrupt people from the party. The dedicated leaders should come to the front," he added.

He also elaborated his reform proposals and future plans in this regard.

BNP vice presidents Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and Hafizuddin Ahmed, expelled joint secretary general Ashraf Hossain, Dhaka City mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka and Khaleda's advisers ZA Khan and Mofazzal Karim were among over 100 leaders present at the meeting.