New committee rankles with BNP rank and file

BNP sources said the current trend of forming committees at upazila, district and other levels through 'so-called direct voting' has frustrated many genuine and dedicated leaders and workers. The new system is known among party men as 'Bogra Model', as it was first introduced in Bogra.

They said though the model appears democratic, it is driving out genuine party men who have been pursuing BNP politics for long from committees at different levels.

Some policymakers of the BNP, seeking anonymity, observed that corrupt and moneyed men, who usually become very active in favour of the party that comes to power, have started coming into the leadership of the party and its wings. In the process, active and dedicated party men are either being dropped or sidelined.

They noted that usually central leaders first try to form a committee of the party or its front organisation through an understanding among senior and junior leaders and activists to avert conflict within.

But now such understanding or consensus is being avoided and committees are being formed on the basis of the 'Bogra Model'. Wealthy men in the party are spending huge amounts of money to purchase votes from the councillors to come into leadership at upazila, district and other levels.

Sources said the moneyed men oppose formation of committees through understanding and prefer a 'direct vote' so that they can purchase votes.

Many of the ministers and central leaders, who did not want to be named, alleged that they are not being consulted while forming committees in their respective districts, upazila and constituencies.

A section of Hawa Bhaban-based (BNP's Banani office) leaders, mostly young, now go to various upazila and districts to form new committees, dissolving the old ones. They do not even consult the central leaders or ministers from the areas concerned.

These ministers and central leaders, who have been doing BNP politics since its foundation, said they now come across frequent complaints from party leaders and activists in their respective areas about formation of the committees and the persons comprising those.

They apprehended elimination of dedicated leaders and workers from the committees and stressed an end to this trend.

A senior leader of the party alleged that wealthy people vying for the posts of president or secretary of upazila BNP are spending Tk 5 to 7 lakh to buy votes. The amount is much higher for those posts of district BNP.

BNP lost recent elections of the bar council and other professional bodies in different districts due to formation of various party committees, dropping genuine and dedicated party men, party insiders noted.

They mentioned that most of the committees of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the BNP, comprised non-students.