BNP top bosses irked at failure to form low-tier bodies

Sources said the party leadership had given a deadline to complete formation of 75 organisational district committees by August 31 but only 20 have been formed. Formation of thana committees has also not been complete.

The party leadership sought to complete thana and district committees within the deadline to facilitate holding of the national council by the end of this year. But the present trend make the fate of the committees look uncertain.

Party insiders said similar deadlines for committee formation were also given earlier but all went unmet as many of the leaders at local and central levels are more busy with their personal gains, ignoring party interest.

Central leaders however alleged that important local level leaders like presidents and general secretaries of thana and district units are unwilling to hand over leadership to others. So, they are delaying fresh committee formation on various pretexts.

But grassroots level leaders and activists alleged that their top leaders have remained virtually aloof from party activities because they are too much engaged in making their fortune. This has led to frustration among the party rank and file.

To overcome this situation, the party central leadership seeks to bring new leadership at different levels to gear up activities.

Sources said BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan gave all joint secretaries general of the party division-wise responsibility to complete formation of district committees.

But, sources said only Tareque Rahman, senior joint secretary general of BNP, completed much of the task and formed fresh committees in 12 districts out of 16, where 'intra-party conflict' persisted for long.

Tareque is now working to resolve conflicts in Gazipur, Mymensingh (north) and Manikganj district units and complete formation of fresh committees there soon.

Mannan Bhuiyan is supervising the entire process of formation of committees and giving necessary instructions to expedite the process.

"We have now decided that the process should be over by the coming Ramadan," said a top leader of the party, seeking anonymity.

Leaders of district units with serious intra-party conflicts are now being called to Hawa Bhaban, presently political office of Tareque Rahman and commonly known as another power centre, and committees are formed either on consensus or through secret ballot.

Narayanganj district committee was formed through secret ballot at Hawa Bhaban recently. Besides, leaders of about a dozen other district units were called to Hawa Bhaban to resolve conflicts with the mediation of Tareque Rahman.

District unit committees have so far been formed in Chittagong North and South, Laxmipur, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Pabna, Lalmonirhat, Natore, Naogaon, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Pirojpur, Bagerhat and Cox's Bazar.