Party forms 11 bodies

The BNP during its standing committee meeting last night finalised 11 sub-committees for its upcoming sixth national council.

The meeting also decided to make former Justice TH Khan the chief election commissioner for the polls to elect the party's chairperson. If Justice Khan refused, the party would offer BNP standing committee member Jamir Uddin Sircar the job.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would lead the sub-committee on reception, said meeting sources.

They also said Fakhrul would hold a press conference at 11:00am today at BNP Nayapaltan head office.

The two-and-a-half-hour meeting, presided over by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, started around 9:00pm at her Gulshan office.

The meeting decided to hold the BNP council at Bashundhara International Convention Centre on March 19.

"We have already received permission for three venues including Suhrawardy Udyan and its adjoining Institute of Engineers. But without permission of the police we cannot use the venues.

Besides, if police gives permission for one place, it will create problem for us; for that reason we decided to hold the council at Bashundhara International Convention Centre," said a BNP standing committee member who was present at the meeting. 

Problems with the venue could delay the holding of the council, sources said.