Leadership crisis grips Dinajpur BNP
Maj Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman
The Dinajpur unit of BNP, facing leadership crisis since the death of its leader Khurshid Jahan Haque in June 2006, has remained virtually ineffective since declaration of emergency in January last year. Frustration grips grassroots level party leaders and activists in the district ahead of parliament elections scheduled for December 18 this year as they are yet to get 'reliable' candidates. Many leaders loyal to Khurshid Jahan, also sister of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, have been on the run since the declaration of emergency. BNP leader former Army chief Maj Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, who was elected a lawmaker in 2001 from Dinajpur-2, and Md Akhtaruzzman, former lawmaker from Dinajpur-4, sided with the 'reformists' which also created apparent leadership vacuum in their constituencies. Other leaders of district BNP also failed to play any active role to reorganise the grassroots leaders since allowing of indoor politics. Several grassroots level leaders of the district have termed the leadership crisis as the result of 'domination' by the loyalists of Khurshid Jahan who was elected from Dinajpur-3 constituency in 2001. They said corrupt practices by a section of leaders during the immediate past BNP-led four-party alliance government led to the damage of party image in the area. Dinajpur district BNP committee was dissolved after the death of its president Khurshid Jahan Haque on June 14, 2006 amid allegations against her loyalists. Former MP Akhtaruzzman of Dinajpur-4 constituency who failed get party ticket for January 22, 2007 election (later cancelled) has remained virtually inactive in politics since the emergency, party men said. Tenure of the district committees of BNP and its front organisations Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal also expired a few years ago. District BNP Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, who started communicating with grassroots level party leaders and activists after lifting ban on indoor politics, however, claimed that BNP leaders and activists in Dinajpur are united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia.
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