Tangail BNP bigwigs fall apart over reform
Ex-MP and district president Mahmudul Hassan leads reformists while Delwar supporters rally round secretary Bulbul
Mahmudul Hassan and Moniruzzaman Bulbul
Front ranking BNP leaders in Tangail are virtually divided over reforms in the party and their allegiance to newly appointed secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain or expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhyiuan. The pro-reform faction is led by district president of the party and former lawmaker Maj Gen (Retd) Mahmudul Hassan while its general secretary Moniruzzaman Bulbul leads leaders loyal to Delwar, party sources said. Mahmudul Hassan has already make his stance clear in favour of reforms and has been maintaining contact with expelled party secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuyan, they said. Moniruzzaman Khan Bulbul has expressed his confidence on the leadership of Khaleda Zia and the newly appointed secretary general Khandakar Delwar Hossain. Three former ministers from Tangail--Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad, Goutam Chakroborty and Abdus Salam Pintu are yet to make their position known. They are still observing the situation, the sources claimed. Another former minister and influential party leader Shajahan Siraj is absconding since conviction by a court for tax evasion. This correspondent could not contact any of the former ministers despite repeated attempts over cell phone. Bulbul and his followers made their position clear by joining a relief distribution programme by BNP chairperson's adviser Brig Gen (Retd) ASM Hannan Shah in Bhuapur recently. Talking to this correspondent, Tangail district BNP vice-president and Bhuapur upazila unit president Abdul Khalek Mandol said Khaleda Zia represents the mainstream BNP and upholds its ideology enunciated by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. Asked about Mahmudul Hassan, he said, “Nobody is with him. District BNP organising secr4etary and president of Tangail poura BNP Saidul Haque Sadu claimed that majority of leaders and activists are with Delwar. Sources close to Mahmudul Hassan however claimed that a good number of front ranking leaders of the district committee are maintaining contacts with the former lawmaker (Hassan). Advocate Mohammad Ali Miah, senior vice-president of Tangail district BNP, said there is no alternative to Mahmudul Hassan in Tangail as he has done a lot of development works in the district. Mohammad Abdur Razzak, secretary of Tangail Sadar BNP and office secretary of the district committee, said he along with “all upazila level leaders” of Mahmudul Hassan's constituency (Tangail-5 Sadar-Delduar) are united under his leadership. Nurul Islam, president of Delduar upazila BNP, known as loyal to Mahmudul Hassan, claimed that many top leaders in different upazila units are keeping regular contact with Mahmudul Hassan. "But most of them kept mum and are not making any comment openly as the time is not ripe," he added. When contacted, Bulbul said he along with most of the leaders and activists of Tangail BNP including district and upazila units are united under the leadership of party chairperson Khaleda Zia. "Only those who joined BNP form Jatiya Party (Ershad) with Mahmudul Hassan may be with him (Hassan)," Bulbul added. Talking to this correspondent, Mahmudul Hassan said personally he is not deny the leadership of Khaleda Zia. But the party needs reforms, he asserted. The party would not have faced the present situation had there been reforms earlier, he said. "All leaders and activists in Tangail who actually love the party are with me as I made the party stronger and disciplined after joining it," the former lawmaker said.
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