After the formation of the government, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now taking initiatives to organize and mobilize the party. As part of this, there are glimpses of reorganizing the party’s national council and committees of organs and affiliates this year. The top leaders of BNP gave such a glimpse.
The leaders of the party say that there is great enthusiasm among the leaders and workers at the prospect of reorganizing the national council and the committees of the organizations. There has been improvement in the organ organizations. It will play a role in the movement of these groups. It will make the team organizationally stronger.
Disappointment has arisen among the aspiring leaders and workers as most of the BNP’s organs and affiliated organizations have been running with expired and partial committees for a long time. The prospect of restructuring the committee is cutting that frustration. Just as young leaders are aspiring, older leaders who are currently at the helm also want to retain their positions.
According to the constitution of BNP there is an obligation to hold a national council every three years. But the last National Council was held 10 years ago in March 2016. Out of the 19 posts of the National Standing Committee, the highest policy-making forum of the BNP, only 14 are currently in place. Remaining five posts are vacant. Many leaders of the party are now serving in the government and parliament. As a result, their time in organizational work is reduced. In this situation, the policy makers of the party have given a glimpse of holding the seventh national council. They think that the National Council will strengthen the leaders and workers of the organizing team and organs and allied organizations.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters at the beginning of last April that the National Council will take at least a few months. They will try to move the party towards the council very quickly.
However, several policy makers of BNP said that no specific schedule of the National Council has been finalized yet.
When asked to know, Selima Rahman, a member of the National Standing Committee of the BNP, told Ajker newspaper, “This year (the National Council) will be held.” There are such thoughts. The date is not fixed yet.’
BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Imran Saleh Prince feels that the environment is favorable for the National Council. In this context, he said, ‘We will do the council. But there is an organizational process to do this. We will do this by following that process.’
BNP sources say that most of the party’s organs and affiliated organizations have been running with expired and partial committees for a long time. Since there are no conferences or new committees, the same leadership has remained in place for a century in some organizations. As a result, new leadership is not being developed from the grassroots to the center of the organizations.
A year and a half after the partial committee of the Nationalist Youth Party was announced, the full committee has not been formed. The same leadership in the nationalist women’s group for almost 10 years. The Nationalist Freedom Fighters did not get new leadership for more than a century. The last council of the Nationalist Labor Party was held in 2014.
The term of the last committee of Nationalist Chhatra Dal, the lifeblood of field politics, has already ended. The defeat of the Chhatra Dal in the student parliament elections of various universities has raised questions within the party about the leadership and effectiveness of the organization. There is a demand for new and acceptable leadership in the student body.
According to party sources, many top leaders of BNP have become ministers after the formation of the government. Many are members of Parliament, performing important duties in Parliament. Many of the top leaders of the Juba Dal and Nationalist Volunteers are members of parliament or ministers. As a result, they are unable to devote enough time to organizational work due to state engagement. On the other hand, as the conference has not been held for a long time, there is growing frustration among the aspirant leaders and workers, and on the other hand, there is increasing internal conflict.
Several responsible leaders of BNP said that due to the failure of the conference, the organizational weakness created due to frustration and conflict among the organization’s leaders, rival political parties have intensified campaign attacks against BNP. In this situation, there is an urge to strengthen the organizations.
According to political analysts, regular council and leadership renewal is essential to maintain a strong organizational base in the long term. Besides running the state, if the BNP can hand over the responsibility of the organization to the young and competent people as soon as possible, it will infuse new momentum into the party and it will be easier to counter the propaganda of the opponents.
Several leaders who played a role in the policy-making stage of BNP said during the conversation that considering the overall situation, BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarek Rahman is moving ahead with the plan to organize the organs and allied organizations. He has already held several meetings with the responsible leaders of various organizations on this matter and has given clear directions to make the organizational activities more effective and people-oriented. Tariq Rahman’s request, the future leadership will come from the combination of young and old. The leadership aspirants of the organizations have also informed the party chairman of their demands.
Sources said, those who are currently leading the organizations, want to remain at the helm for more time. The reason they say is that since the party is in power, they can use their experience to give good things to the organization, which will not be possible for the new leadership. And the new ones who want to come to the leadership, claim that there is no possibility of improving the old ones. In view of the current reality, the organization needs to be reorganized with fresh leadership.
The prospect of reorganization of committees of organs and affiliated organizations has created new enthusiasm among the leaders and workers. Prospective aspirants of Jubo Dal, Swachhasevak Dal and Chhatra Dal are scrambling to prepare their political resumes (CVs) and history of past sacrifices to reach the high command. Work has also started with women’s party, peasant party, weavers’ party, fishermen’s party, freedom fighter party, Jasas and Ulama party. It is said that new committees will be given to the organizations immediately after the holy Eid-ul-Azha. However, the responsible leaders of BNP could not say anything specific about this.
When asked, BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman said, ‘The organizations will be given a hand at the right time. Committees will be reconstituted as needed.’
BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince said, “No talk of Eidul Azha.” The committee will We will make committees periodically as needed.’
