Photo: Messenger
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is 76 years old. He is passing days in various ailments. The impression of age is evident on the face. He is participating in the party programmes with much fatigue. He was once a leftist politician. A few years after joining BNP, he got the post of joint secretary general. After that, he was acting secretary general of the party for five years. Since March 30, 2016, he has been performing full duties as the secretary general. Three national elections were held during his term. The party's reliable sources claim that he talked to chairperson Khaleda Zia about voluntarily resigning from the secretary general’s post amid many allegations and the party boycotting votes in 2014, election defeat in 2018, and failure of the call for 2024 protests.
Following his resignation proposal and upon Khaleda Zia’s advice, the high command was informed about finding a replacement. Tarique Rahman has also spoken to the important leaders of the party from London and taken advice.
According to the sources of the BNP standing committee, Fakhrul spoke about the central council in the last meeting of the standing committee last Monday to boost the morale of the leaders and activists through new leadership. Some of the standing committee members agreed with that. At that time, acting chairman of BNP Tarique Rahman also agreed on the matter. Responsible sources say Fakhrul met Khaleda after being released from prison after the 12th parliamentary elections. He told Khaleda that he wants to step down from the post considering his physical illness.
He also informed Tarique of the matter several times. However, if the secretary general leaves the post suddenly, chaos may arise in the party. Therefore, until an alternative leadership is found, the high command of the party requested him to carry on with the duties. Considering the overall situation, the party did not want to make a sudden change in a big post like secretary general, although there were rumours earlier in the political circles that he had left the post and submitted his resignation. But its authenticity could not be verified. When asked about this, Fakhrul declined to comment.
In the standing committee meeting and behind the scenes, there were discussions about making former standing committee member of BNP Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad or Salahuddin Ahmed, who became a member of the standing committee while remaining in hiding in India, the secretary general. When asked, Salahuddin said, “The matter will be finalised through the council. Our chairman also has power to make decisions in this regard.” Colonel Oli said, “I have turned down the offer to become the prime minister many times in the past. Now there is a bad time in politics. I heard some news, but I do not want to comment now.”
Oli is experienced in politics and diplomacy. He was a member of the BNP standing committee for 22 years from 1984 to 2006. He did politics with Ziaur Rahman. He played the biggest role in bringing Khaleda into politics. He was also the first to defy Section 144 in the anti-Ershad movement. Oli is a freedom fighter and in terms of balance diplomatically and politically, there is no alternative to him in BNP after Fakhrul – such suggestions have come from a large section of the party. Since the establishment of BNP, Oli has never broken trust of Ziaur Rahman or Khaleda. He did not betray with the Zia family despite receiving special offers at least four times, including the offer to become the prime minister. However, after leaving BNP, he formed a different party.
Salahuddin is weak in diplomatic experience. This time, the next secretary general will be determined by giving importance to political and diplomatic experience. In that case, there are still allegations against him of weakness in diplomatic experience. Since he has been away from politics for almost 10 years, a distance has developed between him and the leaders and activists. There is trust and distrust about him within the party. Even after being acquitted by the court, he is not returning to the country in this difficult time. There are questions within the party about this. He was acquitted by the court in February 2023.
He is complaining from abroad that Awami League is preventing him from returning to the country. Many BNP leaders and activists say that he had influence in determining the movement's strategy before the 12th national elections on January 7. On July 29 last year, he carried out responsibilities for the coordination of the sit-in programme at the four entrances of the capital. There was a negative reaction among the senior leaders about this. It is also alleged that Salahuddin played a role behind the foiling of BNP's grand rally in Nayapaltan on October 28. He became a member of the standing committee, the party's highest policy-making forum, in the sixth council of the BNP while he was in India. In 1991, Salahuddin was the APS of the then prime minister Khaleda.
BNP leaders say many senior leaders were ill and bedridden during the movement. The movement also faded away as a large section of the senior leaders went into hiding. Besides, about 130 posts of the central committee are vacant for a long time. Five of the 19 posts in the standing committee are still vacant. After October 28, the weakness of the leadership came to light. In such a situation, it has been decided to reorganise the party with loyal leaders, who did Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal politics. As the situation is not favourable, announcements may come from London at any time even without the council.
Sources say that a large part of the party still does not want the council because the grassroots are angry with the high command. The council can bring leadership who are skilled in diplomatic affairs and street programmes. Top leaders will be eliminated. For this reason, a section wants to transfer the responsibility to the acting chairman of the party instead of the council. At least the seniors will not be left out then. The party will have a senior-junior combination. BNP held the last council in March 2016. The party announced a 17-member standing committee in August that year. There are 19 posts in the standing committee. Then two posts were vacant. The death of MK Anwar, Tariqul Islam, ASM Hannan Shah, and Moudud Ahmed left six posts vacant. Former army chief Mahbubur Rahman resigned, leaving seven vacant posts. Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku were included in the standing committee on June 22, 2019. Now five posts are vacant.
BNP Vice Chairman Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said, "The secretary general of our party has been ill for quite some time. He wanted to leave voluntarily several times. But he remained for the needs of the party. His replacement is not in the team yet. But the chairperson takes all the decisions. Now the team needs to be restructured. It is better to make a decision with 12-13 people than with two-three people. Our chairman will soon walk that path.”
Another vice chairman of the party Nitai Roy Chowdhury said, “Our party has many vacant posts. Many are sick and in bed for a long time. Many cannot attend the programmes regularly. These posts must be filled sooner or later. The sooner we can fill the vacant positions, the faster our organisational work will be.”
When asked, BNP Vice Chairman Md Shahjahan said, “The leaders must have confidence in the council. In the current situation, it is difficult to say whether there will be a council or not. There are some discussions about it.” BNP standing committee member Barrister Zamir Uddin Sircar said, "We are a big political party. We have to hold council. We will do so in due course.” When asked about this, Begum Selima Rahman, a member of the party's standing committee, said that she does not know anything. She said, "I don't know anything about whether someone will become the secretary general or join the standing committee."
Messenger/Disha
