THE fifth national council of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held yesterday in the capital after a long gap of sixteen years, with party chief Begum Khaleda Zia declaring a programme to reinvigorate the party. Re-elected party chairperson, she has been empowered to declare the names of the secretary general, the members of the standing committee and national executive committee. Tarique was made Senior Vice Chairperson.

This council, long overdue, not only brought amendments to the party constitution to fulfil the requirements of the amended RPO set by the Election Commission but also to consolidate democracy and keeping the party wheel move forward. BNP had a tough time to keep its ranks together during the last three years. There were reports of intra-party clashes at different levels of the party organisation. Further delay in holding the central council could have led to frustration among the rank and file. BNP insiders see this council as a turning point and hope to emerge united. Party council strengthens democratic practice and helps resist rise of autocracy. This council is also likely to set the party to a course with renewed vigour.

The role of opposition political parties is of crucial importance for multi-party democracy, which again, is essential for preventing the leaders from setting policies without consultation and challenge. Lively performance of the opposition makes democracy function properly through checks and balance. Multi-party democracy also helps contain physical clashes of interest groups in the society. BNP is one of the major political parties in the country. It had been in power for more than 12 years in four terms. Despite its debacle in the last parliamentary election, it attracted as many as 3.5 crore out of 8 crore votes and has a great role to play in shaping the democratic polity. BNP should come out stronger with a democratically chosen central leadership and, in turn, help consolidate democracy.
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BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her party?s fifth national council yesterday unveiled 19-point programme that includes strengthening the country?s democratic institutions and curbing corruption, criminal activities and injustice.

Addressing the party?s grassroots level leaders, Khaleda, who was re-elected the party chairperson unopposed, urged party men to implement the programmes by shunning the paths of injustice, wrongdoings, greed and corruption.

?We have come out of disasters with new dreams to build Bangladesh and make people happy. We will together implement the dreams. The party will have to be made capable of materialising those dreams,? the BNP chief said, describing the adverse situation her party faced during the last caretaker government?s rule.

The BNP, which conceded a massive debacle in the December 29 parliamentary election mainly because of misrule and unbridled corruption during its 2001-2006 tenure, came up with the future programmes to rejuvenate the party and its grassroots level.

The programmes also include establishing good governance and rule of law, expediting national development by ?turning the population into manpower?, ensuring people?s basic needs, taking measures to expand the science, technology and ICT sector to make Bangladesh fit for the 21st century, re-opening of closed down industries, and providing all-out support to local industries for their survival.

Political analysts say the programmes aim at making the party more pro-people and restore people?s support keeping in mind the next general elections.

Amid slogans and clapping of grassroots leaders from across the country, Khaleda said the party council aimed to bring qualitative changes within the party to make it a competent mechanism in implementing those programmes.

She urged all patriotic people, political parties, students, youths, workers and all professional and cultural organisations to unite and work together for the people?s welfare and establish the rule of law.

Lambasting the present Awami League-led government?s rule, Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, called upon the ruling party to work for the people and the country.

In her 70-minute speech at the opening session of the council at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre, Khaleda asked the government to work to implement its election manifesto. ?We will extend constructive cooperation,? she said.

The BNP chief accused the ruling party of not behaving properly with the opposition in parliament and asked the government to pay due respect to the opposition party to get its cooperation.

?Let the opposition talk for the people and stay away from bringing false allegations against it. Discuss any issues related to people and the country in parliament before making any decision. We will help make parliament effective,? she said.

Khaleda said the government?s ?go alone? policy on holding trial of the killing of army officers, demarcation of maritime boundary, Tipaimukh Dam issue, Asian Highway and withdrawal of army camps form Chittagong Hill Tracts has aroused suspicion among the people about its sincerity.

The BNP will protest if the government does anything that goes against the people, she said, adding, ?If necessary, we will launch movements and resistance taking people with us.?

She said people are not safe now in and outside home and frustration and grievances are increasing among them. ?People are saying that the government has not been able to bring changes, rather it has increased their sufferings. The government is busy with making the country volatile instead of building a digital Bangladesh,? she said.

Khaleda, who has been leading the BNP since 1983, described various achievements in different sectors during her party?s 1991-1996 and 2001-2006 tenures. She also portrayed the last caretaker government?s tenure as marked by misrule. She blasted the caretaker government for its effort to exclude her and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina from politics.

?Like politicians, businessmen and other people, my family members were also tortured and I had been confined to my house before my detention,? she said.

Describing the 9/11 as a guerrilla attack, Khaleda said it ?hit America in the heart?. ?Similarly, the conspirators of 1/11 also hit Bangladesh in the heart,? she said.

Khaleda said with the current government misrule has been established again. ?Therefore, we will have to prepare for a tough struggle, for which unity among ourselves and having people beside us are required.?

Earlier in the morning, Khaleda inaugurated the council by hoisting the national and party flags.

Around 20,000 grassroots level leaders, councillors, and delegates of BNP gathered at the council venue.

Leaders of business and professional bodies, intellectuals, cultural personalities, envoys of different countries, and social elites attended the inaugural ceremony.

The council was held to elect BNP?s new leadership and bring changes in the party charter by ratifying the provisional changes brought in it to meet the registration criteria before the last parliamentary polls.

Sri Lanka Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda, UK?s House of Commons member George Gallway, Chairman of international liaison committee of Pakistan People?s Party Prof Ezazul Hasan, Canada?s National Democratic Party chief?s special envoy Daniel Breton and former mayor of a province of Canada Jau Mark Peletiye also addressed the council.

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Tags: Awami legue, Begum Khaleda zia, BNP, Tareq Rahman

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 11:52 am and is filed under Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Development, Bangladesh, culture, Bangladesh, policies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.