Dhaka BNP committee 'soon'

The BNP has reportedly finalised the draft of its Dhaka metropolitan unit convenor committee, barely 10 days before the Eid-ul-Fitr after which the party said it would launch a mass movement to topple the government.

Several of the party's top leaders said the new committee would be announced in a day or two.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia and several Standing Committee members finalised the list on Thursday night at her Gulshan office, party leaders, having knowledge of the matter, said.

They refused to be named as they were not authorised to brief the media.

Several leaders separately told bdnews24.com that party's Standing Committee member and former Dhaka City mayor Mirza Abbas would be the committee's convenor, if there were no further changes in the draft.

Khaleda's Advisor Abdul Awal Mintoo may emerge as the joint convenor.

Another Standing Committee member, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, is also said to be on the list.

Abdus Salam, member secretary of the last committee, has been included in the new committee. However, this time, the post of the member secretary has been abolished.

The last convenor committee was announced on May 14, 2011.

Sadeque Hossain Khoka led the 19-member committee. It was supposed to form a full committee within six months but that never happened.

Members of BNP's Dhaka City unit berated the Sadeque Hossain Khoka-led previous committee after the party failed to thwart the Jan 5 polls as announced.

Thanks to it, the ruling Awami League secured an absolute majority and returned to power for a second consecutive time.

The BNP and its allies have since been demanding early polls under a non-party government’s supervision.

Khaleda has been warning that the 20-Party Alliance, led by the BNP, will force the government to accept its demand.

Several BNP leaders questioned Khoka's leadership.

Khoka, Dhaka's last mayor, announced quitting the convenor post on Mar 12.

BNP chief Khaleda, too, admitted to "faults" in the party's agitation strategy in the capital.

At an Iftar programme on Wednesday, she said a new convenor committee for Dhaka metropolitan would be announced soon.

She is leaving for Saudi Arabia on Saturday for Umrah, a senior leader said.

An announcement is likely to be made soon after that, he said.

However, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said he was unaware of the matter.

On Friday, he sidestepped questions during a media conference at the party's Naya Paltan headquarters.

"I don't have any news on the matter. I'll inform you soon as I learn something," he said.