‘Real BNP will spring a surprise’

Self-proclaimed leader of ‘real BNP’ Kamrul Hassan Nasim has announced that his party will pull off a surprise on Feb 6.

Nasim, who the BNP has dismissed as insane, recently urged party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman to resign their positions by Feb 6.

Speaking at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday, he said Khaleda and her son were unlikely to step down within the stipulated timeframe.

“Several central leaders of the BNP will be present at the press conference on that day (Feb 6). You’ll be in for surprises every 15 days,” he added.

Nasim, who is opposing Khaleda’s leadership, came to Monday’s press conference wearing a black badge to mourn the death of Khaleda and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s youngest son Arafat Rahman Coco.

He said Zia had founded the BNP with ‘learned political people’ but only a few of them were now with Khaleda.

“Nobody likes Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. The party is still surviving only because of Ziaur Rahman’s ideology,” he added.

Nasim said he would go to BNP office with 1,700 leaders and activists on Feb 6 if Khaleda did not resign by that time.

“We won’t carry arms. We’ll go there with 1,700 pens. We’ll tell her ‘mother, please tender your resignation’,” he said.

Though Nasim claimed himself a leader of the BNP, no one from the party was accompanying him at the press meet.

He told reporters: “You’ll see 3-5 spokespersons (of the party) on Feb 6. You’ll certainly know them.”

“I’ve come to talk to you not on my own wishes. I’ve come before you at the behest of the party. Many things have not been disclosed here for strategic reasons.”

Asked about his position in the BNP, Nasim said: “You can call me the crisis-time spokesperson (of the party).”

He urged the government not to sit for political dialogues with ‘blockade-calling’ Khaleda.