A day after new committee, BNP headquarters lie deserted

The BNP’s headquarters in Naya Paltan is wearing a deserted look belying Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir hopes that the new ‘vibrant and dynamic’ committee will galvanise the party.

The head office was almost empty on Sunday, a day after the fully fledged committee of 502 members was unveiled.

Central leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul himself, did not come to the offices.

Leaders Mosaddek Ali Falu and Shamimur Rahman Shamim resigned after the announcement of the new committee cleared by Chairperson Khaleda Zia around four and a half months after the council.

Many other leaders have spoken to the media about their displeasure with the new committee.

Rival Awami League’s Presidium Member Obaidul Quader has termed the ‘jumbo’ committee ‘the joke of the year’.

On Sunday morning, three new assistant office secretaries, Taiful Islam Tipu, Munir Hossain, and Belal Ahmed were seen chatting with 12 to 15 activists.

The staffers were present. One of them told bdnews24.com that the new functionaries have started making a list of leaders and activists charged and arrested in cases.

Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is in charge of the offices.

BNP leaders said he has been keeping off the office to evade possible arrest.

Ebaidur Rahman, an activist from Manikganj, said he felt frustrated on seeing the office empty.

“I thought many would come to the office after the announcement of the new committee. But I am upset seeing it empty. It feels terrible,” he said.

Farida Yasmin, a new member of the Executive Committee, was also frustrated.

“I thought the leaders would come to exchange greetings. But I see the opposite now.

“I braved traffic jams to come to the office. But it was just a waste of efforts,” she said.

Metropolitan BNP Member Abdul Mukit from Old Dhaka said ‘many’ were ‘not happy’ at the inclusion of young members.

The BNP committee has over 100 new faces, including the kin of party leaders.