RA Ghani dissociates from reformists

BNP Standing Committee member Dr RA Gani disassociated himself from the reformist group, blaming party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan for violating the BNP constitution while its Rajshahi division leaders extended their support to the reform move yesterday.

“Mannan Bhuiyan has violated the party constitution by announcing reform proposal through the media before placing it at the Council Session,” he told journalists at his Dhanmondi residence yesterday contradicting his previous statement.

Earlier, Dr RA Gani after a meeting with Mannan Bhuiyan at the same venue told journalists that reforms was needed in the party, saying, “The reform is the need of hours.”

He has changed his position following party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s tough anti-reform stance and her threat to take disciplinary action against the BNP Secretary General for, what, she termed anti-party activities.

Beleaguered due to the arrest of her eldest son and political heir Tarique Rahman, Senior Joint Secretary General of the BNP, and a number close aides on corruption charges, the immediate-past Prime Minister reacted sharply against the reform proposal, as it called for an end to her dynastic and unilateral control on the party.

However, Dr RA Gani, who occasionally attends BNP Standing Committee and neither solder any responsibility nor addresses any public gathering, did not clarified whether he had changed his stance out of fear of losing his membership at the highest policymaking body.

“The party constitution does not empower anybody to announce reform proposal through the media before placing it in the Council Session,” he asserted, opposing Mannan Bhuiyan’s move to hold the Council.

Front-ranking reformist and BNP Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain dismissed Dr RA Gani’s comment saying, “There is no provision in the BNP constitution, which bars the party Secretary General from announcing reform proposal through the media.”

Rather, the party constitution empowers the BNP Secretary General to issue any statement, no matter whether it was discussed at the party forum or not, on behalf of the party, he added.

Meanwhile, leaders of Rajshahi division BNP led by veteran parliamentarian Abdul Alim yesterday extended their support to the reform move after a meeting with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan at the latter’s Gulshan residence in the capital.

“We have discussed about the progress of the preparations of the Council Session, which will endorse the reform proposal,” Abdul Alim told journalists after the meeting.

Both Ashraf Hossain and Abdul Alim said Mannan Bhuiyan would announce the new package of reform proposal this week.

The new proposal will deal issues of national interests as well as reform of politics and the party, Ashraf Hossain added.