The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leaders of the rival factions of the BNP are holding backstage parleys in a move to reunify the party.

Insiders said leaders of both the reformist and anti-reform groups of BNP are discussing ways to bridge gap between them following last week's telephonic conversations between party Acting Chairman M Saifur Rahman and Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain. Saifur Rahman is now leading the reformist faction while Khandaker Delwar anti-reform group.

BNP, the immediate-past ruling party, became divided between the two groups following its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's action expelling its Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on September 3 immediately before her arrest. Begum Zia also appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain as Secretary General on the same day.

Earlier, relations between Begum Zia and Mannan Bhuiyan became sour after the latter announced his reform proposal, suggesting an end of her era in the party in March.

At one stage in October, the BNP Standing Committee at a meeting appointed M Saifur Rahman as its Acting Chairman and Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed as Acting Secretary General. The meeting also disapproved Begum Zia's action against Mannan Bhuiyan and restored his membership in the Standing Committee.

Hence, both the reformist and anti-reform groups continued to function as separate entity, inimical to each other.

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain first telephoned Saifur Rahman and requested the latter to initiate a rapprochement move.

After discussing among the leaders of the reformist faction, Saifur Rahman telephoned back to Khandaker Delwar. Then leaders of both the groups started backstage parleys with a view to reunify the party.

Party sources, however, could not confirm as to whether there is any development in the move.