The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain has dissolved its powerful Dhaka city committee on Wednesday to weaken the rival reformist group of the party and his new challenger Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah.

Party insiders said this yesterday adding that Khandaker Delwar's action consolidated his authority on the party machinery further.

"Like a season player, Khandaker Delwar dissolved the committee a day after his challenger BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah publicly blamed him as the main obstacle to reunification of the party," one of the close aides of the BNP Secretary General said, adding that he had destroyed the prime fortress of reformist group at the same time.

Khandaker Delwar, who yesterday told a press conference that he had only carried out the detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's directive through liquidating BNP Dhaka city committee, did not face any trouble as city committee President Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and General Secretary Abdus Salam said they would accept the action if it was the party Chief's desire.

"The BNP Secretary General has successfully weakened the reformist group led by its Acting Secretary Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed and the possible emergence of new rival group in his own camp under the leadership of Hannan Shah," a BNP leader said.

An aspirant for the post of BNP Dhaka City Committee President, Brig Hannan Shah had an exchange of hot words with Khandaker Delwar publicly on Tuesday at a seminar organised by the party's cultural wing JASAS at the National Press Club, triggering a fresh polarisation in the already troubled party, which had become divided between the reformist and anti-reform faction in September last year.

Pointing his fingers at Khandaker Delwar, Hannan Shah alleged, "Some leaders, who had

remained silent covering their face with the 'blanket of party posts' during the most critical situation of the party after Begum Zia's arrest, have now emerged as "saviour" at the opportune time now" and trying to resist the reunification of the party.

"We will send the conspirators to the grave wrapping them up with white cloth (shroud) and implement Begum Zia's directives unifying the party," he warned.

He claimed that none other than he (Hannan) and party Joint Secretary General Gayeswar Chandra Roy use to maintain relation with Begum Zia when she was virtually under house-arrest.

General Gayeswar Chandra Roy, who has joined force with Hannan Shah, was also critical of Khandaker Delwar.

Reacting sharply, Khandaker Delwar, who was the Chief Guest at the function, termed Hannan Shah 'an agent of particular quarters' and said, "We will foil all designs as we did in the past".

The BNP Secretary General, however, refrained from making any comment against Gayeswar Roy.

Insiders said party leaders, including former MPs, and activists were started polarising them as a new "pro-unity" group led by Hannan Shah, for what he said, "To fight 'autocratic behaviour' and anti-unity stance of Khandaker Delwar Hossain."

When contacted, Hannan Shah in an interview with a private TV channel on Wednesday again alleged that Khandaker Delwar was promoting flatterers and installing his lackeys in the party and its front organisations' after expelling popular leaders and formers MPs.

"Khandaker Delwar is violating party constitution, which does not empower the Secretary General to expel or remove any leader from the party or its front organisations," he said, adding, "His house-NAM Flat had now become controversial like that of the Hawa Bhaban and acting as the main obstacle to the party unity."

"Some flatterers centring them at the Hawa Bhaban earned bad name for party's Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman when the BNP was in power and same things are being repeating now," Hannan Shah noted.

He charged, "Khandaker Delwar is running the BNP as per his whims without consulting any leaders."

When asked, Khandaker Delwar yesterday brushed aside Hannan Shah's allegations, saying, "I have never done anything without the directive of the party Chairperson."

"I have no desire to run the party without Begum Zia's directives," the BNP Secretary General reiterated at the press conference that was marred by scuffle between his and Hannan Shah's followers.

The personality clash between Khandaker Delwar and Hannan Shah surfaced first in November last year, when the former military commander claimed himself as "Coordinator of the BNP".

Dismissing the proposition immediately, Khandaker Delwar said, "The BNP constitution has no post named Coordinator. But, the party can appoint someone as coordinator for a particular programme."

The squabble between Khandaker Delwar and Hannan Shah surfaced publicly centring the interpretation of last Sunday's directives to the Secretary General by detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to allow reformist leaders to work from their own positions, stop purging them and reorganisation as well as unify the party as earliest as possible, insiders told The New Nation yesterday.

Begum Zia, appointed Khandaker Delwar the Secretary General expelling top reformist Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan moments before her arrest in a graft case on September 3 last year. She gave the said directives, when Delwar had an one-to-one meeting with her on Sunday, at the time of attending a Special Court for the first time for charge hearing in GATCO scam case.

Delwar attended the case as one of her lawyers and their meeting was held at a separate room in presence of other lawyers.

It may be mentioned here that Hannan Shah enrolled his name in voters' list from Dhaka city this year with hope to contest the upcoming City Corporation election as Mayor candidate or a party candidate from the Cantonment and Guslhan constituency of Parliament.

Hannan Shah became surprised at the sudden dissolution of the Dhaka city committee, as he could not oppose it since it was his proposal, a Delwar loyalist said.

Earlier last week, Hannan Shah had an one-to-one meeting with Khandaker Delwar at the latter's NAM Flat residence and demanded of the Secretary General to give him specific organisational responsibility.

Khandaker Delwar remained non-responsive to Hannan Shah's demand and adviced him to wait for an appropriate time during the meeting.

Sources close to the BNP Secretary General said he did not trust Hannan Shah since he believes the former military officer was arrested thrice after January 11 (2002) as part of a 'ploy' to 'divide the party. "And this is the reason Khandaker Delwar did not approve Hannan Shah's move to reunify the party formally through meeting with the reformist faction of BNP," one of closest BNP leader, who supports Khandaker Delwar told this Correspondent last night.

"The Secretary General told me that Hannan Shah is an agent of a particular quarter and he was trying to create a dent along with Speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar," he added requesting anonymity.

Sources close to Hannan Shah said, "Khandaker Delwar, a former leftist like his predecessor Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, was apprehensive of losing his post if sit for a formal meeting with the reformist leaders accepting Hannan Shah's unity move."

"Why Delwar was not arrested for a single time if is so anti-government?" another Hannan Shah loyalist posed the question and added that there was no chance of an immediate rapprochement between Khandaker Delwar and Hannan Shah.