The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The Standing Committee of the BNP is scheduled to meet today, two days after the release of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia from jail.

Most of the members of the Standing Committee are expected to attend the meeting to be held at 3:00pm at party's central office at Naya Paltan in the city. Of the 13-member Standing Committee, KM Obaidur Rahman is dead. Besides, former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has been expelled from the party before the arrest of Begum Zia on September 3 last year, Abdul Matin Chowdhury is sick, and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Barrister Moudud Ahmed are now in jails on corruption charges.

All other members of the Standing Committee are likely to attend the meeting. Former finance minister M Saifur Rahman and former lawmaker and army chief of staff Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, known as reformists, met Begum Zia yesterday for rapprochement.

The two leaders went to Khaleda Zia's residence at Shaheed Moinul Road at Dhaka Cantonment at about 3:30pm and held meeting for about an hour.

About yesterday's meeting, Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The New Nation that after Begum Zia's statement for unity for the party, there was now no question of factional feud within the party.

He said that he would join the Standing Committee meeting, which is being held at the party's central office after a along recess.

It may be mentioned that on her release on bail after detention for a year on Thursday, Begum Khaleda Zia said there was no division in the BNP.

Party sources said, there was no particular agenda for the meeting. The meeting is likely to discuss the latest development in the political arena, unity in the party, elections and price hike issues.

Meanwhile, former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday at a press briefing called for unity of the party under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia.

He expressed his gratitude to the Almighty Allah at the release of Begum Khaleda Zia saying that the countrymen waited for her release.

Former minister Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed also spoke to Begum Khaleda Zia over telephone. Briefing journalists, Hafiz accepted Khondoker Delwar Hossain as the party's Secretary General.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, now in Mekkah to perform umrah, exchanged pleasantries with the BNP Chairperson over telephone.