The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Most of the reformist leaders of BNP have failed to secure party nomination yesterday for the forthcoming parliamentary elections on December 29.

Sources of BNP admitted that most of the 'reformist' approached party high ups for nomination but their efforts went in vain.

Among the so-called reformists who managed a slot in the list of nominees are party stalwarts, former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, ex-minister Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed and former parliamentary defence committee chairman Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman.

Those who were denied nominations include former education minister Osman Faruque, former state ministers Shah Mohammad Abul Hossain, professor Rezaul Karim and Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan, former whip Rezaul Bari Deena, and former MPs Abdul Alim, Nazir Hossain, Ataur Rahman Angur, Mosharraf Hossain Mangu, Fazlul Azim, SA Sultan Titu, Dr Ziaul Huq Molla, Masud Arun, Abdul Ghani, GM Mohammad Siraj, Kazi Rafiqul Islam and Sarder Sakhawat Hossain Bakul.

The BNP chairperson's adviser Maj Gen (retd) ZA Khan, BNP assistant office secretary Emran Saleh Prince and party officials AHM Mofazzal Karim, MA Hakim and Dr Mushfiqur Rahman also failed to win party nominations.

Among 'pro-reform' party veterans sacked last year, former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former joint secretary Ashraf Hossain and former office secretary Mofiqul Hasan Tripty remain black-listed.

Former secretary general Mannan Bhuiyan made a 21-point reform proposal on June 25 this year for wider democratic practices within the party.

This caused a split within the party and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sept 3 last year, just prior to her arrest, replaced Bhuiyan with Khandker Delwar Hossain as the party Secretary General.