UNB, Dhaka :
Still struggling to reorganise her party in the wake of its January-election boycott, BNP chairperson Khaleda has caused widespread displeasure among her alliance partners, especially the Islamist ones, by including a faction of Samyabadi Dal into their platform though it has made the alliance a 20-party one.
Some top alliance leaders said, though they vehemently opposed the inclusion of a secular, leftist and a name-only faction of Samyabadi Dal, BNP unilaterally took into the alliance just to increase the alliance numbers.
They also said, BNP as the major party of the collation should give due importance to those whom it made alliance partners and consider their suggestions for making their platform stronger and more meaningful.
The alliance leaders also said it looks odd to change the name of the alliance frequently with the inclusion of a new party like 20-party from 19-party. They suggested giving the alliance a name that will not require changing with the incision and exclusion of any party.
The BNP-led 19-party alliance has become a 20-party one as a faction of Samyabadi Dal, led by its acting general secretary Sayeed Ahmed, formally joined it on June 28.
“We’d formed the 18-party alliance with the parties that believe in Islamic and Bangladesh nationalism and chosen the name after working together for a long time. But it sounds bad changing the alliance name with inclusion of any new party. The alliance had turned into a 19-party after Kazi Zafar Ahmed-led Jatiya Party faction joined it and now it has become a 20-party one with the joining of a Samyabadi Dal faction. Frequent changes in name should be stopped for the sake of branding and credibility of the alliance,” Islamic Party Chairman Abdul Mobin told UNB.
He said, the alliance name can be a common one like Nationalist Democratic and Islamic Alliance or any other particular name for its effectiveness and acceptability to people.
Mentioning that some coalition members opposed the inclusion of Samyabadi Dal faction in the alliance, Mobin said the leading party of the alliance (BNP) should be careful about including any party in the alliances so that other alliance partners do not get aggrieved.
“I think we should not include any party in the alliance only for increasing its member or size. We should not only think about quantity but also of quality and stature of the leaders of the party before taking it to the alliance.”
Islami Oikya Jote chairman Maulana Abdul Latif Nezami said Samyabadi Dal faction has joined their platform accepting the ideals of the alliance. “The country is passing through a bad time. The BNP chairperson called upon all parties – small and big, right and left alike-to rally around the BNP-led alliance to save the country from misrule of the current regime. AS Samyabadi Dal responded to her call, we’ve accepted it for the sake of country.”
Labour Party chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran said some Islamic parties are unhappy over the inclusion of Samyabadi Dal in the alliance. “Some Islamic parties at a meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on June 4 opposed the proposal for taking Samyabadi Dal in the alliance. But the alliance chief told them that now it’s not the time to think which party is big, small and right or left. No one dared to differ with her, but the Islamist parties are unhappy over the joining of the left-leaning party as its ideal is contrary to that of the alliance.”
