Staff Reporter :
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia wants a ‘combined responsible leadership’ for the party’s Sylhet Division to look after the grassroots level leaders and activists.
The BNP leaders close to the party Chief Begum Khaleda Zia said, the party has been facing leadership crisis in the greater Sylhet.
They said, after the death of party standing committee member and former Finance Minister M. Saifur Rahman in 2009, the then organizing secretary M Ilias Ali taken over the leadership of greater Sylhet. But Ilias Ali’s enforced disappearance on April 17, 2012 has created a void in the Division.
After his (Ilias) disappearance, the then Vice Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury was looking after the party grassroots leaders and activists. But he also resigned from the BNP on October 28 last year.
BNP’s one of the international affairs secretaries Kamor Uddin Ahmed also used to look after the Sylhet divisional politics until his death on April 22 in 2011 in London.
Party insiders said, after Shamsher Mobin’s resignation, Sylhet BNP has fallen in a leadership vacuum.
“From the recent grassroots level restructuring of the party to UP polls nomination process, the local leaders were found involved in chaos and conflict. Indiscipline prevails everywhere in the division,” said one of the senior leaders, preferring anonymity.
He said, “The party Chairperson has realized that currently there is no one who can give proper leadership to the division’s grassroots leaders and workers. So, she is now looking for a ‘combined responsible leadership’ for the division.”
Another senior leader of the party said, BNP high-ups have given high importance for Sylhet Division. They think the ruling Awami League has some prominent leaders in the Division like Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, senior leader Suranjit Sengupta and State Minister MA Mannan.
On the other hand, BNP has only the party chairperson’s Advisor Enam Ahmed Chowdhury as a senior leader in the entire Sylhet Division.
The BNP high command is now trying to fill in the gap by appointing more senior leaders in the up-coming central committee from the greater area.
They said, Enam Ahmed Chowdhury may be appointed as Vice Chairman of the party. Besides, now party central executive committee member and Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque and Engineer Syed Munsif Ali may be appointed as the party chairperson’s advisory council members.
Competent party sources said, Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, Ariful Haque, Engineer Munsif Ali and newly appointed Organizing Secretary Dr. Sakhawat Hasan Ziban may be in the future ‘combined leadership’ for Sylhet Division.
Meanwhile, Habigonj Municipality Mayor GK Gous, former Sylhet City Unit BNP President MA Haque, former MP Shammi Aktar and Shechchasebok Dal central Vice President Shamsuzzaman Zaman may also be appointed in the party’s vital posts.
