Staff Reporter :
The BNP has amended its party Constitution adding provision of holding election to the party’s senior vice-chairman post alongside Chairperson, and a three-member Election Commission to conduct the election of two posts.
The Constitution was amended at the BNP’s standing committee meeting held in the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Wednesday night. Party Chief Khaleda Zia chaired meeting.
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press conference in the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the city on Thursday.
The party’s standing committee, the highest policy making body of the party, put forward a proposal to amend the Constitution in a meeting. Later, in the meeting Khaleda Zia approved the proposal on the basis of the recommendation.
“The Standing Committee Meeting requested our Chairperson to amend the constitution to elect the party senior vice-chairman together
with Chairperson. Later, she approved the necessary amendments to the section 19 (Ka) exercising her power given in the Constitution,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
Just after approval by the BNP chairperson, the standing committee members formed the three-member Election Commission. BNP standing committee member Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar has been made Chairman of the Commission. The two other members are party vice chairman Harun-or-Rashid and executive committee member Aminul Haq.
Mirza Fakhrul said, the election commission would announce the election schedule at the right time and take other necessary steps in this regard.
Before the amendment to the BNP’s constitution, there was only the provision of picking up the party chairperson through election. Now the post of senior vice-chairman, currently occupied by Tarique Rahman, will also be elected in contest for council election.
Earlier on December 8 in 2009, a new post of senior vice-chairman was included in the party’s Constitution and the councillors elected Tarique Rahman for the post.
Sources said that Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, who is current vice-chairman of the party, may be elected uncontested as chairman and vice-chairman of the party respectively before the upcoming Sixth National Council likely to be held on March 19. Mirza Fakhrul said that the party’s highest policymaking body also formed 11 sub-committees to make its sixth council a success. Of the sub-committees, Mirza Fakhrul has been made convener of the reception sub-committee, while Tariqul Islam for Communiqué and Constitution amendment, ASM Hannan Shah for Discipline and Services, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy for Management and Publicity, Nazrul Islam Khan for drafting, journalist Shafik Rehman for International Affairs, Abdullah Al Noman for publication, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain for medical service, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed for office and communication, and Gazi Mazharul Anwar for cultural sub-committees.
Mirza Fakhrul said that the standing committee denounced the filing of a sedition case against Khaleda Zia over her remarks about the number of the country’s 1971 Liberation War martyrs. “The meeting thinks the case was filed as part of a deep-rooted plot to obliterate the country’s politics.” The BNP policymakers demanded all the cases, including sedition one, filed against Khaleda Zia be withdrawn immediately. They also demanded immediate and unconditional release of BNP standing committee members MK Anwar and Mirza Abbas, Gazipur Mayor Abdul Mannan, Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque, Amar Desh Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman and others.
Replying to a question, Mirza Fakhrul said, they still could not finalise the venue of the council. “We hope we will be able to fix within a day or two.”
The BNP has amended its party Constitution adding provision of holding election to the party’s senior vice-chairman post alongside Chairperson, and a three-member Election Commission to conduct the election of two posts.
The Constitution was amended at the BNP’s standing committee meeting held in the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Wednesday night. Party Chief Khaleda Zia chaired meeting.
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press conference in the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the city on Thursday.
The party’s standing committee, the highest policy making body of the party, put forward a proposal to amend the Constitution in a meeting. Later, in the meeting Khaleda Zia approved the proposal on the basis of the recommendation.
“The Standing Committee Meeting requested our Chairperson to amend the constitution to elect the party senior vice-chairman together
with Chairperson. Later, she approved the necessary amendments to the section 19 (Ka) exercising her power given in the Constitution,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
Just after approval by the BNP chairperson, the standing committee members formed the three-member Election Commission. BNP standing committee member Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar has been made Chairman of the Commission. The two other members are party vice chairman Harun-or-Rashid and executive committee member Aminul Haq.
Mirza Fakhrul said, the election commission would announce the election schedule at the right time and take other necessary steps in this regard.
Before the amendment to the BNP’s constitution, there was only the provision of picking up the party chairperson through election. Now the post of senior vice-chairman, currently occupied by Tarique Rahman, will also be elected in contest for council election.
Earlier on December 8 in 2009, a new post of senior vice-chairman was included in the party’s Constitution and the councillors elected Tarique Rahman for the post.
Sources said that Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, who is current vice-chairman of the party, may be elected uncontested as chairman and vice-chairman of the party respectively before the upcoming Sixth National Council likely to be held on March 19. Mirza Fakhrul said that the party’s highest policymaking body also formed 11 sub-committees to make its sixth council a success. Of the sub-committees, Mirza Fakhrul has been made convener of the reception sub-committee, while Tariqul Islam for Communiqué and Constitution amendment, ASM Hannan Shah for Discipline and Services, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy for Management and Publicity, Nazrul Islam Khan for drafting, journalist Shafik Rehman for International Affairs, Abdullah Al Noman for publication, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain for medical service, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed for office and communication, and Gazi Mazharul Anwar for cultural sub-committees.
Mirza Fakhrul said that the standing committee denounced the filing of a sedition case against Khaleda Zia over her remarks about the number of the country’s 1971 Liberation War martyrs. “The meeting thinks the case was filed as part of a deep-rooted plot to obliterate the country’s politics.” The BNP policymakers demanded all the cases, including sedition one, filed against Khaleda Zia be withdrawn immediately. They also demanded immediate and unconditional release of BNP standing committee members MK Anwar and Mirza Abbas, Gazipur Mayor Abdul Mannan, Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque, Amar Desh Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman and others.
Replying to a question, Mirza Fakhrul said, they still could not finalise the venue of the council. “We hope we will be able to fix within a day or two.”
