In the middle of the night on Thursday, June 13, the central committee of the youth front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, and eight city committees of the BNP’s student front, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, were dissolved. The BNP did not provide an explanation for dissolving nine party committees at once, but many involved said the organizational action was intended to significantly restructure the party in light of its previous movements’ shortcomings.
After speaking with a number of accountable leaders at different party levels on Friday, June 14, it was discovered that numerous flaws were discovered at various party levels as a result of the catastrophic collapse of a larger movement.
After the parliamentary election on January 7, concerns about the performance of several significant affiliated and associated bodies of the BNP’s city units in various movements, particularly, began to surface. There were also extensive discussions regarding the current roles of Chattra Dal and Jubo Dal, the two organizations that the BNP views as its vanguard.
Concerned parties stated that a reorganization will occur shortly following the dissolution of previous panels. However, because there was no official debate of the unexpected dissolution of so many committees at the party’s policymaking level, many senior and central leaders were unaware of it beforehand. Similar to prior occasions, a news statement was sent to the media announcing the dissolution of committees, which startled and infuriated a number of the leaders who had not been included.
However, Abdus Salam, the convener of the BNP’s Dhaka city south unit’s newly dissolved committee, expressed his opinion that the dissolution is a “continuous process of party reorganization.” “All posts except that of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman are supposed to go to changes,” he said to Prothom Alo on Thursday night. “I will work wherever and whenever the BNP sees fit for the sake of the party and its movement.”
According to those involved, during the previous movement that resulted in the removal of Mojibur Rahman Sarwar and the formation of a committee led by Moniruzzman Khan—a known rival of Sarwar—barishal city was the least active. This committee caused controversy and internal strife from the start. Following the breakup of the committee headed by Moniruzzman Khan, supporters of Mojibur Rahman Sarwar became involved.
Currently serving as the party’s joint secretary general is Mojibur Rahman Sarwar. Dissolving committees is a part of the political process, he informed Prothom Alo. At this point, a convening committee or a full committee may form. But as party movement and actions suffered a trail of damages during the previous convening committee’s leadership period and no leadership has been developed, what must be done will need to be coordinated with everybody.
Acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, who resides in London at the moment, reportedly received a report on the function of field and central level leaders in the previous movement, according to a trustworthy source. He encouraged the report’s preparation, and he made the decision to reorganize committees in light of it. Tarique Rahman, however, has spent several days having formal and informal discussions on the issue with BNP leaders at various levels.
Tarique Rahman had separate virtual meetings with the leaders of the Jubo Dal central committee, the Dhaka north and south units, and other relevant parties before announcing the dissolution of the committees on Thursday night. He asked for their participation and told them about the intention to create new committees.
The general secretary of the Jubo Dal committee that was dissolved, Abdul Monayem, does not think that the committees were abolished due to inadequacies.
“We have a routine in place to expedite the celebration. Furthermore, the BNP persisted in its campaign despite this degree of state apparatus persecution, not giving up on it. The people’s disinterest in voting is a result of the BNP’s victory, he said Prothom Alo.
According to a reliable source within the party, committees with expired terms would be dissolved and new leaders would be appointed to those without active presidents or general secretaries. These leaders are on the list kept by the acting chairman. Along with associate and connected entities, he is also thinking about reforming the BNP standing committee, executive committee, city, and district bodies.
After nine committees were dissolved, a number of names are being considered for leadership positions. The secretaries of the Dhaka north and south units, Aminul Haque and Rafiqul Alam, respectively, are thought to have been kept on in the new committees.
Additionally, probable candidates for leadership posts in the Dhaka north unit include Tabith Awal, Sultan Salauddin, former vice president SM Jahangir, and former Jubo Dal president Saiful Alam. For the south unit, potential candidates include Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Habibur Rashid, and Tanvir Ahmed.
The Chattogram city unit convener, Shahadat Hossain, is reportedly going to be on the new committee along with senior member Ershad Ullah, joint convener Najimur Rahman, SM Saiful Islam, and Abul Hashem, notwithstanding the unit’s dissolution.
In an interview with Prothom Alo on Thursday, Shahadat Hossain stated, “We would accept the decision made by the party high command.” Joining the central committee has always been a goal of mine.”
Talks about Jubo Dal’s new leadership are also present. The general secretary of the disbanded committee, Abdul Monayem, is rumored to be kept on in the new body. Other names being discussed are joint secretaries Shafiqul Islam and Golam Mawla, as well as outgoing vice presidents Nurul Islam and SM Jahangir.
On March 1, a seven-member temporary committee was established in response to inquiries over the Chhatra Dal’s involvement in the preceding movement. On Thursday, it eliminated its Dhaka north and south sections, and plans are in motion to establish new committees.
In this context, Chhatra Dal’s central general secretary, Nasir Uddin, stated, “First off, every committee has run its course. We had intended to accomplish this sooner. The organization’s protector of the Chhatra Dal, Tarique Rahman, the interim head of the BNP, believed that this was the right moment. We also wish to introduce a leadership that is appropriate for movements.
