Tarique forms committees, policymakers unaware

Bangladesh Nationalist Party national standing committee members are unaware of formation of different committees and teams by acting BNP chair Tarique Rahman over persecution of its leaders and activists centring the December 30 general election.
Members of BNP’s highest policymaking body are also unaware of Tarique’s meeting with some national executive committee members through videoconferencing, said a policymaker.
He told New Age on Tuesday that the standing committee members were confused about forming of committees by Tarique for preparing reports on incidents of violence and attacks on party leaders and activists, detained, injured and killed leaders and activists and burning of their houses and business establishments by law enforcers and the ruling Awami League activists centring elections.
He said that they were also unaware of meetings of Tarique, staying in London since 2008, with leaders of different levels of the party using Skype after the 11th parliamentary elections, marred by allegations of widespread intimidation, fraud and flaws. 
Tarique, however, informed policymakers members about the committees as he joined a standing committee meeting through videoconferencing on January 15, the policymaker said.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed on Wednesday declined to comment on the matters.
On January 4, Tarique formed three committees headed by BNP joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, publicity secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne and swanirvar (self-reliance) secretary Shirin Sultana.
The committees were asked submit reports by January 31 on electoral violence, political persecution, leaders and activists in jail, attack and repression on women leaders and activists, leaders and activists killed and injured and location and health condition of the injured ones. 
Tarique also talked to the leaders of the three committees to know the progress of their tasks.
He also talked to organising and assistant organising secretaries and pro-BNP lawyers in January. 
On January 20, Tarique joined a meeting of organising secretaries and assistant organising secretaries for Sylhet, Khulna, Mymensing, Cumilla and Faridpur divisions out of its 10 organisational divisions at the BNP central office at Naya Paltan through videoconferencing, said an organising secretary.
He was informed about the latest status of the committees of district, upazila, municipality and union units at the prescheduled meeting.
He wanted to know about the condition of the leaders and activists subjected to political persecution by the government centring the polls and party leaders’ role in extending cooperation to those affected by political persecution and on the run facing cases.
Tarique also talked to a group of party lawyers on January 21 to know about the positions of cases against the party leaders and activists, party leaders said.
He was scheduled for Wednesday night to held meeting with organising secretaries of the rest five divisions — Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Barishal and Rangpur — at BNP central office, said an organising secretary.
Tarique formed 10 teams for 10 organisational divisions on January 17 to monitor activities of BNP candidates in the December 30 general election in rehabilitation of its leaders and activists subjected to persecution in their respective constituency, party leaders said.
The teams are headed by BNP vice-chairmen Selima Rahman for Dhaka division, Abdullah Al Noman for Chattogram division, Mohammad Shahjahan for Khulna division, Barkatullah Bulu for Rajshahi division, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku for Rangpur division, Mir Nasiruddin for Barishal division and Ahmed Azam Khan for Faridpur division, BNP chairperson’s advisory council members Kabir Murad for Cumilla division and Farhad Halim Donar for Sylhet division, and joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal for Mymensing division.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net