Dhaka – Founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) Barrister Nazmul Huda on Monday announced abolition the party formed with some ousted leaders of main opposition BNP.
Huda gave the announcement at a hurriedly called press conference at Topkhana Road in the city. “I had established the organisation with a view to reviving healthy politics in the country. But chief coordinator of BNF Abul Kalam Azad was engaged in destroying the opposition BNP instead of upholding the aim of the organisation that mislead the people. That’s why I’m declaring the organization abolished,” he said.
It is to be noted that the move to obtain registration for BNF from the Election Commission is being pursued strongly and political circles believe that the organization might be blessed with registration soon before the next general elections.
The present leadership of the BNF however said that Huda is no more with the party and his announcement is meaningless. “Nazmul Huda is nobody of the party since he was expelled a long ago.
He has no right to abolish the party,” BNF leader and former state minister Jahanara Begum told reporters.
“I’d founded this organisation and I myself announce its dissolution,” he said. On June, 6, 2012, Huda resigned from BNP in protest against party chief Khaleda Zia’s failure to engage in talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as per his proposal.
Later, he floated the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) with some mid-ranking BNP leaders. But on March 11 this year, the BNF relieved him of the party’s convener post for his ‘anti-party’ activities. Addressing the press conference, Huda said BNF’s chief coordinator Abul Kalam Azad is out to destroy the main opposition party BNP deviating from the party’s goal he had founded it to attain.
“This can’t be allowed to continue. BNF is being dissolved to remove the confusion created among people about it,” he added. The former BNP vice chairman also announced to withdraw the application submitted to the Election Commission to get its registration as a political party. In his written speech, Huda said, “As a BNF convener, I request the Election Commission to cancel the application submitted to it under my leadership for its registration. From this press conference, I’m withdrawing the application.”
Asked about his expulsion from BNF, the former minister said,” I’d announced formation of BNF and I myself involved them all those now with it. They’ve no legal basis to expel me from it.” He, however, said those who are now with BNF may go to court if they do not accept his dissolution decision. “I won’t have anything to say if they again apply for its registration to the Election Commission fulfilling its conditions.”
Replying to a question, Huda claimed that he is still a BNP member as its chairperson did not accept his resignation letter. I was with BNP and still with it. It’s not that much easy to weaken my position in BNP.” Huda, also a former MP of Dohar, said he will seek nomination from BNP to contest the next election with BNP’s election symbol, the sheaf of paddy.
Opposition BNP lodged complaints with the Election Commission (EC) against Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) several times and urged it not give it registration as a political party. BNP is opposition the registration of BNF as it applied to the EC for getting registered using BNP’s logo, Ziaur Rahman’s portrait and his 19-point programme and sheaf of wheat as election symbol which looks like BNP’s symbol sheaf of paddy.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in her address in a public rally in Rajshahi on September 16 asked the EC not to give registration to BNF terming it a baseless organisation. Otherwise, she warned the EC of ‘dire consequences’. She said it was ‘ridiculous’ that the BNF had sought ‘sheaf of wheat’ as its election symbol. – UNB
