Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP-Bhashani) on Monday left the BNP-led alliance. At a pres conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Monday, NAP chairman Sheikh Anwarul Haque announced that they have quit the 19-party alliance in a bid to independently strengthen their party.
“We’re leaving the 19-party alliance for revitalising our party unilaterally, not for any conflict. There’re numerous followers of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani across the country. We have taken the decision based on the opinions of the grassroots Bhashani followers,” the NAP chief said.He sought cooperation from the media to this end. Asked whether they have any conflict with the 19-party, Anwar replied in the negative. “We’ve taken the move as we want to see whether we can take the party forward with the followers of Huzur (Bhashani).”
NAP secretary general Hasrat Khan Bhashani, senior vice-president Altaf Hossain Munna, vice-presidents M Aktheruzzaman, Abdul Hai Sarker and MH Ilias were, among others, present. On April 18, 2011, the 18-party political platform was formed headed by BNP at the auditorium of Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh at Kakrail in the capital.
Later on Jan 25 this year, newly formed Kazi Zafar Ahmed’s Jatiya Party joined the 18-party turning the alliance into a 19-party one. Now the members of the 18-party alliance include Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Jatiya Party ( BJP) , Liberal Democratic Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Khelafat Majlish, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, National People’s Party, Bangladesh NAP, National Democratic Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh Islamic Party, Democratic League, Jamiat-e-Olama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Bangladesh People’s League and Jatitya Party (Zafar). – UNB
