Dhaka, May 5 – A 111-member new committee of Gono Forum has been formed with Dr Kamal Hossain reelected Gono Forum’s president and Reza Kibria made its general secretary.
Mostafa Mohsin Montu has been dropped from the post of party general secretary but included in the 13-member presidium and made the No. 1 member of the party.
Gono Forum’s executive president Subrata Chowdhury announced the names of new committee members at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Sunday with Dr Kamal Hossain in presence.
Former state minister for information Dr. Prof Abu Sayeed and Subrata Chowdhury were made party’s executive presidents.
Mostafa Mohsin Montu, who was the general secretary of the party’s previous committee, was made Gono Forum’s number one central committee member.
Gono Forum’s much-talked-about MP Mokabbir Khan was made presidium member of its new committee.
Subrata said they formed the committee following their party’s special council held on April 26.
He said the councilors of the party who joined the council elected Dr Kamal Hossain party president and entrusted him with the responsibility to form the new committee in consultation with senior leaders.
Subrata said the new committee will work for one year to reorganise and strengthen the party. “Our regular council will be held one year later.”
A section of Gono Forum leaders, led by Montu, did not join the party’s special council while its training affairs secretary Rafiqul Islam Pathik boycotted the event protesting Mokabbir Kahn’s presence in it.
Pathik was not given any post in the new committee.
Speaking at the press conference, Dr Kamal hoped that the new committee will work for the ‘restoration’ of democracy and people’s rights.
He said they will also work for people’s empowerment so that they can play a meaningful role in in the country as its owners.
Asked the reason behind dropping Montu from his post, Dr Kamal said, “It was done as per the desire and proposal made by him (Montu).”
Replying to another question as to why Mokabbir was included in the party presidium after he was served a show-cause notice for taking-oath as parliament member violating party decision, Reza Kibria said they did so as they got happy with the reply of the MP.”
He said they sacked another party MP Sultan Mohammad Mansur earlier and his chapter at Gono Forum is now closed. “If he wants to return to the party he can apply for it.”
Reza Kibria, who joined Gono Forum before the 11th parliamentary election, said it is a wrong idea that the current parliament will get legitimacy with the joining of five BNP MPs.
Contacted, Montu told UNB that he urged the party leaders not to keep him in any post of the party committee. “I just wonder why they have kept me there as a member of the new committee.”
Asked whether he wants to quit Gono Forum, he said he will reveal his plan later.
Rafiqul Islam Pathik said though Dr Kamal Hossain talks about democracy he does not exercise democracy in running the party. “A syndicate of 3-4 people runs the party while Dr Kamal Hossain takes all the decisions unilaterally.”
As he was not there in the new committee, Pathik said he together with other aggrieved party leaders may float a new party. – UNB
