Former BNP leader Nazmul Huda on Thursday formally asked the Election Commission not to register the controversial new political party Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) he founded.
He, however, admitted that his name was not mentioned in the party’s application letter sent to the Election Commission seeking registration last year.
Huda, who was later expelled from BNF, went to the EC secretariat at 5:30pm and handed over a letter to commission secretary Dr Mohammad Sadik.
“We’ve submitted the formal letter to the commission so that it doesn’t give registration to BNF as it has already been dissolved.
“I had floated the party and disbanded it. So, the party can’t get registration… We formally asked the EC not to give the registration as the party has no existence,” he said adding, “I want to be absolutely clear there was no name of mine therein (application letter).”
Replying to a query, the former BNP minister claimed he is still member of BNP as the party chairperson did not accept his resignation letter. “I still treat myself as a primary member of BNP.”
“I floated the new party out of my attempt to revive late Ziaur Rahman’s old party BNF. My desire behind floating the party was to strengthen BNP joining the 18-party alliance. But unfortunately there had been propaganda that I was out to destroy BNP. This is too much,” he added.
“I was involved in the formation of BNP and a member of its standing committee then. I can’t do anything that might harm the party,” Huda further said.
On September 23, Nazmul Huda announced the dissolution BNF saying, “I’d founded this organisation and I myself announce its dissolution.”
Earlier 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.
BNP has been opposing 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 almost similar to BNP’s symbol sheaf of paddy.
Source: UNB Connect
