BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka has resigned from the post of convener of the party’s Dhaka metropolitan unit.
“I don’t want to handle this responsibility anymore. I have asked the leader (Khaleda Zia) to reorganise the Metropolitan city unit. She said steps will be taken very soon in this regard,” the BNP vice-chairman told a media briefing at the party’s Naya Paltan offices on Wednesday.
His announcement comes amid criticisms within the party over his failure to intensify BNP’s recent agitations.
A former mayor of Dhaka City Corporation, Khoka has led the party’s city unit since 1996.
In May 2011, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia approved the metropolitan unit’s convening committee with Khoka as the convener and Abdus Salam as the member secretary.
A full committee was supposed to be formed through a council meeting within six months, but that did not happen.
Khoka said he had proposed three names for the post of the convener to the party chairperson.
“But I have heard Mirza Abbas and Abdul Awal Mintu refused to take the charge. In that case Standing Committee member ASM Hannan Shah might be given the responsibility,” he said.
The metropolitan unit faced criticism for its failure to intensify BNP’s agitation centering around party’s boycott of Jan 5 polls. Some senior leaders even expressed their displeasure over the unit’s performance in public.
Hannan Shah on Feb 20 said, the grassroots leaders were active during the agitations but the Dhaka metropolitan unit leaders were not seen on the fields.
He had said the metropolitan committee would be reorganised soon with grassroots leaders. Those who will be active in the agitation will get a place in the committee.
Another Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said on Tuesday, “As residents of Dhaka we could not mobilise the public during the agitations the way grassroots leaders did. Movement will have to be formed in Dhaka in the future.”
Khoka, however, did not admit his failure in discharging duty. He said it was for the people and party leaders to judge his performance.
Asked about his reaction to allegations of his failure, the BNP leader said, “Those who have limited knowledge of politics are creating space for the government by making such comments. Some people in our party are playing blame game by making such remarks.
“The government is the ultimate gainer of this. I don’t think this is a right politics.”
On the failure of BNP’s agitation in Dhaka, the former mayor said, “We had demonstrated against Ayub Khan and Yahia Khan during the Pakistan regime and dictator Ershad in Bangladesh. But their attitudes were not as ruthless as that of the present regime. Our movement could not be that effective because of the draconian practice of shoot-at-sight and abduction of opposition members.”
Khoka alleged 22 leaders and activists of his party were picked up from Dhaka by people identifying as police, RAB, and DB and since then there was no news of their whereabouts.
“We have to learn a lesson from this suppressive attitude of the government and move forward. Since the government has adopted a strategy of shoot-at-sight to crush the agitation in the capital, I think this government cannot be toppled though a democratic movement.
“We have to apply new strategy to oust this government.
He laid emphasis on mobilising people including the party’s associated wings like Juba Dal, Swechchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal.
“But eventually with the united movement of the people Khaleda Zia will emerge as victorious.”
Khoka said eight leaders were assigned to make metropolitan Dhaka unit active during the agitation before the Jan 5 election.
Of them, he and Amanullah Aman were jailed and six leaders were outside.
“They will know well why there was no movement in Dhaka in the final stage of the agitation.”
Khoka said the full committee of Dhaka metropolitan unit was not formed as the party was busy with ‘non-stop movement’ in the last five years and arrest of hundreds of leaders and activists and false cases against them.
The BNP Vice Chairman said as a ‘true activist’ he did not want to see the party inactive and for that he would continue to serve as the convener until the metropolitan unit was reorganised.
Khoka said there were 25 leaders who were capable of leading the metropolitan unit. “But whoever the chairperson will select will lead it.”
He expressed gratitude to Khaleda Zia for giving him the opportunity to lead the metropolitan unit for long.
“It does not matter who gets what position. The party’s ideal is the greatest thing for me. I took part in the War of Independence at the call of Ziaur Rahman. I accompanied the leader in agitations and I am still with her.
“Some 178 cases were filed against me during the Awami League tenure in 1996. I was hit by bullets at that time also. But I never stayed away from movements,” the BNP leader said.
Source: Bd news24
