The BNP is going to amend its constitution to define its Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman’s responsibilities in the party.
Ahead of the party’s central council slated for Mar 19, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy announced the amendment proposal at a discussion in Dhaka on Saturday.
Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman have been elected unopposed as president and vice president respectively. Their elections will be formally approved in the council.
The post of a senior vice chairman was created in the last council. Tarique was anointed to the post though he was staying in London to evade a number of arrest warrants issued against him at home.
A decade ago, the BNP introduced the elder son of Khaleda and Ziaur Rahman to politics by creating the post of senior joint secretary general.
Gayeshwar mentioned about the proposed amendment to the charter at a programme organised by the Jubo Dal, youth front of the BNP, at Naya Paltan in Dhaka.
“We ourselves have made Tarique Rahman inactive in party’s organisational matters. He does not have any specific responsibilities.”
According to the BNP charter, the senior vice chairman heads the party in the absence of the chairperson.
“As long as the chairperson is present, Tarique Rahman remains inactive,” Gayeshwar said, adding that the party now wants to increase Tarique’s role in the organisation.
“We do not know what Tarique Rahman’s responsibilities are. This is why he needs to be assigned specific tasks.”
The proposals would be raised before Khaleda Zia, said the member of the BNP’s highest policy making body.
Giving Tarique the credit for “strengthening” the party at the grassroots, he said, “He has been involved in the politics for 24 years. Initially, he was very much active behind the scene … He came to the forefront in 2001.”
Because of Tarique’s role in bolstering the BNP at the grassroots, his political opponents were trying to ‘defame’ him, Gayeshwar claimed.
Urging all to prepare for the council, he said, “This council is not for electing leaders. Rather, it will decide the action plan for BNP’s return to power in the days ahead.”
Source: bdnews24