Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has announced that she was preparing a reform plan for her Bangladesh Nationalist Party, but said it could be implemented only after the lifting of the ban on indoor politics imposed by the military-backed interim government.
Amid reported efforts by some senior party men to introduce sweeping changes in the party by sidelining her, Zia told reporters that the reforms will be carried out in consultations with leaders and workers across the country and not on the "basis of what handful of leaders" think.
"There are numerous leaders and workers of BNP across the country. We will carryout reforms with their opinion, not on the basis what a handful of leaders think," Zia told reporters last night after visiting an ailing party leader at the city hospital.
Zia said her party would witness reforms "soon after the withdrawal of the current ban on indoor politics". The ban was imposed by the interim government soon after the imposition of the state of emergency.
Zia's comment on party reforms came after the issue was raised by a number of party stalwarts led by party's secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan who are reportedly demanding that the BNP chief's "unlimited power" be spliced.
{{/usCountry}}Zia's comment on party reforms came after the issue was raised by a number of party stalwarts led by party's secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan who are reportedly demanding that the BNP chief's "unlimited power" be spliced.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Bhuiyan continued to meet senior leaders to discuss party reforms with BNP joint secretary general Ashraf Hossain saying that the proposal would be made public soon.
"We will disclose the proposal through you (the media) and see what happens," he said.
But he termed Zia's pro-reform comments as a "good sign" but added "we cannot postpone thinking about the welfare of the party just because lifting of the ban on indoor politics is being delayed."