Gani, Kh Delwar flay Bhuiyan over corruption, reform in BNP

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BNP standing-committee member RA Gani and new secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain Sunday flayed expelled leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan for his remark about corruption and reform within the immediate-past ruling party, reports UNB/ bdnews 24.com.
"Bhuiyan had been secretary general for a long time, why he did not say all this before?" Gani told reporters at the NAM apartment of new BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain.
He said BNP also wants reforms for holding free, fair and acceptable elections. BNP supports the Election Commission's (EC) reform programmes, including preparation of electoral roll with voters' pictures.
And it is not Bhuiyan but court is to decide who is corrupt, Gani said.
In reply to a question, he said if councillors decide at the council meeting, the absolute power of the BNP chairperson could be balanced.
Secretary general Delwar Hossain said Mannan Bhuiyan should speak with restraint against BNP leaders. "As a former secretary general, he cannot speak against lakhs of BNP leaders. If he is such a good man, how he could work with corrupt BNP leaders for so long?"
Delwar said BNP also wants reforms as per BNP constitution but not like a 'package deal' on reforms being pursued by Mannan Bhuiyan.
He termed newspaper reports concerning Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah 'imaginative' and said there is no difference of opinion between them. They are united.
"We all understand that leader of BNP means Khaleda Zia and we are united," said Delwar, who was made secretary general by decree of the chairperson and ex-PM, Khaleda, before her arrest.
Meanwhile, disagreement has surfaced over party leadership between BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain and chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser ASM Hannan Shah who claims himself to be the "chief coordinator" of the troubled party.
Hannan Shah claims the reins of BNP in the absence of the detained chairperson, but Delwar has labelled the move as 'contradicting the BNP constitution'.
"There's no such thing as the chief coordinator in the party constitution," Delwar said Sunday.
"BNP will decide issues like participating in the Election Commission (EC) dialogue or holding a party council after discussing the matters with its chairperson."
"Despite difficulty, we're trying to meet Khaleda Zia to discuss the issues," the secretary general, installed by Khaleda Zia said.
"The chairperson has been detained but the party still works under her leadership as before," he asserted.
Hannan, on the other hand, said, "The chairperson entrusted me with party coordination tasks before she was detained."
"I've shouldered all the burden of coordinating the party activities since the emergency rule was imposed in January. Now, many leaders are popping in-out of nowhere. But I'll continue to work as the coordinator as instructed by Khaleda Zia," he said.
Party insiders said a rift grew between the two leaders over some issues, such as wooing former President Badruddozza Chowdhury back into the BNP camp and holding the party's divisional meetings after the Ramadan.