A war of words has cropped up over joining BNM, popularly known as a king's party.
Former minister and BNP Vice Chairman Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has trashed allegation that he was a key person in forming the king's party Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), reports UNB.
He rejected the accusation in a press briefing held at his Banani residence on Tuesday.
Hafiz said amid dull political activities due to holy Ramadan a photograph of him with Shakib Al Hasan (cricketer-turned-MP) has created some ripples.
He said cashing in on the picture a few newspapers had been writing imaginary reports that tarnished his image as a politician who served six times as a member of parliament (MP) and two times as a minister.
He said during the 37 years of political life, "I had good relation with both electronic and print media journalists and respect for them".
"Nevertheless a few journalists who are not known to me and vice versa are publishing news which are puzzling to me as well as my party and supporters," he added.
"I got a proposal to form a political party before the January 7 election. They brought Shakib Al Hasan to me but I did not influence him to join the party," claimed Hafiz.
He asserted that he did nothing wrong.
"Did I join the BNM? Did I break the BNP?" he asked admitting that "it is clear that I got a proposal to join the party. But I rejected that. Now they are spreading rumours confusing my party and my supporters."
Stating that a few retired army officers advised him to form a new political party, the BNP leader said, "I told them there is no shortcut to politics."
Hafiz said before January 7 election some important politicians from the ruling party started to make contact with him. "They noted I have differing view on BNP's policy making process. They assumed that I was eager to leave the BNP."
Major Hafiz said he made it clear at a press briefing that he would remain with BNP after former information minister said he would join BNM.
About an allegation of creating a conflict and splitting the BNP, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday, "Why will we create a split in the BNP? We have no weaknesses. Awami League has many leaders and activists. The countrymen witnessed a massive crowd during the collecting of AL nomination forms ahead of the last parliamentary polls. The Awami League has no crisis."
Over the 'Kings' Party', the AL general secretary said the Awami League had no need to create any King's Party. There are many people who want to form a political party before the polls to get gratuitous benefits, he said.
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