New party NPP launched

---

A new political party styled National People's Party (NPP) was launched Thursday with its head neither confirming nor denying behind-the-scenes government help, reports bdnews24.com.
The nine-point charter of the party includes a plan to form a national security council to what it said was to maintain constitutional balance.
A 151-member committee was announced from a press conference in Kakrail, with former Jatiya Party (JP) leader Shawkat Hossain Nilu being the convener.
Asked whether there was 'invisible patronage' from the government or any other quarter behind the formation of the new party, Nilu said: "I won't say anything about it now."
Some former leaders of JP, BNP and its student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and pro-Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Bangladesh Chhatra League and a good number of district-level leaders of different political parties joined the new party.
Nilu told journalists that the party would hold a council within three months and full committees across the country would be announced after parlour politics resumed.
Asked why he left the JP and formed the NPP, he said: "The reality is that the Jatiya Party has been shredded into seven pieces. None of these splinter groups has importance now."
He did not believe they violated the Emergency Power Rules that ban politicking by having floated a new party.
"This is a tea party. Besides, Adviser for Law Mainul Hosein said the law is not broken if the work is good. We are doing good work."
He came down hard on Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury.
"She has started a 'jihad' to close down jute mills. I don't support it. On the one hand, jute mills will be closed here and new jute mills will be opened in the neighbouring country, on the other. I don't accept this."
To a question, he said, "If Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman have been accused of corruption during the previous government why (BNP Secretary General) Mannan Bhuiyan and others would not be accused?"
He demanded immediate nomination to the district and upazila chairmen posts. Nilu said, "It is not acceptable that only 10 persons will run the country for two years."
He claimed several film actors and directors including Masud Parvez (Sohel Rana) and Ilyas Kanchan were with the new party. However, none of them was present in the press conference.
The names of only the joint convenors on the 151-member committee were revealed Thursday.