'Reformists' soften stance on council without Khaleda

---

The BNP 'reformists' appear to have softened their stance after launching recently into diatribe against chairperson Khaleda Zia over holding a council that threatened to break up the party, reports bdnews24.com.
ZA Khan, BNP chairperson's adviser and known as a reformist, said: "We have not proposed reforms to drop anyone. We have placed proposals to make the party more democratic. The council will be held with permission of the chairperson."
He spoke to reporters after meeting BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan at his Gulshan home.
Khan's remarks came a day after Bhuiyan said Friday he would speak to Khaleda before convening the council.
He and other pro-Bhuiyan leaders have been threatening to go ahead with the council keeping Khaleda in the cold should she refuse to give the dissidents the go-ahead.
Khan said their preliminary work to hold the council was going on.
"On completion of preparatory work, we will meet the chairperson for her permission. In case she refuses permission, we will proceed in line with the party constitution."
He however was upbeat that Khaleda would give them the thumbs-up.
Ashraf Hossain, joint secretary general of the party, who also met Bhuiyan, said, "Whatever we have done is for the betterment of the party. Our initiative is not to drop anybody."
He demanded of the caretaker government to immediately clear all the dues of the workers of the closed jute mills.
"The government closed down the jute mills on pressure from donors. As a result, hundreds of workers have been thrown out of employment."
He also called upon all to stand by the flood-affected people.
District BNP leaders and former lawmakers from Madaripur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Moulavibazar, Chittagong, Sylhet, Dinajpur and Faridpur also met Bhuiyan.