Split in BNP, its alliance imminent, says Hasan

Claiming that some BNP leaders are covertly maintaining link with them, Awami League publicity affairs secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said BNP may face split in the party alongside its alliance, reports UNB.
"The 20-party alliance is on the verge of collapse. Some parties have already quit it while some others given ultimatum to do so," he said.  Addressing a human chain programme, Mahmud further said, "Not only the alliance, but also BNP is facing split. The party may fall apart anytime. Many BNP leaders are keeping close contact with us in the darkness of night."
Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the second phase of the 24-hour nationwide hartal enforced by the Jamaat-e-Islami demanding the release of its leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee who was jailed unto death by the Supreme Court for crime against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, commuting his capital punishment.  Mahmud, also a former minister, alleged that BNP has called the daylong hartal for Monday to save the war criminals and check its imminent split in their party and alliance by destabilising the country.
Mahmud claimed that BNP is going to enforce the hartal on Monday just to make Jamaat happy, not to lodge its protest against the 16th amendment.
He warned of stern action if BNP again tries to subvert the country by calling hartal and resorting to torching and vandalising as they did in 2013. "BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will have to be arrested, if necessary."
The ruling party leader also claimed that the country's people have rejected the second phase of Jamaat's hartal as they did the first one.