BNP waiting for govt's reaction to its demand

BNP will decide on whether to launch a demonstration after seeing the government's response to its demand for cancelling the Rampal power plant project, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

"We will wait to see how the government reacts to our demand,” he told reporters after placing wreaths at the grave of BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

BNP insiders said the party may announce a programme after return of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia from Hajj.

Khaleda already discussed the next course of action with party standing committee and 20 parties in the alliance, but they did not finalise the date and type of the programme yet, the sources said.

Fakhrul visited Zia's grave as part of observing the founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, a pro-BNP platform of freedom fighters.

In his brief statement, Fakhrul said BNP supported the left leaning organisations' movements against the Rampal power plant.

He also criticised ruling Awami League leaders as they rejected BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's call to scrap the power plant. 

Khaleda demanded scrapping of the coal-fired plant project, considering the impact it would have on the Sundarbans.

On Wednesday, she termed the proposed plant “anti-people” and “unprofitable” and urged the government to step back from the project.

Meanwhile, BNP chairperson's advisers Amanullah Aman and Ahmed Aazam Khan have stepped down from their local posts following its amended charter that allows one leader to hold only one post.

Aman resigned as general secretary of Dhaka district BNP unit, and Aazam as president of Tangail district unit. On Wednesday night, they submitted letters to Khaleda.

Earlier, another BNP senior leader Md Shahjahan resigned as Noakhali district BNP unit president since he was made a vice chairman of the party.

Fakhrul also quit as the party's Thakurgaon district unit president as he was made BNP's secretary general.

Khaleda earlier announced a 502-member central executive committee.

Meanwhile, pro-BNP intellectual and former vice -chancellor of Dhaka University Emajuddin Ahmed yesterday criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her "weakness to India".

"Whatever India does seems holy to her," he said, referring to the joint venture of India and Bangladesh for setting the setting up the Rampal power plant.

He was addressing a discussion on Rampal at Jatiya Press Club.