Khoka-Abbas war of words

Leaders of Khoka faction and Mirza Abbas faction of BNP yesterday embarked on a war of words in a meeting for finalising the programmes for marking the death anniversary of the party founder, late president Ziaur Rahman. A committee, headed by convener MK Anwar, formed for observing Zia's death anniversary discussed related issues in the meeting held in the party headquarters in Naya Paltan of the capital with Anwar in the chair.In the meeting, Abdus Salam, former general secretary of the party's Dhaka city unit committee, proposed that the programme be co-ordinated by Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and pro-BNP city ward councillors. Protesting the proposal, former lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed (daur Salahuddin) said Mirza Abbas is a senior leader, so he should lead the programme. At one stage of the debate, Abbas asked why Khoka should coordinate the programme, and questioned the roles of ward councillors during the immediate past emergency period. Following an exchange of rather unpleasant words among the leaders of the two factions, the party finally decided that its Chairperson Khaleda Zia will distribute food among destitute people at different locations in the city on May 30 to mark Zia's death anniversary. BNP's Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed briefed reporters after the meeting, saying the party will kick off the programmes on the morning of May 30 by placing wreaths at Zia's mausoleum.BNP, the main opposition in the parliament, will host a discussion meeting on the day in the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, and a seminar on May 31 in the Institution of Diploma Engineers.Aman Ullah Aman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Syed Moazzem Hossain Allal, Fazlul Haque Milon, and Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, were present in the meeting.