Appointment of Sayeed Eskandar, younger brother of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, as the party’s vice president drew mixed reaction within the party, some saying it goes against the party’s constitution while others seeing nothing wrong in it.

 Most of the leaders, who remained tight-lipped fearing adverse reaction from the party high-ups, however, believed that Sayeed Eskandar’s appointment would tarnish Khaleda Zia’s image among people as a campaign against dynastic politics is gaining ground.

 ‘It is an extra-constitutional appointment,’ BNP joint secretary general Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said. ‘It is not new to us.’

 A key BNP standing committee member said, ‘Sayeed Eskandar’s appointment will tarnish her [Khaleda] image as getting rid of dynastic rule is a much-talked-about issue these days.’

 An adviser to BNP chairperson said, ‘It is a blunder…Many a leader in BNP is doubtful if he [Sayeed Eskander] believes in either BNP’s or party founder Ziaur Rahman’s ideology.’

 ‘He openly states that he is a follower of her sister [Khaleda] only,’ he said.

 ASM Hannan Shah, an adviser to the party chairperson, however, declined to comment on the issue. ‘I know nothing about the appointment as the party is yet to make a formal announcement.’

 MK Anwar, a BNP vice president, said, ‘The party constitution has empowered the chairperson for such appointment.’

 Khaleda appointed Sayeed Eskandar, a retired major, a vice-president of the BNP. ‘The chairperson appointed me as a vice-president of the party,’ Sayeed claimed on Monday.

 A key member of the BNP standing committee, however, told a Bangladeshi newspaper, ‘She had decided to appoint Sayeed Eskandar as the party’s vice-president immediately before the government imposed restriction on indoor politics in early March.’

© The Bangladesh Journal

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