DHAKA: Opposition BNP policymakers split over the question of joining parliament and left the decision with party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday night.

The party standing committee sat for a second time on Thursday night to take a decision on the important matter, but some of the senior leaders, including secretary-general Khandakar Delwar Hossain, strongly opposed the boycotting party lawmakers’ return to the House, meeting-insiders said.

“At one stage of contentions at the meeting, Delwar, accompanied by standing committee members Tariqul Islam, Shamsul Islam, Mahbubur Rahman and ASM Hannan Shah, walked out of the meeting held at the chairperson’s Gulshan office,” says a firsthand report.

There were also hot exchanges over return to parliament, anti-government movement programme, selection of leaders for Dhaka city and district committees of the party and disciplinary action against Barrister Nazmul Huda for his recent campaign for bringing two main leaders of the country--Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina--across the table, the sources said.

It was reliably learned that all three of the four BNP lawmakers on the standing committee present at the meeting staunchly supported a proposal for the party’s return to parliament. They are Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and MK Anwar.

“We have a lot to speak in parliament and we should join in the ongoing session to place our views on the burning national issues,” one in the trio was quoted by the meeting sources as saying.         

Eventually, the party chairperson was vested with the authority to take the decision on the matter of their return to parliament, the sources said.

The standing committee also failed to take a decision on participation in and selection of candidate for the upcoming parliamentary by-election in Chandpur-III constituency.

The parliament seat fell vacant with the cancellation of parliament membership of ruling-party leader MK Alamgir.

All the pending decisions will be announced Friday through a press conference at the party central office at 11 am, the chairperson’s office sources said.

BDST: 1132 HRS, SEP 23, 2010