Reformists in Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have ousted the former prime minister as party chief while she is under arrest on corruption charges, officials said Tuesday.
The standing committee of the party made former finance minister M Saifur Rahman the acting party chief and named Hafizuddin Ahmed as the acting secretary general.
Ms Zia, who is now in jail facing corruption charges, had appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain as the party secretary general.
Saifur Rahman presided the standing committee meeting and told reporters that they had rejected Zia’s order to expel former secretary general and two other officials. “She is our party chairperson,” he said. “We shall follow her instructions when she is released.”
Rahman’s aides said the latest move was aimed at Zia’s supporters who were trying to halt the move to bring about reforms in the party.
It was not known whether Zia sanctioned the changes made on Monday night. The move comes amid a worsening split within the BNP between Zia’s loyalists and the reformers attempting to revitalise the party in line with the emergency government’s anti-graft drive.
Zia has been arrested along with her younger son Arafat Rahman and remanded in custody on charges of graft linked to the awarding of a multi-million-dollar government contract.
