Nilu-led NPP quits 20-party alliance

Announcing the withdrawal of his party from the 20-party alliance, chairman of a faction of National People’s Party (NPP) Shawkat Hossain Nilu on Sunday alleged that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia ‘removed’ him from the coalition out of her utter frustration.

“The BNP-led alliance leader (Khaleda) can’t expel me from it as I’m the chairman of another party. She did it out of her utter political dismay, but I’m severing ties with the 20-party alliance right now,” he said.

Nilu made the remarks while addressing a press conference at a city hotel.

Earlier on August 11, leaders of the 20-party alliance at meeting presided over by Khaleda removed the Nilu-led NPP from the alliance for his anti-alliance activities.

It approved Fariduzzamn Farhad-led NPP faction as a partner of the 20-party alliance.

At the press conference, Nilu sharply criticised BNP high-ups for their ‘wrong’ strategy in the last year’s anti-government movement, especially for boycotting the January-5 election. “It was a great mistake of the alliance not to participate in the polls. Had the alliance joined the election it would have won over 200 seats,” he observed.

Nilu said he together with some other parties will form another political platform soon. “You may see some of the alliance partners of the 20-party alliance there.”

In a written statement, NPP secretary general Abdul Hye Mondal said alliance leader Khaleda Zia had made a blunder by cancelling the scheduled meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during his Bangladesh tour at that time. 

Sources said disappointment over BNP’s failure in the last year’s anti-government movement, frustration over the ongoing movement and BNP’s neglecting attitude towards the small partners of the 20-party alliance have led to the split in the platform.

A faction of NAP Bhasani, National People’s Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party and Muslim League has already quit the 20-party alliance.

Although top leaders of NAP-Bhashani, NPP and Muslim League have left the BNP-led alliance, other factions of these parties still remain with the alliance.

The BNP leaders, however, believed that those who left the alliance they did it after negotiation with the government.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a programme last week alleged that the government was conspiring to split the opposition alliance.