Dhaka: BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Friday said though their chairperson Khaleda Zia has achieved immense successes in her political life, she has ‘failed’ to create honest advisers around her.

‘Our leader has huge successes, but she has failure as well. I also told her it one day that you won many things, but couldn’t make a sincere and honest force around you to help you with proper advices,’ he said, reports the UNB.

The BNP leader further said, ‘Taking a deep breath, she (Khaleda) said what else can I do without going with those who are around me…I would like to say it today that Khaleda Zia has failed to create sincere, honest and courageous associates.’

Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, made the remarks while speaking at the launching ceremony of a book on the political life of the BNP chief at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium. Most party senior leaders, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were present at the event.

Khaleda has been in jail since she was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust Graft case on February 8 last year.

Gayeshwar said the speculation about Khaleda Zia’s release on parole is nothing but a mockery.

He also came down hard on those BNP’s MPs-elect who expressed their desire to go to parliament. ‘We’ve heard they (MPs) talked about people’s desire. But we didn’t hear to tell them that they won’t go to parliament to legalise the illegal regime…we want them to tell we would not go to parliament if Khaleda Zia is not freed.’

The BNP leader recalled the role of a group of BNP leaders, led by Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, during the 1/11 political changeover, and described how they betrayed Khaleda.

He also observed that though their chairperson holds an uncompromising mentality, her many party leaders are opposite to her. ‘They don’t have the moral courage to tackle any incident.’

Gayeshwar urged BNP leaders and activists to follow the uncompromising ideal of Khaleda.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, vice-chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Gonoshasthya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury and Supreme Court Bar Association secretary Mahbubuddin Khokon, among others, spoke at the programme.

Shato Nagorik Committee arranged the lunching of the book titled ‘Khaleda Zia: Tritiyo Biswer Konthaswar’.

Former Vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed and poet Abdul Hye Sikder edited the 860-page book.