Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The national standing committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled Vice-chairman Barrister Nazmul Huda from the party for breaking organizational discipline.

The decision was made at a meeting of the standing committee chaired by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the party’s Gulshan office on Sunday.

The party’s joint secretary general, Rizvi Ahmed, at a briefing midway into the standing committee meeting said the committee had cancelled Huda’s primary membership from the party.

“He was expelled from all posts of the party including primary membership according to the provision 5/ga of the party’s constitution, for doing things against the interest of the party. He will be served a letter tonight,” Rizvi noted.

The BNP also issued a news release around 9:15pm on Sunday announcing Huda’s expulsion, while the meeting was still going on.

The standing committee meeting began at around 8:30pm and at around 10:45pm it was adjourned till 7:00pm on Monday. Coming out of the meeting, one of the members ASM Hannan Shah told reporters that they had discussed issues of movement but nothing was finalised. He hinted that programs might be finalized on Monday.

On Friday, Talking to reporters in his Dhanmondi residence, Mr.Huda slammed BNP chairperson’s counsels, saying Khaleda was recently “evicted” from a disputed Dhaka Cantonment house because of her lawyers’ mistake of not seeking a stay order from the High Court on the “eviction”.

About three months ago Mr. Huda had also resigned from Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, the pro-BNP lawyers’ organization, saying that lawyers’ organisations should be non-partisan.

A two-time member of Khaleda’s cabinet, Mr. Huda also said calling of a countrywide hartal just two days before Eid-ul-Azha was wrong.

BBN/SI/AD-22Nov10-11:27 am (BST)