DHAKA: Dhaka City unit BNP convener Mirza Abbas and Member Secretary Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohail failed to turn up at the party office at Naya Paltan for celebrating Chairperson Khaleda Zia's 69th birthday party on Friday morning.

Apart from several middle row leaders, who left without attending the function due to the beefed up security around the office, no top leaders of metropolitan committee were seen here.

This was the first program organized by the newly formed Dhaka Metropolitan BNP Committee.

Party sources said the top leaders did not turn up fearing police harassment and obstructions.

Despite hopeful early accounts by the new committee members, this failure has opened the gateway of aspersions directed to them.

Meanwhile, joint secretary general of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi condemned police for the new committee’s failure to observe the program.

He also alleged that the government deployed police around the BNP office to excommunicate the party from countrymen.

BDST: 1858 HRS, August 15, 2014