Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has suspended 'all organisational activities' of dissident party MP, Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman, accusing him of breaching party discipline.

A BNP press release last night said, "All organisational activities of Maj (retd) Akhtaruzzaman, as a primary member, BNP National Council member, Kishoreganj district committee convenor and BNP National Executive Committee member have been frozen."BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan told The Daily Star yesterday that the disciplinary action against Akhtaruzzaman would not affect his status as a BNP lawmaker "as long he does not vote against the party."Replying to another question whether the party lawmaker was consulted before the action, Mannan Bhuiyan said that the decision of suspension was taken after the party's Standing Committee heard him recently.

Meanwhile, in an instant reaction to his suspension, Akhtaruzzaman told The Daily Star last night that he would launch a signature campaign in his constituency and meet the party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia soon to demand withdrawal of the suspension order.

Talking over telephone from his constituency in Kotiadi, Kishoreganj the "rebel" BNP lawmaker said he along with his supporters will come to Dhaka to seek an audience with the party chief.

Akhtaruzzaman's suspension came in the wake of his recent campaign for the party's return to the parliament. The BNP has been staying out of parliament since it walked out of the House on August 30 last year.

BNP Standing Committee, the highest policy making body of the party, on January 12 summoned Akhtaruzzaman and had a written apology from him for circulating an open letter among party MPs arguing for the party's return to parliament.

Akhtaruzzaman addressed a party rally yesterday evening at Kotiadi to explain his stand before the electorate. He phoned this correspondent last night to say that district and thana level party leaders and workers in Kishoreganj and Kotiadi have given "full support to his recent activities.""Some 2,000 people in the meeting here today unanimously resolved that they would support my return to parliament even if my party expels or suspends me," Akhtaruzzaman said. He said that the rally was organised by Kotiadi thana unit of BNP and attended by district and thana level leaders of BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal.