the anti-Ershad movement crossed party lines; its protests disrupted and slowed down the economy. Ershad finally agreed to resign from his presidency in order that multi-party elections could be held again. On 6 December 1990 the recent Chief Justice Shahabuddin was appointed as Chief Advisor for a caretaker government. Ali and many of his colleagues were released from Dhaka Central jail. In 1991, general elections were held, and the BNP took the majority. Khaleda Zia became prime minister. In 1992, the national council of JCD was held, and Ali was elected General Secretary of Jatiyotabadi Chhatra Dal. Political career Ali was elected in 2001 to the 6th Parliament as a representative of the BNP. He hails from Bishwanath Upazila and represents Sylhet-2. He won by approximately 49,000 votes. At the 5th national council of the BNP, on 8 December 2009, Ali spoke as president of Sylhet district. The councillors approved giving authority to Khaleda Zia, head of the party, to choose the leadership. Ali spoke in favor of promoting Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of Khaleda Zia, who is active in the BNP and is now second in power to his mother. On 1 January 2010, Ali was chosen as Organizing Secretary of the BNP. Rivalry with Saifur Rahman In 2005 and 2006, when the BNP controlled the government, a leadership conflict arose within the Sylhet BNP between Saifur Rahman, an MP who was serving as the Finance Minister under Khaleda Zia, and Ali, then a member of parliament. On 28 May 2005, BNP had suspended the Sylhet convening committee in the wake of discord between loyalists of the two leaders. The following year, relations were still strained. On 26 May 2006, some activists struck at Ali's residence in Sylhet following his reported unfavorable remarks about the finance minister. The rival sides clashed in the city next day. Ali's activists demonstrated, blaming the finance minister for the attack on their leader's house. Aggrieved, Saifur threatened to resign from the government unless action was taken against Ali and his loyalists. Reporters suggested he was trying to protect his own son's status in the BNP. About Saifur's potential resignation in 2006, a BNP leader said, The resignation threat was just a strategy to put pressure to ensure Ilyas Ali's expulsion. Saifur Rahman was worried about his son Naser Rahman's future in the party and considers Ilias an opponent in the district's party