Squabbles in Khulna city BNP

Most of the leaders and activists at ward level think a party council should elect a new leadership in the city, they said.

The last council of the city BNP was held in 1990.

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Leadership of the city president and the secretary was challenged by ward committees at an emergency meeting held on July 30 with senior vice President Morshed Alam in the chair.

The city unit president was absent in that meeting where central leader Ali Asghar Lobi MP was among others who spoke in favour of change in city BNP leadership.

It was unanimously resolved in the meeting that councils of Sadar and Sonadanga thana units must be held within August 23 as per instruction of the party high command.

Accordingly, necessary preparations are being taken to hold the council.

But the city unit president and the secretary issued a statement to local press on August 6 rejecting the decision of the July 30 meeting.

The party sources said their statement has been ignored by majority of activists in the Sadar thana.

Ali Asghar Lobi MP have no right to hold thana level council meeting, said city BNP leaders loyal to M Nurul Islam MP and Nazrul Islam Manju.

When contacted, Mayor and influential BNP leader Shaikh Tayebur Rahman said, "We are simply carrying out instruction of the central high command for holding council meetings of Sadar and Sonadanga thana units within August 30".

Ali Asghar Lobi has also been assigned to do the needful since he is indispensable in party affairs as member of parliament elected from Khulna 2 constituency comprising Sadar and Soandanga thanas, he said.

Tayebur Rahman appealed to Nurul Islam and Nazrul Islam to play their role "fairly" in the interest of BNP.

Some senior leaders loyal to Nurul Islam and Nazrul Islam said they are "committed to BNP till the last drop of blood".

Criticising their rivals, one of them said, "They are fair weather birds and making fortunes capitalising on the party and blackmailing the government".