Rift in Rajshahi BNP surfaces

The two rival factions are led by Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu MP and BNP lawmaker from Charghat-Bagha constituency Kabir Hossain.

New district and city units of the party have been "finalised" and will be "slected" at the council, party sources claimed.

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Rival BNP leaders here issued statements and counter statements after Alauddin Ahmed, member secretary the council preparatory committee's (CPC), in a press release on September 21 called the council of the city and the district units.

The 'Kabir group' leaders termed the council "illegal" and vowed to resist it, claiming that it has been called "without the consent of a number of CPC members" only to "favour the Minu group who have already finalised pocket committees" of the two units.

They demanded that the committees be formed through direct vote.

"Opinion of party leaders and workers will be reflected if the committees are formed through election", Kabir Hossain MP said.

On the other hand, leaders loyal to Minu alleged that a circle having "very poor public support" is active to tarnish the party's image here by making "misleading comments".

Several senior BNP insiders preferring anonymity told The Daily Star that Minu took the opportunity to select his men in important posts in the city and district committees after Post and Telecommunication Minister Aminul Haque extended support to him.

In return, Minu assured Haque that his (Haque) man -- Shish Mohammadwould be made general secretrary of the district unit, the insiders said.

Haque was elected from Tanore-Godagari constituency. Shish is Tanore upazila BNP president.

The insiders told this correspondent that Minu has already been declared president of city BNP at a meeting of four thana units of the city, held at a community center here on September 23.

"At the meeting wit Minu in the chair, former city unit vice-president Altaf Hossain declared him (Minu) the new president of the city unit ", one insider said. This was found true when cross-checked with another senior BNP leader.

Minu has selected Altaf Hossain for the post of general secretary of the city unit and Alauddin Ahmed for its organising secretary, they said.

Minu however refuted all the allegations, saying "these are mare propaganda" circulated by a vested group for damaging his image before the party high command.

Many of the BNP insiders also questioned validity of the 24 thana level committees, which will select or elect the district and the city committees in the council.

Only two of the committees in Bagha and Charghat upazilas were formed through election while the rest 22 in four thanas in the city, seven upazilas and 11 municipalities were selected. "These are pocket committees of the minister and his men", said one insider.

Some "deprived" party leaders filed four cases with a Senior Assistant Judge's court here, challenging the four committees at Boalia, Rajpara, Motihar and Shah Mokhdum thanas in the city.

"In such a situation, how the council will reflect the real opinion of party leaders and workers?" a lawyer BNP leader posed the question seeking anonymity.

The last council of the city and the district units was held on May 11, 1993.

Ten years later, on May 11 last, the former committees were abolished and a 27-member CPC was formed in Dhaka for forming new committees.

Talking to newsmen, Kabir Hossain MP said the last meeting of the CPC held at the house of local BNP lawmaker Nadim Mustafa on September 18 did not take any decision regarding holding of the council.

In a signed press statement issued on September 24, Kabir Hossain said he was stunned to see that a council has been called at a time when people in Rajshahi are facing flood.

Former district BNP general secretary Enamul Haque, now an aspirant for the post of its city unit president and advocate Shahin Shawkat, a candidate for the post of its general secretary, said separately that the council has been designed to "deprive" a number of senior BNP leaders.

CPC member-secretary Alauddin Ahmed in another statement on September 26 refuted the allegations and said the decision to hold the council was taken in presence of all CPC members at a meeting in Mohonpur upazila on September 21.

"The decision was taken as per a directive of Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman and those who protest the decision are not well-wishers of the party", he said.

Rivalry between Minu and Kabir developed during the last parliamentary election when Minu was given the party ticket from Rajshahi-2 (Paba and Boalia) seat and Kabir, who won the Rajshahi-2 seat twice in 1991 and 1996 elections, was nominated for Rajshahi-5 (Charghat and Bagha) seat.