Feud in Sunamganj AL surfaces again

The situation came into being when former foreign minister and presidium member Abdus Samad Azad MP, joined a meeting of a faction of the district AL's executive committee on October 11 as chief guest at Sunamganj Press Club auditorium. Important decisions were adopted at that meeting.

Protesting the decisions of the meeting, the rival faction of the district committee called another extended meeting on October 22.

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Former prime minister's parliamentary affairs advisor Suranjit Sengupta MP, who is also a member of the presidium might attend the meeting. He will address a public meeting at the local traffic point on the day.

In the meeting on October 11, new committees of the pourashava and the Sadar upazila units were formed.

Besides, ex-general secretary of the district committee Ayub Bakht Jaglu, who was earlier expelled from the party was co-opted in the district committee. Similarly six other leaders co-opted in the meeting.

A number of leaders protested such important decisions, without convening any conference. They also alleged that one of the district leaders was consulted prior to the meeting held in presence of a senior leader like Samad Azad.

Protesting the decision, a letter signed by the Sadar upazila committee president Abdur Rashid, Acting general secretary Nur Miah, Poura Awami League president Gouranga Chandra Banik and acting general secretary Alkas Miah was sent to the central committee.

In the letter, they termed the formation of the committees 'undemocratic and unconstitutional' and solicited attention of the party chief Sheikh Hasina.

Vice-president of the district committee and former member of parliament (MP) Muhibur Rahman Manik also lodged a strong protest at a press conference held at the district press club on October 17.

He alleged that only 14 to 15 persons including seven expelled party leaders were present in the meeting.

Earlier, the central body issued show-cause notices on those seven persons on charge of serving in favour of a rival political party in the last parliamentary polls adding the meeting was a conspiratorial one.

Hinting at Samad Azad, Muhibur Rahman alleged that, the activities of the elderly leader was really 'painful' when a probe body formed by the central committee was looking into the complaints against the leaders to whom the show-cause notices were served by the central committee.

The notices were served to them for showing black flags on July 14 to Suranjit Sengupta and declaring him 'persona non grata'.

The followers of Samad Azad showed black flags to Sengupta when he came to join party programmes in his own constituency in Sunamganj- 1 (Tahirpur and Madhyanagar upazilas).

Protesting this Sengupta announced a road march to Sunamganj from Sylhet on July 27.

However, it was suspended at the intervention of the central committee with an assurance of taking action against the responsible persons.

Those who were present at the press conference include acting secretary of district AL Advocate Nantu Roy, district Krishak League president Subir Talukder, ex-upazila chairman of Dharmapasha upazila parishad Abdul Awal and some other leaders of AL, Juba League and Chhatra League.