Magura AL council postponed again

The district leaders postponed the scheduled meet fearing clash among rival groups despite a "strict order" from the party high command to hold it in time (March 31), party sources said.

During a meeting with Magura AL leaders at the party central office on March 8, party chief Sheikh Hasina ordered holding of the council on March 31 and threatened them to dissolve the district convening committee for failure, party leaders told this correspondent yesterday.

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No fresh date has been fixed for the council, they said.

Earlier, the council was scheduled for January 23 but postponed due to internal fend.

Party insiders said, due to internal feud, committees could not be formed in three upazilas and in one municipality, which are essential to hold the district council.

The district council was cancelled as those committees could not be formed, they said.

The rival factions are led by local lawmaker M S Akbar and district AL convener Md Altaf Hossain. They want their men on committees to be formed at different levels, thus dividing the party into two major groups.

At least ten incidents of clash took place between rival groups in the district in the last three months.

District convening committee members Abdul Kuddus and Golam Mowla were among the injured in the clashes, they said.

But Altaf Hossain said there is no internal feud in the party. There is rivalry over leadership.

"A new date form the council will be announced soon," he said.

Postponement of the council twice in three months frustrated mid-level leaders and workers, party sources said.

The last council of district AL was held in 1992, where a committee was formed. But it was dissolved on August 6, 2002. Md Altaf Hossain was made convener within three months of the dissolution.