Split in Khulna BNP widens ahead of union level conference

Khulna city Mayor Shaikh Tayabur Rahman is the bone of contention this time also.

The Mayor claims that the party high command has entrusted him with the responsibility to conduct the conference as coordinator.

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But the party faction opposed to him faxed a letter Wednesday evening to BNP Secretary General Mannan Bhuiyan and Senior Joint Secretary General Tarek Rahman urging them to confirm if the KCC Mayor's claim is correct.

Leaders of the anti-Mayor faction urged Bhuiyan and Tarek Rahman to 'strip the Mayor of the responsibility (as coordination) even if his claim is true'.

They alleged that the Mayor is 'involved in corruption and is isolated from pro-people politics'. Party men discarded him long ago due to his doubtful activities, said leaders of the anti-Mayor faction led by Nurul Islam MP and Whip Ashraf Hossain.

The conference can not held under KCC Mayor's supervision as he is far away from BNP politics, they alleged.

The two factions of Khulna BNP held meetings at separate places on Wednesday and formed two separate preparatory committees and four sub-committees to hold the conference.

Khulna city BNP Secretary Nazrul Islam Manju, when contacted, said the Mayor has been asked by the party central committee to take the responsibility of entertaining the union representatives at the conference, not to act as a coordinator.

Khulna district BNP member-secretary advocate Shafiqul Alam Mona who is also a ward commissioner said, "We will boycott the conference if the Mayor interferes as coordinator.

"The Mayor did not do any thing good to the people. Besides, he has no right to conduct such a big conference leaving aside senior most leader and former Speaker Shaikh Razzak Ali", Mona said.

But the Mayor, when contacted, insisted that the party central committee has assigned him to act as coordinator to hold the conference.

"I have been made the chief coordinator. There is nothing to be worried about this", the Mayor said.

Meanwhile, the Khulna district BNP Convening Committee held a meeting on Wednesday at the party office with former Speaker Shaikh Razaak Ali in the chair.

Whip Ashraf Hossain, city BNP president M Nurul Islam MP, Secretary Nazrul Islam Manju, district BNP membersectretary Shafiqul Alam Mona attended the meeting, among others. The meeting formed a preparatory committee and two sub-committees for the conference.

On the other hand, the other faction held a meeting at Zia Hall on the same day with the Mayor in the chair. It was attended by, among others, Ali Asgar Lobi MP, Principal Maidul Islam and Abdul Mannan, central leader Sramik Dal, BNP's labour front. Two sub-committees were formed in that meeting.

On Thursday night, 27 leaders of ten thana BNP committees belong to the Mayor Lobi faction faxed a letter to Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan demanding 'disciplinary action' against member-secretary of district convening committee Shafiqul Alam Mona and city BNP Secretary Nazurl Islam Manju for their 'anti-party activities'.

They have accused Mon and Manju of disgracing the Mayor by branding him a corrupt politician.

They alleged that Mona and Manju are 'fishing in troubled waters and creating confusion among party workers' by disgracing the Mayor who is the party's central secretary for forest and environment affairs and has been made chief co-ordinator for holding the conference.

They also alleged that Mona and Manju are involved in toll collection in the name of BNP after the four party alliance came to power.

When contacted, Mona termed the 27 leaders 'sycophants and financial beneficiaries of Mayor'. Mona refuted the allegations against him.

Manju could not be contained as he is in Dhaka.