Expulsion goes, showdown follows

Several thousand BNP activists from Bagha and Charghat upazilas mounted on several hundred motorbikes and crammed in buses, micro-busses and trucks crossed the city streets in a show of strength and support to Chand.

With Chand waving to people from a vehicle, his supporters chanted slogans against BNP lawmakers Barrister Aminul Haque and Nadim Mustafa, but hailed Rajshahi city Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu MP and lawmaker Kabir Hossain.

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The supporters welcomed Chand at the airport after he reached here from Dhaka and escorted him out of the town. A large number of policemen and members of elite force Rab were deployed in the city to maintain security.

Sources said, Minu and Kabir backed Chand in staging the showdown to prove their supremacy over Post and Telecommunication Minister Barrister Aminul Haque and Nadim Mustafa, the two party men who were dominant in the party's city and district committees.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in an order on March 12 expelled Chand from the post of upazila BNP president and withheld his membership for 'activities against the party constitution'.

District BNP President Azizur Rahman and general secretary Shish Muhammad, who are known to be supporters of Aminul and Mustafa, had recommended Chand's expulsion for 'misbehaviour' with party seniors and 'assaulting' upazila social welfare officer Quamruzzaman on February 28.

On April 2, the expulsion order was, however, 'withdrawn' and he was reinstated to the party post following intervention by lawmakers Minu and Kabir, party insiders said.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, district BNP president Azizur Rahman however said, "Chand has not been reinstated to the party post, only his membership has been retained".

"I recommended Chand's expulsion for his illegal activities and assaulting a government official. The party also took action", said Rahman.