Rift in Dinajpur BNP widens, party office under lock

The party office in the town is locked since yesterday morning while most of the leaders belonging to the faction led by Md. Moklesur Rahman Rawshan are on the run following his arrest in Dhaka and filing of four case against 35 of his followers.

The cases were filed by former party secretary Md. Shahin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khoka, Md. Alauddin and Taimur Rahman.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Police said they have arrested four of the accused. They are Afzal Hossin Khan, Abdul Hakim Ratan, Nasirul Haque and Abdul Majid, all leaders of BNP's student front jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD).

Moklesur Rahman, organising secretary of Dinajpur district BNP, who was PS to former children and women affairs minister Khurshid Jahan Haque, was arrested from Gulshan in Dhaka on Thursday on alleged charge of corruption.

The rivalry in the party intensified as party men opposed to Moklesur Rahman showed up after his arrest and death of Khurshid Jahan Haque, party insiders said.

On Saturday night, at least 50 party men belonging to the rival faction gathered in the town and burnt effigies of Moklesur Rahman and Dinajpur BNP vice-president Ashraful Alam.

Police deployed in large numbers at different points in the town on Thursday to stave off possible clash between rival factions are still on patrol.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary Tarique Zia called some senior party leaders including two lawmakers to Dhaka and held a meeting at Hawa Bhaban on Saturday to resolve the crisis but there was little success, party sources said.

Those who attended the Hawa Bhaban meeting included former army chief Md. Mahbubur Rahman who is Dinajpur BNP vice-president and lawmaker from Dinajpur-1 constituency; Md. Akhraruzzaman Miah, lawmaker from Dinajpur-4 constituency and Mukut Chowdhury, vice president of central Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and president of its Dinajpur unit.

Tarique Zia may come to Dinajpur on June 30 to help party rivals close ranks, the sources said.

The simmering feud in Dinajpur BNP came in the open after the death of Khurshid Jahan Haque and arrest of her PS Moklesur Rahman, widely blamed for protecting his followers allegedly involved in corruption, irregularities, tender manipulation, extortion and such other crimes.

The district committee was dissolved on Thursday night. The sources claimed that dissolution was hailed by dedicated party leaders and workers at all levels.

Party sources claimed that Mokhlesur Rahman was behind the corruption and irregularities, done by keeping Khurshid jahan Haque in the dark.

Local leaders had earlier complained to the party high command against Moklesur Rahman and his men for their corruption, but to no effect, the sources said.

Seven party leaders earlier resigned from their posts in the Deaf and Dump Institute and the Dinajpur Red Crescent Society, protesting corruption by party men in the institutions, headed by the prime minister's mother.

The seven leaders are Dinajpur former army chief Md. Mahbubur Rahman MP, district unit vice-president Khalequzzaman Babu, its secretary Ashraful Alam, joint secretary AK Azad, treasurer Golam Rasul Rocket, publicity secretary Aftab Uddin Mondol and executive committee member Abu Taher Abu.

Mahbubur Rahman also resigned from the Regent Board of Haji Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) protesting alleged corruption by BNP men there and also did not attend any party meeting in last two years, party sources said.