Rivals form counter body of Rajshahi BNP, hold separate councils in Pabna

30 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Opponents of the 'mainstream' Rajshahi BNP formed a counter committee of the party's district unit while two rival factions of Pabna district unit BNP held two separate councils at the party office yesterday afternoon. Rajshahi district BNP has now two separate committees as followers of city BNP president Mizanur Rahman Minu formed another committee yesterday, four days after formation of the first committee headed by former BNP lawmaker Nadim Mostafa, reports our staff correspondent from Rajshahi. Former district BNP president Azizur Rahman, a loyalist of Minu, was made president of a BNP faction that held council at Bhubon Mohon Park. Started at 2:00pm, the process of electing the committee members was completed in half an hour. Abu Sayeed Chand, Charghat upazila BNP president, was made general secretary of the committee and Akhtaruzzaman Tapan organising secretary. The council, however, saw presence of only councillors from Charghat upazila out of nine upazilas in the district, said BNP insiders. No senior leader of BNP, not even Mizanur Rahman Minu, was present at the council that drew several hundred BNP workers from Durgapur, Puthia and Rajshahi. "The central BNP in a circular announced that no council will be considered if it is held after November 30. Minu and other senior leaders could not join the district council as we had to organise it hurriedly," Azizur Rahman told The Daily Star. Terming the council held at Bhubon Mohon Park invalid, Nadim Mostafa said, "The central BNP has already approved district BNP committee that was formed four days ago. The committee led By Azizur was dissolved and they have no right to hold a so-called council." At the district BNP's council held at a city community centre on November 26, Nadim Mostafa was made president of the committee and Quamrul Monir general secretary in presence of councillors from all nine upazilas of the district. The names of the committee members are to be announced today (Tuesday) at a city community centre where followers of Nadim have called an Eid reunion. Our Pabna Correspondent reports: The 'mainstream' leaders of Pabna district unit BNP and their rivals held two separate councils at the party office yesterday afternoon. At around 2:00pm, the rival faction marched to the party office and held a rally there. “Hearing that devoted activists of BNP would be deprived in the council organised at the district BNP office, we have assembled here to resist the so-called council,” said SM Ferdous Monju, former office secretary of Pabna district unit BNP, also a leader of the rival faction that occupied Pabna district BNP office. After forming a 101-member district unit committee with Abdus Samad Khan Montu as president and Saiful Islam Badsha secretary, the faction leaders and activists left the venue. Shortly afterwards, the mainstream Pabna district unit BNP held their council at the same venue. Engineer Habibur Rahman Tota, convener of Pabna district unit BNP, chaired the council attended by 48 councillors of eight upazilas, said party sources. Earlier Sujanagar upazila unit committee could not be formed due to intra-party feud. "We are holding the council according to democratic rules. Councillors will select their leadership to form the district unit committee. They [rival faction] have no right to form any such committee," said Habibur Rahman Tota. The council was going on as of filing this report at about 4:30pm. Meanwhile, party leaders did not disclose the time and venue of the council as of 11:00am. Additional police was deployed in front of Pabna district unit BNP office to evade any untoward situation.