Upazila Poll Candidacy

Police club AL men in Batiaghata

11 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Police charged batons thrice Saturday to quell clashes among Awami League activists during selection of party candidate to contest for the post of chairman of Batiaghata upazila parishad. Contest for selection was kept open for all the three candidates of Awami League as its top district leaders failed to resolve the crisis due to intra-party feud. Chase and counter-chase between supporters of two rival factions of the party began soon after Khulna district AL President Sheikh Harun-ar-Rashid declared the contest open for all the three aspirants--Ashraful Alam Khan, Monoranjon Mondol and Advocate Liakat Ali. Ex-lawmaker and president of Batiaghata upazila AL Babu Panchanon Biswas publicly rebuked Skeikh Haroon-ar-Rashid for declaring the contest open. Biswas, deprived of party ticket in the December 29 national election, heads a faction of the party at Batiaghata upazila since 2001. Biswas wanted Ashraful Alam Khan to be the party-backed candidate while Sheikh Harun favoured Manoranjon Mondol. When asked, Biswas said Ashraful Alam Khan would contest the upazila poll as party candidate. Khulna district unit president has no right to ignore majority opinion in favour of Ashraful, who is organising secretary of Khulna district AL. Sheikh Harun, on the other hand, said Biswas would face disciplinary action for going against the decision to keep the contest open.