Hours after relieving Abdul Quader Mirza from all the activities of the party and recommending his expulsion for reportedly violating the party rules, the Noakhali district unit of Awami League has reportedly retreated from the decision.
The unit's president, AHM Khairul Anam Selim, confirmed the latest development, reports Bangla Tribune.
"For the sake of the district's law and order situation and as the issue is examined at the party chief's office, we have withdrawn our decision," he said.
Earlier in the day, he and Noakhali district unit Awami League General Secretary and Noakhali 4 lawmaker Md Ekramul Karim Chowdhury jointly issued a notice dismissing Abdul Quader and recommending cancellation of his membership at the party.
Meanwhile, Ekramul on Facebook at around 9:30pm on Saturday claimed that he was not aware of what Selim said.
"It is being discussed (withdrawal of decision to dismiss Mirza). As far as I know, there is no such decision yet. I don't know what's the latest stance of our unit president," he said.
"We vigorously state that our decision of his (Mirza) removal from the party activities is still effective," he concluded.
In the evening, Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the notice issued by the ruling party’s Noakhali district unit, which reads: "Basurhat Municipal Mayor and Companiganj upazila unit Awami League Executive Committee Member Abdul Quader Mirza has unleashed miscreants to attack and injure the leaders and activists in the past few weeks.
"He has also made false, indecent, and objectionable comments on the central and district unit leaders of Awami League. He made derogatory remarks against the party and threatened the party colleagues live on Facebook as well," it said.
Considering the allegations, he was relieved of all the activities of the party, the statement said, recommending that the party chief Sheikh Hasina and Awami League's central executive panel strip him of the primary membership of the party.
Reacting to the notice, Abdul Quader Mirza told Bangla Tribune that he was not linked to the district unit Awami League.
"The committee is illegal and has no existence per se," said the Awami League leader, who is also the younger brother of the party's General Secretary and the country’s Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
Abdul Quader Mirza has been making the headline since before the municipality polls began, mostly by raising allegations of abuse of power and irregularities by several local and central Awami League leaders.