The BNP’s widening disciplinary drive has reached Parliament, with reserved-seat lawmaker Ferdousi Ahmed Misty resigning on Thursday on Prime Minister and party Chairman Tarique Rahman’s instruction amid allegations surrounding the attack, looting and demolition of the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur.
Her resignation, coming just a day after the BNP dissolved its entire Dhaka North City committee and announced disciplinary action against 14 leaders and activists of the party and its affiliated organisations, marks the highest-profile action yet as the ruling party seeks to rein in alleged extortion, land grabbing, violence and other activities carried out using its political identity.
Misty, who entered Parliament only five months ago, submitted her resignation to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Thursday afternoon.
Her Women’s Seat-23 became vacant immediately upon receipt of the letter under Article 67(2) of the Constitution, the Speaker said.
The move followed a directive from Tarique after allegations emerged linking Misty to the September 24 attack on Radda, a longstanding maternal and child healthcare facility in Mirpur-1.
Misty has denied involvement and the allegations against her remain under investigation.
The action against a sitting ruling-party MP significantly raises the stakes of a disciplinary campaign that BNP leaders say will target anyone who uses the party’s name as cover for criminal or unethical activities.
It also comes as the government and BNP face growing scrutiny over allegations of land grabbing, extortion and violence involving ruling-party leaders and activists at different levels.
From party crackdown to Parliament
The scale of the latest disciplinary action became apparent on Wednesday.
The BNP dissolved its 51-member Dhaka North City convening committee, headed by convener Aminul Haque and member secretary Mostafa Zaman, saying a new committee would be announced soon.
No reason was given for dissolving the committee.
Three Dhaka North BNP leaders, Shah Ali thana joint convener Khalil Chowdhury, C-Block unit general secretary Anwar Hossain and city unit member Hafizur Rahman Shukku, were expelled from all party positions, including primary membership, over alleged “immoral and anti-organisational activities”.
The Dhaka North Jubo Dal and Dhaka West Chhatra Dal committees were also dissolved, officially because their terms had expired.
Five Chhatra Dal leaders and several activists and leaders associated with Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Sramik Dal also faced disciplinary action, taking the number expelled to 14.
The party announcements did not formally link those decisions to the Radda attack.
But the measures came as allegations of involvement by local BNP figures in the attack were under scrutiny, and less than 24 hours later the disciplinary action reached one of the party’s own MPs.
Radda puts Misty under scrutiny
The Radda MCH-FP Centre was attacked late on September 24.
A large group allegedly entered the premises, held security guards hostage and vandalised and looted the facility. Parts of the centre were subsequently demolished using heavy machinery.
The attack triggered widespread criticism, particularly because the centre had provided maternal and child healthcare to low-income residents of Mirpur for decades.
As investigations began, the names of several local political figures surfaced.
Questions were also raised about Misty’s previous association with a cooperative that had sought allocation of the land on which the Radda centre stands.
Documents cited in media reports showed that Misty had served as president of the cooperative while she was a Ward 8 councillor, and her name and signature appeared on an application seeking allocation of the land.
A signboard bearing the cooperative’s name was subsequently found at the Radda site.
Misty acknowledged her past association with the organisation but said she no longer had any involvement with it. She has consistently denied involvement in the attack, vandalism or attempted takeover of Radda.
The government has also stopped short of declaring her responsible.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said legal action would follow if investigators found evidence of anyone’s involvement, stressing that allegations had to be established before responsibility could be determined.
Tarique orders resignation
Despite the unresolved investigation, the political consequences came swiftly.
Tarique directed Misty to relinquish her parliamentary seat, according to the prime minister’s press secretary.
Misty went to the National Parliament on Thursday and submitted her resignation directly to the speaker.
She avoided explaining the decision in detail while leaving Parliament, telling reporters that she would abide by whatever decision the BNP took.
The speaker later confirmed that the resignation had taken effect immediately.
“Under the constitutional provisions, her seat became vacant as soon as we received the letter,” Hafiz said, adding that the relevant documents would be forwarded to the Election Commission.
The Parliament Secretariat subsequently formally declared Women’s Seat-23 vacant from October 1.
Misty had barely begun her parliamentary career. She was among the BNP-alliance candidates elected to the reserved women’s seats this year and took oath on May 3.
A test beyond Misty
BNP leaders have sought to frame the broader disciplinary campaign as a warning that political identity will not provide protection to anyone involved in extortion, land grabbing, violence or other criminal activities.
Party leaders have said allegations should first be investigated, but action would follow where wrongdoing is established.
That distinction remains important in Misty’s case: her resignation is a political and organizational consequence, not a finding of criminal responsibility.
Whether the tougher approach produces a wider change will depend on whether it is applied consistently beyond the high-profile Radda controversy and against politically influential figures elsewhere.
For now, however, the message from the BNP leadership has moved beyond warnings and expulsions at the grassroots.
With Misty’s resignation, it has cost a ruling-party lawmaker her seat in Parliament.