Expelled BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku won the Comilla City Corporation (COCC) elections in 2012 and 2017 because of rivalry within the local Awami League factions. But in 2022, he faced a united campaign behind Arfanul Haque Rifat, who broke Sakku's win streak, as well as a strong opponent from within the BNP, Nizam Uddin Kaiser.
Since the BNP decided not to participate in the election, both Sakku and Kaiser submitted nomination papers as independent candidates. They also resigned from the party on May 19 last year, a month before the much-hyped election, when their nominations were confirmed.
Sakku served as the joint secretary of the district south unit for a long time, and Kaiser was the president of city unit Sewchchasebak Dal. A businessman by profession, Kaiser was also the assistant organizing secretary of the party's executive committee.
Without delay, the BNP expelled them for life for violating discipline. Two days later, the party asked its leaders and activists not to campaign for the expelled leaders.
For this reason, many BNP activists could not work in favour of the two candidates. Moreover, the BNP supporters' votes were split between the duo, which helped the AL nominee win the competitive election held on June 15.
The current lawmaker of Sadar constituency (Comilla-6), AKM Bahauddin Bahar, played a vital role during the campaign to introduce Rifat to the city's voters and ease rivalry within the party.
Finally, Rifat secured 50,310 votes to become mayor and defeated Sakku by 343 votes. Kaiser got 29,099 votes to become third in the mayoral race.
Sakku's rival faction, which is led by Kaiser's brother-in-law and General Secretary of the BNP's district (south) unit Aminur Rashid Yasin, alleges that then-mayor Sakku abused power to plunder public money from different development projects and enjoyed impunity with the blessings of MP Bahar. Yasin conceded defeat to Bahar in the 2018 national election.
In 2012, failing to get the party's nomination for the mayoral race, Sakku resigned from the post of joint secretary general of the BNP's Comilla district (south) unit. Later, party chief Khaleda Zia returned him to his post and supported him in the 2017 election.
This time, both Sakku and Kaiser hope that the party will withdraw the expulsion orders before the next general election, due in December or January.
While talking to Dhaka Tribune, Sakku expressed interest in contesting the election from the Comilla Sadar constituency. He is also hopeful about winning the race, no matter whether the party gives him the nomination or not. Even though the Jatiya Party offered him a post, Sakku said he wanted to return to the BNP.
On the other hand, Kaiser said he would have won if the city elections were not rigged.
Regarding Sakku's popularity, he said the former mayor does politics of polarization. His absolute vote is 10,000-15,000. "So there is no use in threatening to be a candidate in the national elections. The grassroots leaders and activists are with the mainstream of Comilla district south unit BNP."
Sakku, Kaiser still unwanted
Almost a year has passed, but still, their expulsion order has not been revoked. Because of this, they have not been invited to any program of the party. The two leaders could not say whether they would be brought back to the party at all.
Last year, both leaders said that they had participated in the election under the pressure of party leaders. However, after being defeated, they called each other the beneficiaries of the ruling party. But none has gotten the green signal to return to the party.
On November 26 last year, Sakku and Kaiser participated in the Comilla divisional meeting of the BNP with the leaders and activists. But no one got a place on the stage. Since then, they have been out of the limelight in the party.
Sakku, however, participates in unofficial meetings organized on their initiative and attends various social events. His long-time followers in the BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal do not work with him now due to the fear of being expelled.
The rivalry within the district BNP began after the death of the former BNP minister Col (Retd) Akbar Hossain Bir Prateek in 2006. The followers of Sakku and Yasin started attending separate programs and also clashed several times. Before the 2014 elections, the two factions were united under the initiative of district unit President Begum Rabeya Chowdhury. This is why the BNP got good results in the 2017 city election.
But the old dispute reared its head again after a few days, which impacted the 2018 national elections—Yasin lost to Awami League's Bahar. At that time, Yasin blamed the mayor's followers for the debacle.
What do the leaders say?
This correspondent recently spoke to the two leaders about their plans and local politics. They said that even if they were not brought back by the BNP, they would not go the other way.
Kaiser accepted the expulsion decision at that time. Now he has appealed to the party's high command regarding the withdrawal of the ban and hopes to get good news before the next election.
"I am working as a BNP worker even though I do not hold any position in the party. Comilla has always been the base of the BNP. I contested the election under the pressure of activists and to not give anyone a chance to score goals in an empty field," he added.
Blaming his rival for the defeat in the city election, Sakku said Kaiser had worked in favour of the ruling party to cut his votes. "But I will not make any compromise regarding the candidature in the parliamentary elections.
"I am waiting for the decision of the party regarding the expulsion. I will ask for a nomination if the party withdraws the expulsion order. However, I will participate in the election even if the ban is not withdrawn. I will contest the Comilla-6 election to challenge the Kaiser-Yasin faction," he said.
Regarding his much-hyped meeting with Jatiya Party (JaPa-Ershad) Chairman GM Quader, Sakku said: "He is the national leader. So I met him at his invitation. He wanted to know about electronic voting machines (EVM). He also asked me to join his party."
Sakku said he wanted to work for the BNP. "I may contest the election as an independent candidate, but I will not join any other party."