A solution is yet to be reached in the drama surrounding the newly announced central committee of Chhatra Dal, with senior leaders of the BNP failing to find any concrete solution to the dilemma over the leadership of its student wing.
Following days of unrest, agitated leaders who were not included in the new committee decided to postpone their demonstrations yesterday following assurance from Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of passing on their concerns to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
During a meeting with the deprived Chhatra Dal leaders on Sunday evening, the party’s acting secretary general Fakhrul also assured the student leaders that a decision on this regard will be announced by Monday.
However, as of filing this report at 10pm, no progress had been made in solving the crisis.
Party insiders said Fakhrul held a meeting with Khaleda on Sunday night to resolve the crisis, with central leaders including Mirza Abbas, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Sahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Rajib Ahsan and Akramul Hasan in attendance.
Seeking anonymity, a senior leader told the Dhaka Tribune that Khaleda was aggrieved after listening to the problems and had assigned Fakhrul and Abbas to find a solution.
Yesterday, Abbas met with Ishak Sarkar, the organising secretary of the new committee who was allegedly behind the recent unrest, and reportedly asked him not to disobey the party chief’s orders and to end the demonstrations.
Party sources said Ishak was a close aide to former student leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, who allegedly had advised Ishak not to work for the new committee. Following the advise, Ishak reportedly orchestrated the recent Chhatra Dal demonstrations from behind the scene. Abbas was assigned to solve the crisis as he had good relations with Pintu, party sources added.
After meeting with Ishak yesterday, Abbas went to the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters and held an hour-long meeting with senior party leaders including Annie and Tuku at around 3pm.
However, since the beginning of the recent demonstrations, the deprived leaders have been calling for the expulsion of Annie and Tuku, branding them agents of the government.
Following that meeting, Mirza Abbas said: “We hope that the problem will be resolved soon. The BNP is a big political party and there will be some problems.”
However, deprived leader Tarikul Islam Titu said: “We have spoken to [acting] secretary general. Khaleda Zia may call us at night and the solution may come from there. If there is no solution, then we will stage demonstrations again from tomorrow.”
Earlier last Tuesday, Khaleda Zia approved the 201-member new committee.
On Wednesday, the deprived leaders hurled several crude bombs in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan office and brought out a procession demanding cancellation of the new committee. Around 10pm the same day, several crude bombs were also blasted in front of the Gulshan office of the party chairperson when the chairperson was still inside the office.
On Sunday, the demonstration took a more violent turn when the party office was vandalised and around a dozen leaders were injured. Even the mural of the party founder late president Ziaur Rahman was damaged during the unrest.