Gono Odhikar Parishad, a party formed by economist Dr Reza Kibria and former Dhaka University Central Students Union (Ducsu) VP Nurul Haque Nur with the aim of challenging the status quo and pursuing the rule of democracy, is on the verge of a breakdown just before the 12th parliamentary election.
Both Reza Kibria and Nurul Haque Nur have been firing broadsides at each other for the last couple of months. The rift between the two came to a head during a central meeting of Gono Odhikar Parishad on Monday.
Now both leaders of the Gono Odhikar Parishad are claiming that the other is a government agent. Following Monday's meeting, a group of Gono Odhikar Parishad men led by Member Secretary Nurul Haque expelled convener Reza Kibria and made Rashed Khan acting convener of the party.
When contacted on Monday, Reza Kibria told Dhaka Tribune the party had been divided. He later issued a counter-statement expelling Nurul Haque and Rashed Khan from Gono Odhikar Parishad, and naming Hasan Al Mamun as acting member secretary.
Nurul Haque Nur could not be reached for comment by phone. However, he said in a Facebook post that Rashed, who had been serving as joint convener, was promoted to conduct organizational affairs in an orderly manner.
Rashed was unanimously nominated for the post at an executive meeting on June 19, according to the statement posted on Nur's Facebook profile.
What happened in the meeting?
When contacted, Gono Odhikar Parishad convener Reza Kibria told Dhaka Tribune: “In the meeting, Nur asked me why I had joined a program of Jatiya Insaf Kayem Committee, which was led by Farhad Mazhar, a writer and poet, and Shaukat Mahmood, then an adviser to the BNP chief. I replied that I would join any type of anti-government forum and meeting, and I do not need to ask anyone to do that.”
Kibria further said that Nur was asked in the meeting what he was doing with the funds from expatriates as the chief advisor of the expatriate cell of the party. Nur reportedly did not clarify the matter.
“He (Nur) was also asked about his relations with Mendi N Safadi and Shipan Basu. Some people had doubts and believe that he got money from them and is now personally busy with the election campaign in his own constituency,” the Gono Odhikar Parishad convener said.
“He is working like a government agent and preparing to be an MP. We cannot allow him to do so from our party,” Reza Kibria added.
In another Facebook status. titled "My statement about Reza Kibria's false statements,” Nur has made various allegations against the convener of the party. Nur claims Reza Kibria is working with intelligence agencies of the government for money, and that “he is living in the dream of breaking up the BNP and becoming prime minister.”
“I request you not to be confused by Reza Kibria's false statements and lies about me to cover up his own misdeeds. You have already observed how incompetent Reza Kibria is in his work. Even as the convener of a potential party like the Gono Odhikar Parishad, he was not active in the party's meetings and activities,” Nur added.
He also said questions were raised in the meeting about Reza Kibria's participation in several meetings in Bangkok and Kathmandu in the name of alleged anti-government programs to ensure participation in the next election on the model of the Brahmanbaria by-polls, where BNP leader Advocate Abdus Sattar was elected, as well as about his participating in the program of expelled BNP leader Shaukat Mahmood and the Insaf program. Kibria reportedly left without answering.
Party insiders said a central council may be arranged soon to decide the future of Gono Odhikar Parishad.
In May, Gono Odhikar Parishad left the Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of seven like-minded parties. Gono Odhikar Parishad commenced its journey in politics in October 2021 with Kibria and Nur.
