The Awami League has temporarily expelled all its grassroots leaders who are contesting the upcoming municipality polls as rebel candidates.
Earlier, the central command of the ruling party gave the rebel candidates 24 hours to pull out and that ultimatum ended yesterday.
The announcement came at a press conference held at Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi in the evening.
At the conference, Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif said the rebel candidates, who are taking part in the election defying party order, would be permanently expelled at the next meeting of the central working committee.
“We tried in all possible ways to make them change their decisions and issued the ultimatum to give them an idea about the party’s strong stance. As they defied the party’s decision, we are going to take actions against them,” he said.
Asked what the total number of rebel candidates was, Hanif said the party was collecting information to prepare a list of the rebels.
According to party sources, about 50 rebel candidates had not withdrawn their nomination until yesterday.
Earlier, central leaders Obaidul Quader, also communications and bridges minister, and Dipu Moni, former foreign minister, held a meeting with the organising secretaries at the same place to make a decision about the rebels.
Yesterday was the last day of withdrawing nomination papers for the December 30 polls to the 234 municipalities in the country.
