Exclusion of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul from the newly formed committee of Jubo Dal Rajshahi city unit has resulted in a third wing in the already internally disputed BNP unit in the metropolis.
Till date the Rajshahi BNP was divided into two streams backed by District BNP General Secretary Nadim Mostofa and Rajshahi city unit President Mizanur Rahman Minu, Bulbul being a close associate to the latter.
On Saturday, a fresh 169-member committee of Jubo Dal Rajshahi unit was formed excluding Bulbul. On Monday, 70 leaders of BNP Rajshahi city unit, including Organising Secretary Shafiqul Islam, resigned after holding a three-and-a-half-hour long meeting.
They also laid siege to Mizanur Rahman Minu’s residence, rejecting the new committee.
Sources close to Rajshahi BNP unit said the move of these 70 supporters of Bulbul had created a new group inside the unit.
According to the new committee, the new president of Jubo Dal Rajshahi city unit is Waliul Haque Rana and the general secretary is Abul Hasnain Hikol.
Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul was made the senior vice-president of the unit.
On the other hand, former senior vice-president of the unit Nazrul Islam was excluded while Organising Secretary Shafiqul Islam was replaced by Jubo Dal city unit joint convener Aslam Sarker.
Abdullah Al Mahmud Biplob and Mainul Islam were appointed as city unit joint conveners.
The reshuffles triggered extreme criticism among the leaders and activists of BNP Rajshahi city unit.
At a press conference on Saturday, Bulbul’s supporters demanded that he be made either the president or the general secretary of the Jubo Dal city unit.
Jubo Dal city unit Joint Convener Abdullah Al Mahmud Biplob said the council of the unit was last formed in 2003 with Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul as the president and Aslam Sarker as the general secretary.
Later, dissolving the council in 2012 a committee was formed with Bulbul as the convener.
He said under the new committee, the process of forming 30 ward committees of RCC had started, but because of the city corporation election and movements the process was halted in 13 wards.
Recently while they were preparing for resuming the process in rest of the wards, this new committee was created without any council, said Biplob.
He alleged that many businessmen who had not been much involved with the party so far were favoured while selecting for important posts.
He mentioned that a total of 17 businessmen, including Abul Hasnain Hikol, was given the appointment in a mysterious manner.
Hikol had been involved with Jubo Maitree earlier and joined BNP in 2008.
“Despite having qualified leaders in Jubo Dal metropolitan unit, appointing Hikol was a mysterious move. That is why I have resigned,” he said.
Denying the allegation, BNP Rajshahi unit President Mizanur Rahman Minu said the committee had been formed upon approval from BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday.
Calling the new committee “undemocratic,” Jubo Dal Metropolitan unit Vice-President Shahnur Islam Mithu said the committee was formed without consulting city Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul.
When contacted, Bulbul refused to make any comment over the matter.
Asked if the resignation of 70 leaders would create a crack in the party, BNP Rajshahi unit President Mizanur Rahman Minu said: “Councils do not function properly, which is why the committee has been formed upon consultation with the central body. Those who have been deprived are currently sulking but eventually everything will be alright.”
He also said there was no division in Rajshahi city unit of the BNP.
