Dhaka to pick Ctg city BNP committee

November 16, 2009

A series of clashes fuelled by internal squabbling foiled the council of BNP’s Chittagong metropolitan unit on Monday, attempted after a hiatus of 20 years, with a new committee said to be declared from Dhaka.

At least 50 people were injured during the violence between two groups of supporters backing BNP joint secretary general Abdullah Al Noman and convenor of the metropolitan unit Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Three seriously injured were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Tension was running high in the lead-up to the long-awaited council, which dissolved in chaos on the day.

Noman’s supporters had declared they would hold a separate council the same day to challenge Amir Khasru.

BNP joint secretary general Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and others said a new committee would be declared from Dhaka.

Goyeshwar and Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal president Barkatullah Bulu, who travelled from Dhaka to attend the council, and convener Amir Khasru also claimed that the first session of the council was “held successfully”.

Noman, however, claimed that the council had been postponed, and added that a new date for the council would be declared later.

The council, due to begin at 10am at the Institution of Engineers Chittagong Centre, was disrupted almost before it could begin as the two factions faced off.

A crowd of Amir Khasru’s supporters took position in the auditorium from morning. Noman and his followers entered in a procession the at around 11:15am.

Both groups began throwing chairs at each other with the fighting continuing for around half an hour. At one point, Noman’s supporters drove Amir Khasru’s followers out of the auditorium.

Former foreign minister M Morshed Khan, who had inaugurated the council, the BNP chairperson’s adviser A S M Hannan Shah, as chief guest, were present on stage at that time.

Police brought the situation under control when Noman’s supporters surrounded the invited guests. Morshed Khan and Hannan Shah then left the venue.

Goyeshwar, Bulu and Chittagong division organising secretary Mohammad Shahjahan attempted to return to business at around 12:30pm.

Goyeshwar in his speech asked the leaders and supporters present for calm. Noman, Amir Khasru and their followers were still present.

Shahjahan, Bulu, Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin and Syed Wahidul Alam gave their scheduled speeches.

Noman began a speech, too, at around 1:30pm, but fighting broke out once more as both groups of supporters hurled chairs again.

The central and metropolitan leaders left the venue at around 1:45pm without finishing the programme.

Mixed signals

Bulu, while leaving the place, told reporters the first session of the council was “partially successful”.

“The new committee will be declared from [Dhaka} later,” he said.

He downplayed the clashes between the two groups, saying minor clashes might occur in the council of a major party like BNP.

Noman told reporters: “The council was not held in line with the party constitution.

“The leaders who were on the streets during the political movements were dropped.”

“I tried to convince them separately, but was not completely successful. This is the failure of the leadership,” he said.

Chief guest Hannan Shah had left the venue declaring the council “postponed”, Noman claimed.

Though the central leaders gave speeches they do not have the authority to hold council, the senior BNP leader said.

The next date will be declared “constitutionally” as per the central decision, he added.

Amir Khasru also claimed to reporters that the council was partially successful.

“There was an attempt to foil today’s council seeing a big crowd in yesterday’s rally,” he said.

People of Chittagong will boycott those reformist leaders, Amir Khasru said, referring to Noman.

“They made a last-ditch attempt to save themselves by fighting.”

He asked his followers to keep calm.

Most of the injured were the supporters of Amir Khasru.

The three injured admitted to hospital were identified as Mohammad Ali, ‘Shamim’ and ‘Masum’, personal assistant of Chittagong metropolitan BNP’s joint convener Shamsul Alam.

Noman’s followers brought out a protest rally in front of the party office after leaving the council venue.

Tensions boiled on eve

Amir Khasru’s announcement of the council, the first in 20 years, had already brought internal conflicts of local party leaders to the fore on Sunday.

MA Sabur, joint convenor of metropolitan BNP and president of the Kotwali committee, round which the rival faction is centred, told bdnews24.com on Sunday, “We’ll march to the Engineers Institute from the central office and if there’s any protest, we’ll move to the Ladies Club and hold our council there.”

The last council of the Chittagong metropolitan committee was held in 1988, electing Noman president.

BNP central leaders reconstituted the metropolitan committee in 1997, selecting Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin and Dastagir Chowdhury as its president and general secretary.

The committee was dissolved in May 2005 after Nasir lost the mayoral elections and a convening committee was later announced, headed by former whip Syed Wahidul Alam, which was also reconstituted in line with other BNP committees in June last year.

Dhaka to pick Ctg city BNP committee

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