BNP in search of new leadership as Taimur's era ends

The BNP top leadership has concentrated to pick new leadership for Narayanganj district and Metropolitan as the era of Taimur Alam Khandaker and ATM Kamal has ended, party insiders have said.

As part of the move, leaders have been assigned to expeditiously form the full district committee dropping them, the sources said.

Nasir Uddin is currently the acting convener of Narayanganj district BNP. He was given the responsibility since Taimur Alam was expelled from the party as member on 18 January. Within four days into the development, convening committees were declared in five thanas and pourashavas. Now the work is going on to form full thana and pourashava committees.

BNP sources said the party high-ups have instructed Nasir Uddin to form full thana and pourashava committees within 45 days and the full district committee through council within three months. The district committee will be constituted through voting of the grassroots leaders and activists.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Nasir Uddin said, "New leadership is not coming to the party for 15 years as the committees are not formed. We hope this time new faces will come up in the leadership of district and thana BNP."

Nasir Uddin was the vice president in the previous committee of district BNP and number 2 joint convener of the convening committee led by Taimur Alam. Simultaneously, he was in charge of president of BNP unit of Tarab pourashava. Nasir Uddin was made convener of convening committee of Tarab pourashava declared on 22 January.

Earlier, Taimur Alam was the convener of district BNP unit. He was expelled from the post for defying the party decision and joining the city corporation election. He was replaced by number 1 joint convener, Monirul Islam Rabi. Monirul Islam was arrested ahead of Narayanganj City Corporation ellection. Afterwards, Nasir Uddin was made acting convener. After the election, Taimur Alam and his chief election agent and Mohanagar BNP unit general secretary were removed from the primary membership of the party. Now the party leaders and activists have a curiosity as to what is going to happen in the organisational structure of BNP in Narayanganj.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Taimur Alam Khandaker said, "I wish the good of the party. Although I am expelled from the party, I will stand by the party and the leaders and activists."

ATM Kamal said, "I have accepted the party decision. I will not be active in politics."

Although Taimur Alam is a lawyer in profession, he was involved in various organisations of workers in Narayanganj for long. Being engaged with BNP in 1996, he became president and general secretary of BNP's Narayanganj unit and he was also in the leadership of Mohanagar BNP.

ATM Kamal was involved in BNP from the beginning of the party. Organisational picture of BNP is being changed in Narayanganj after exclusion of two important leaders.

A senior BNP leader said the district BNP convening committee was formed with Taimur as convener and Mamun Mahmud as member secretary in December 2020. They could not form committee through council even in a year. As the central BNP didn't approve a person of his choice in Rupganj thana, he halted all thana and pourashava committees.

Taimur, however, declined to make any comment over the matter.

Former MP Abul Kalam is the president of Narayanganj Mohanagar BNP and ATM Kamal was the general secretary since 2017. After expulsion of Kamal, new face for the post of general secretary at Mohanagar committee is being searched. Steps have been taken to form full committees through the convening committees at 10 units of the district after removal of Taimur and Kamal. Although the followers of Taimur are unhappy, other groups are happy about it.

BNP sources said the party's top leadership is angry with Taimur Alam and ATM Kamal. Despite repeated calls from various levels of the party, they did not quit the election.

BNP policymakers think that there was different conspiracy than the competition against the government backed candidate. There are various discussions in the party about ATM Kamal's return home from abroad ahead of the election and joining election in favour of Taimur.

Taimur family and ATM Kamal had a hold in the politics of Narayanganj Mohanagar BNP. Now it is time to see what BNP does in Narayanganj without them. District BNP member secretary Mamun Mahmud, however, claims BNP has become stronger in Narayanganj.

*This report, originally published in Prtohom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.