Central AL summons Cox's Bazar MP, district AL leaders following dispute
Cox's-Bazar-1 member of parliament Zafar Alam as well as the president and general secretary of the district Awami League have been summoned by the central party. The leaders of central AL in charge of Chattogram division will be present at a meeting at 3:00pm Sunday at the party president's political office.
This was confirmed by the removed president of Chokoria pourashava Awami League, Zahedul Islam. He has been summoned to the meeting, too. District Awami League had released Zahedul Islam from his party post on Tuesday. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "Central Awami League deputy publicity and publications secretary Aminul Islam phoned me. He asked me to attend a meeting to be held on Sunday 3:00 pm at the prime minister's political office. MP Zafar Alam as well as the district AL president and general secretary have also been summoned. The divisional party will discuss the prevailing situation with the two sides."
Certain leaders and activists of the party said on Thursday, district AL's MP Zafar Alam had been removed from the post of Chokoria upazila AL president at a meeting of the party's district working committee. At the same time, Chokoria upazila AL vice president Sarwar Alam was made acting president. The MP's followers, in protest, took out a procession and blocked the roads and highway there.
MP Zafar Alam claims that no proper process was followed in releasing him from his post. He said that the decision was taken in an undemocratic manner out of vengeance by the district AL president and general secretary.
District AL general secretary Mujibur Rahman, however, said that the decision to remove the MP from the post for violating party discipline, was taken unanimously at the working committee meeting
Party sources said that on Tuesday, Chokoria pourashava AL president Zahidul Islam, a supporter of the MP, was removed from his post by district AL. Followers of the MP feel that Chokoria pourashava mayor Alamgir Chowdhury and Chokoria pourashava AL general secretary Atiq Uddin Chowdhury were instrumental in removing Zahidul Islam. Some young men shouted out slogans and blocked the MP's car on Tuesday at the Chingri Chattar in Chokoria pourashava when he was returning from a janaza. The MP asked them who they were, got out of the car and hit one of the youth with a plastic stick. The others fled. Mayor Alamgir and Atiq Uddin were near around. Zahidul and Jubo League leader Hasanul Islam got down from the car and assaulted mayor Alamgir and Atiq.
After this, mayor Alamgir held a press conference and alleged that the MP had led the attack on him. Following this, district AL on Thursday called a meeting and released the MP from his party post.
When news of this decision broke out, local leaders and activists blocked the roads and highway from 9:30pm till 11:00pm Thursday. The MP came and delivered a speech to calm down the protesting party men. A video of the speech went viral on social media. In the speech, the MP had called the district AL president and general secretary 'mod-khor' (drunken alcoholics).
District AL general secretary Mujibur Rahman said, "An MP should not speak in such a vile manner. We have complained about this to the prime minister's office, to the party general secretary Obaidul Quader and the central leaders of the party. Central AL has summoned us on Sunday and we will go there."