AL and BNP inner conflicts sparked by nomination race

Both Awami League and BNP in Chattogram South district are rife with inner conflict. The race to clinch nomination for the forthcoming national parliament election is fuelling these conflicts further. As a result, the conflict over positions in the committees of both parties has been overshadowed by the conflict over nomination. Nomination aspirants of both parties are active in the six constituencies of Chattogram South.

Local BNP leaders say they are busy with the movement to topple the government. There is no discussion within the party concerning election preparations. Awami League leaders, on the other hand, say that they are both busy with preparing for the elections and with tackling the opposition movement.

Dissatisfaction emerged within Chattogram South district Awami League ever since the full-fledged committee was formed there. The leaders who failed to get the posts they had wanted, are now inactive. They claim that 'hybrids' who have entered the party from Jamaat and BNP are now active. These rifts between the grassroots and the upazila committees are visible in at least four of the eight upazilas of the district.

On 4 September the 75-member district committee was formed and that sparked off the conflict. Allegations arose that 'hybrid' persons, including those who mourned the death of Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee in their Facebook posts, had been given place in the party. Those who made sacrifices for the party were not duly evaluated. Many leaders who had been on the streets during the BNP-Jamaat rule, were not given posts and were no inactive. One of them, former Chhatra League leader Ali Akbar Siddiqui, is now on hunger strike in Dhaka for not being accommodated in the committee.

Other than at the district level, the organisational base of the upazila committees are shaky too. There had been bitter conflict between the Banshkhali upazila committee president and member of parliament Mustafizur Rahman Chowdhury and general secretary MA Gafur. During the Banshkhali upazila Awami League council on 6 December last year, the 26-year-old committee was dissolved. At the council, these two were reinstalled in their posts, but not full-fledged committee has been formed as yet in the nine months since then. After the council, these two leaders appeared to be close, but behind the scenes their hostility is extreme. There are no committees in any of the 14 unions and one pourashava either.

Officer secretary of upazila Awami League's dissolved committee, Shyamal Kanti Das, speaking to Prothom Alo, said that the elections are ahead and the opposition has waged a movement too. It was very important to have had a committee at the moment. It is easier to assign responsibilities if there are district and union committees.

The rift between Mustafizur Rahman and other nomination aspirants is apparent too. South district vice president Mujibur Rahman CIP will seek nomination here. He had a support base in Banshkhali. Executive member of the same  committee, nomination aspirant Abdullah Kabir Liton, is also in conflict with the member of parliament.

The last committee of the South's Lohagara upazila was formed in 2013. The president of the 71-member committee, Khorshed Alam, and its general secretary Md Salahuddin, are poles apart. The former is a follower of the central AL relief secretary Aminul Islam. The latter is of the office secretary and PM's special assistant Biplob Barua's camp. Speaking to Prothom Alo, senior vice president of the upazila committee and Sadar union chairman Nurussafar Chowdhury said, the committee is more or less inactive. There is a wide gap between the president and the secretary.

As in Lohagara, in Satkania too, the president Abdul Motaleb and Kutub Uddin Chowdhury are known in the area to be close to two central leaders. While is no apparent distance between these two, in the forthcoming election the incumbent MP Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin Nadvi as  well as two central leaders, Biplob Barua and Aminul Islam, are in the race for nomination. That has led to a three-way rivalry.

The Chandanaish upazila committee was formed in 2014. At the council back then, Zahidul Islam Jahangir was made president, defeating the present member of parliament Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, and Abu Ahmed became general secretary. But with party nomination, Nazrul Islam remained MP for two consecutive terms. He says he works along with the party leaders and activists.

Zahidul Islam Jahangir this time vies for nomination in that seat. South district AL general secretary Mofizur Rahman is also aspiring for nomination in that seat. There are several different streams in the organisational activities there.

The Chattogram South district BNP is in disarray. The committee which was to be formed in three months, hasn't been formed in four years. The leaders and activists are embroiled in conflict. On 20 September clashes broke out between followers of South district member secretary Mushtaq Ahmed and joint convener Enamul Haque, in which 10 were injured.

On 2 October 2019, Chattagram South BNP convening committee was formed. In order to avoid conflict, city BNP joint convener Abu Sufian was made convener of the 65-member committee. Senior joint convener Ali Abbas, member Professor Sheikh Muhammad Mohiuddin and Liaqat Ali and Liaqat Ali raised allegations that upazila and pourashava committees were formed in exchange of financial benefits, while committed leaders and activists were dropped. The three held a press conference and announced a counter committee. On 10 January 2021 the three were expelled from the party on grounds of breaking party discipline. On 7 May this year, member no. 4 of the convening committee Enamul Haque was made no. 1 joint convener.

The dismissed South district BNP joint convener Ali Abbas said that he had been expelled for protesting against committed leaders and workers being dropped. On 16 September, the central committee executive member Gazi Shahjahan held a meeting with a section of South district BNP's present and former leaders. Mushtaq and a section of the party leaders and activists took part in the meeting. This sparked anew off the old feud between Enamul and Gazi Shahjahan (Jewel).

Enamul's followers cannot accept the proximity between Mushtaq and Gazi Shahjahan. And on 20 September, Enamul's followers assaulted Mushtaq in the presence of senior leaders of the party at the BNP office in Nasimon Bhaban in the city, where a meeting was being held to prepare for the Chattogram road march.

Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said, outsiders had attacked him upon instructions from Enamul Haque. He has been protesting against sacrificing leaders being dropped in the forming of the South district Chhatra Dal and that was why he had been attacked.

Gazi Shahjahan and South joint convener Enamul Haque are aspiring for nomination to the Chattogram-12 (Patiya) seat. Concerned persons feel that if one of these two is nominated, the party conflict will worsen.

South district BNP joint convener Enamul Haque said that after losing the 2008 election, Shahjahan left the country along with this family. He did not take part in any of the party activities. And Mushtaq Ahmed Khan made money by trading posts in the committees of BNP and its affiliated bodies.

BNP South district convener Abu Sufian, speaking to Prothom Alo about this state of affairs within the party there, said that the leaders and activists were under the pressure of cases and attacks. There was also the matter of internal feuds. But everyone was united in the movement to overthrow the government.

There is conflict in the Chattogram-13 (Anwara-Karnaphuli) seat too. Aspiring for nomination in this constituency are expelled district BNP's senior joint convener Ali Abbas, central executive committee member former MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam, district BNP member Mustafizur Rahman and Helal Uddin.

In Chattogram-14 (Chandnaish) the names of four persons including Chattogram city BNP convener Shahadat Hossain, district bar council president Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, are being heard.

In the nomination race for Chattogram-15 (Satkania-Lohagara) are Satkania upazila BNP convener Jamal Hossain, Lohagara upazila BNP convener Nazmul Mustafa Amin and three other members of South district BNP.

Nomination aspirants in Chattogra-16 (Banshkhali) are former minister Zafrul Islam Chowdhury's two sons, South district BNP member Zahirul Islam Chowdhury and Miskatul Islam Chowdhury. There are four or five other local leaders in the fray too. If one is nominated, the others may take an obstinate stand.

Central BNP's Chattagram divisional organising secretary Mahbuber Rahman told Prothom Alo, the party high command is not thinking of anything regarding nomination as yet. There is only one aim at the moment, toppling the government.