Loyalists of Shajahan Omar leave BNP, join AL

A group of BNP men in Kathalia upazila of Jhalakathi have declared to join ruling Awami League, as their leader Shahjahan Omar, former vice-chairman of BNP, joined the ruling party.

They made the declaration through a press briefing at the electoral office of Shahjahan Omar in the Kathalia bus stand area on Tuesday. 

However, the BNP leaders claimed that the break-away group had long been inactive in politics, with no significant posts in the BNP committees. 

Elias Miya and Mustafizur Rahman, oraganising secretaries of BNP’s Kathalia upazila committee (a section); Tarikul Islam, vice president of Jubo Dal; Hasib Bhutto, convener of upazila Swechchhasebak Dal; and Jakir Hossain, its member secretary, are prominent in the group. 

At the press briefing, they said BNP leaders and activists from different unions joined the ruling party. Abul Jalil, who was spotted with a gun at a rally on the previous day, was also seen among the resigning BNP men. 

In a conversation with Prothom Alo, Elias Miya said they willingly resigned from the BNP and joined the AL to participate in the election with Shahjahan Omar. He claimed that the upazila AL leaders are aware of their joining. 

Contacted, Abul Bashar alias Badsha, vice-president of upazila AL, said, “I heard that several BNP leaders and activists resigned through a press briefing. However, I have no idea about their number.”

He welcomed the move, saying the ruling party’s door remains open for the BNP men. 

Mijanur Rahman, convening committee member of district BNP, claimed the outgoing BNP men had long been inactive with no significant posts.

About the resigning Jubo Dal leaders, he said the BNP's youth wing does not have any committee in the upazila. Recently, a convener committee was formed there.

In a dramatic move, Shajahan Omar, who was serving jail in an arson case, walked out of jail on 29 November and joined the ruling party on the next day. At the same time, the ruling party nominated him for the Jhalakathi-1 constituency, cancelling its previous nomination.