Supporters of state minister Monnujan Sufian have protested in Khulna city by burning tyre on Khulna-Jashore highway after she failed to get party nomination in the upcoming election.
Monnujan, the state minister of labour and employment and current member of parliament from Khulna-3 was not picked this time.
The ruling party instead chooses Awami League’s central organising secretary SM Kamal Hossain in this seat.
Monnujan was state minister from 2009 to 2014. She was president of the parliamentary committee on labour and employment ministry during 2014 to 2018 and again became state minister in the 11th parliament.
As the AL general secretary Obaidul Quader revealed the list of selected candidates of the party, the supporters of the state minister took to the streets in Railgate area in protest.
They blocked Khulna-Jashore highway and burned tyre on the road. Another group of Monnujan’s supporters protested in the BL College area on Khulna-Jashore.
Daulatpur police station’s officer-in-charge Kamal Hossain told Prothom Alo that the road was blocked for a while. Police later cleared the road.
Meanwhile, leaders and activists of the ruling party alleged that Monnujan’s supporters attacked Khan Jahan Ali thana Awami League office in protest.
Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Khulna city unit deputy library affairs secretary Md Milan told Prothom Alo that a section of AL men were celebrating at the party office after SM Kamal got party’s nomination. At one point, supporters of Monnujan riding motorbikes attacked the office with sticks.
The administration played the role of silent spectators during the attack by the state minister’s supporters, he alleged.
Khan Jahan Ali police station’s OC Md Kamal Hossain Khan told Prothom Alo that two faction of the ruling party faced off near the party office but situation has been brought under control now.