Two King's parties’ journey marred by leadership dispute

The Trinamool BNP and the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), which have come to limelight all of a sudden securing the registration with the election commission as political parties, have said they would field candidate in all 300 constituencies in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election.

However, both parties have encountered internal disputes, particularly concerning leadership, as the key initiators of the parties no longer hold the primary leadership positions.

Talks have been making the rounds in the political dominion of the country as the government is believed to have patronised the formation of these two so-called ‘king’s parties’. Both parties are active to field candidates with the renegades from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), but nothing significant has been visible yet.

The BNM is yet to get a chairman, and with the election approaching, a dispute in the party has been apparent. Former lawmaker from BNP Abdur Rhaman and former executive committee member of BNP major (retired) Md Hanif were convenor and member secretary of BNM when the party received the registration with the election commission on 10 August.

BNM held a council at the personal office of one of its leaders in Gulshan, Dhaka on 16 November where the party decided to dissolve its previous 31-member convening committee and form a central and national standing committing. Md Shahjahan was made the member secretary while other posts including chairman and vice chairman were left vacant.

A former lawmaker from BNP, Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar joined the BNM on 20 November, and he was subsequently introduced as the acting chairman of the party.

However, several leaders of the dissolved committee raised objection on the council held at the personal office of one of the party leaders, as well as on the formation of a new committee. Sarwar Hossain, a joint convener from the previous committee, told Prothom Alo, a new committee was formed in the dark of the night ignoring the party’s constitution, and several people met at secret place, which is being called a party’s council.

Regarding this, Md Shahjahan told Prothom Alo, “I could not understand why Sarwar Hossain is talking in such manner. Everyone including him was invited, and the majority of the members were present. It is better not to speak about these matters in such a time.”

Though the BNM is marred by leadership dispute, its newly-formed committee claims to be fully active on various activities centering elections and they want to field candidate in 300 parliamentary seats.

BNM had an office in the capital’s Mohakhali, which was shifted to Gulshan last week, but the operation of the office is yet to begin. Senior joint secretary general SM Ajmal Hossain told Prothom Alo the party’s operation will start from the new office after Wednesday afternoon. He claimed they have started selling nomination form and sold 90 forms until the evening.

BNP vice-chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed was rumoured to join in the BNM, but BNM secretary general Md Shahjahan told Prohom Alo, “Hafizuddin Ahmed clarified his position holding a press conference.”

The Trinamool BNP, founded by former BNP minister Nazmul Huda, faced a setback as he passed away shortly after the party secured registration with the Election Commission. The party conducted its inaugural council on 19 September, where two former BNP leaders assumed leadership roles.

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, formerly the vice chairman of BNP who resigned from the party, and Taimur Alam Khandaker, previously an advisor to the BNP chairperson and subsequently expelled from the party, now serve as the chairman and secretary-general of the BNM, respectively. Antara Selima Huda, the daughter of Nazmul Huda, has been appointed as the executive chairperson.

According to a source, since the leadership of the party has been diverted from the family of Nazmul Huda, complexity arose over the nomination of Antara Selima Huda, and she did not collect nomination from till Tuesday afternoon since sale of nomination form began on Saturday.

BNM vice chairman Salam Mahmud told Prothom Alo on Tuesday evening Antara Selima Huda will collect nomination form for Mushiganj-1 constituency on Wednesday. A total of 246 nomination forms were sold till Tuesday afternoon and Trinamool BNP extended deadline of selling nomination forms to 5:00pm on Wednesday, he added.

Prothom Alo could not reach Antara Selima Huda over mobile phone for comment.

Trinamool BNP secretary general Taimur Alam Khandaker talked to Prothom Alo about the party’s polls preparation at his office on Sunday. He said, “We have invited all openly, and those who wanted to contest the election, they can collect our nomination form. Our door is open for all. Anyone can contest the election on our electoral symbol, golden fibre. We will field candidates in 300 constituencies.”

Meanwhile, Chowdhury Irad Ahmed Siddiky, the son of the late BNP leader Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky, and Mainul Hasain, the son of the late lawmaker from Brahmanbaria Ukil Abdus Sattar, have obtained nomination forms from Trinamool BNP.

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, the chairperson of Trinamool BNP, has acquired a nomination form for the Sylhet-6 (Beanibazar-Golapganj) constituency. Simultaneously, the secretary-general, Taimur Alam Khadakar, is in the process of finalising the constitution, after which he plans to contest in the upcoming election.

Taimur Alam Khadakar told Prothom Alo, “My organisational base is good in Narayanganj. I secured nomination for Rupganj from BNP twice and contested the mayoral election in the Narayanganj City Corporation in Sadar upazila. I may contest from two constituencies as the party’s secretary general.”

A three-member delegation including Taimur Alam Khadakar met prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on Sunday night. Regarding this, he told Prothom Alo on Monday, “We were invited, so we went. We have said we want fair election, and the prime minister assured us that election will be fair and inclusive.”

*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna