BNP leaders react to Abdus Sattar’s resignation from party

Senior politician Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan’s resignation from the post of advisor to the BNP chairperson has prompted some of the party’s leaders in Brahmanbaria to speculate that he plans to contest in the by-election from Brahmanbaria-2, the seat that he himself vacated. They say that he will be making a mistake if he contests as an independent candidate or on nomination from a different party after resigning from BNP.

Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan tended in his resignation on Thursday night at the BNP chairperson’s office. He had been an advisor to the party chairperson.

Earlier, on 11 December, in keeping with the party decision, he had resigned from the Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj) parliamentary seat.  According to the election commission’s schedule, the by-election to the vacant seat will be held on 1 February.

Speaking about Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan moving away from the party post, Sarail upazila BNP president Anisul Islam Thakur told Prothom Alo, due to his ill health, he (Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan) hasn’t been available for any of the party programmes over the past four years. A few months ago, Rumeen Farhana came to Sarail on a party programme and Abdus Sattar had been made the chief guest at the event. He, however, did not turn up.

Upazila BNP general secretary Nuruzzaman Lashkar said Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan had not be present at the party programmes for a long time now. "He will be making a mistake if, after resigning from the party, he contests as an independent candidate or on nomination from another party. The people will not vote for him. This is a stronghold of the ‘sheaf of paddy’, not of any individual.”

Claiming that he knew nothing of the matter, district BNP convener Zillur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “Neither he nor anyone of his family has contacted us in this regard.”

Earlier when a call was made to Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan’s mobile phone, his son Mainul Hasan Bhuiyan replied. He told Prothom Alo, “My father has been with BNP politics from the very start. He is old now. Also, he has been the district BNP president for a stretch of 27 years now. He is advisor to the party’s chairperson. He resigned from parliament in accordance to the party’s decision. But since after the last election, he is not consulted about anything concerning the central or district BNP.”

District BNP convener Zillur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan lives in Dhaka. I do not know his house. he does not reply to calls on his cell phone. How can we consult him then? If he contests in the by-election as an independent candidate or from any other party, no one in the party will work for him.”

Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan’s son Mainul Hasan Bhuiyan also said that his father was not even consulted about forming the committee in his own upazila, adding, “The acting chairman of the party does not reply to his calls. My father has resigned from the party while his dignity is still intact.”

When asked if his father would contest in the coming by-election, Mainul Hasan replied, “Our family has not taken any decision in this regard as yet.”