Ctg BNP grapples with rift over committee

The formation of Chittagong city BNP committee has led to discontent within the party as many leaders feel they are not valued in the party.

Leaders are also frustrated that the city unit's full-fledged committee could not be formed in the last twelve years.

Several BNP leaders said the party high command formed the new three-member committee without evaluating the contributions of dedicated and trusted leaders.

Party insiders expressed concern that the organisation would be weakened in Chittagong if the entire committee was not named soon.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on August 6 named Shahadat Hossain, Abul Hashem Bakkar and Abu Sufian as the president, general secretary and vice president of the committee.

Shahadat and Sufian were the general secretary and vice president of the previous committee.

Sufian has already signalled reluctance to participate in party activities. He did not show up at a reception accorded to the new leaders at the party office on Monday.

Talking to The Daily Star, Sufian said the party chief a couple of months ago had assured of making him the president.

"I don't know why I have been denied the post. Many BNP leaders, who are junior to me in politics, have been elevated two to three ranks. But the party didn't evaluate my role although I took to the streets in the face of harassment from the ruling party."

He said his supporters were pressing him not to continue with the party activities.

Many senior BNP leaders blamed the party's top brass for failing to recognise seniority in picking new leadership.

Alleging that the top three Chittagong leaders were chosen after superseding many seniors, former city unit joint secretary Abdus Sattar said it would be difficult for them to work with junior leaders.

Newly named city BNP President Shahadat said leaders who joined anti-government movements have the right to get posts in the committee.

The city BNP would work to form the full-fledged committee at the earliest, he added.

With the latest one, three Chittagong city committees have been declared since 2005, but none of those could name a full-fledged one.

According to BNP's constitution, the city unit is supposed to have 151 members.