Local AL politics heats up over nomination

Supporters of some Awami League nomination aspirants for the chairman post in the unions of Anwara upazila vandalised the office of Chittagong south district AL yesterday, protesting "nomination business" and "disregard" to the grassroots' opinions in nomination.

Over 300 activists of AL and its associate organisations from the unions of Anwara stormed the office in the port city around 11:15am and vandalised chairs and tables, said Sub-inspector Golam Faruk of Kotwali Police Station.

Nominees of the unions of Anwara and Banskhali upazilas were supposed to be selected through interviews at the office. Initially the interview had been scheduled to be held yesterday, but it was postponed the day before.

Towhidul Haq Chowdhury, an AL leader and chairman of Anwara upazila, who was among the protesters, said the union leaders had already prepared a list of nominees and sent it to the central committee of the party through the local lawmaker after informing the district unit of the list.

However, he said, the district leaders were trying to make a new list through interviews, and that was the reason of their protest. He denied any vandalism at the office.

However, Mafizur Rahman, general secretary of Chittagong south district unit AL, denied knowing of any such list.

He said they did not nominate anyone; the AL chief would give the final decision.

"I don't know why they were demonstrating against us…we are not the authority to give nomination; we would just recommend names to the party high command and the party chief would take the final decision," he said.

Sub-inspector Golam Faruk said when police went to resist the protesters, they pelted them leading to a clash.

Police used batons and fired tear gas and 12 blank shots to disperse them, he said. "The situation was brought under control around 12:15pm."

Witnesses said a few dozen people were injured but Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Jasim Uddin said two police officials were injured.

None of the injured was hospitalised.

BOALKHALI UPAZILA

Centring on the interviewing of nomination aspirants, a clash broke out in Boalkhali upazila on Tuesday.

The supporters of two nomination aspirants clashed while the AL leaders were interviewing aspirants at the office of Chittagong south district AL.

Some 10 people were injured in the clash, said police, adding that of them, one was stabbed and admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

The south district leader, Mafizur Rahman, said they were interviewing aspirants from Boalkhali upazila at that time.

"When the turn of Aholya Koroldanga union came, as the last union among seven of the upazila, the supporters of two aspirants -- Abdul Wadud and Abul Monsur -- locked in a scuffle," he said.

"We do not know what happened outside as we were taking interviews but we heard the scuffle continued for five to ten minutes," he said.

He, however, denied that they clashed.

BANSKHALI UPAZILA

In Banskhali, some nomination seekers and local AL lawmaker Mustafizur Rahman had a heated exchange at the lawmaker's residence in the city Monday, said party insiders.

Abdullah Kabir Liton, member of Chittagong south district unit AL, alleged that the lawmaker called all the aspirants from Banshkhali to his house and tried to select his followers through negotiation with others but the "dedicated" leaders  protested the move.

The Daily Star called up the lawmaker yesterday but he hung up when asked about the allegation. He did not receive calls despite repeated attempts later.