Disgruntled ticket seeker revolts against party
The meeting was held in Sholakia area after alliance ticket aspirant Masud Hilali returned from Dhaka disappointed.
Party sources said Masud told them that the alliance ticket may go to former judge Rezaul Karim Khan Chunnu, who joined BNP recently at the behest of former education minister Dr. Osman Faruk.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. At the meeting, Masud Hilali declared that BNP men would enforce a rail-road barricade and isolate Kishoreganj from rest of the country if he is not nominated.
"BNP is not anybody's pocket organisation. It is a democratic political institution. We built the party in last 30 years and will not allow any newcomer to reap the benefit.
"If BNP high command ignores grassroots leaders' opinion, they will resist it", Hilali told the meeting, sources said.
Former judge Rezaul Karim Khan Chunnu appeared out of the blue in the constituency as a BNP nomination seeker, he said.
Hilali alleged that Chunnu influenced some central leaders and the Hawa Bhaban. That was evident when Kishoreganj district BNP president and former education minister Dr. Osman Faruk arranged Chunnu's joining party in presence of party chief Khaleda Zia at Kishoreganj on October 7, ignoring a big demonstration by BNP men on the previous day.
The meeting was also addressed by Kishoreganj four-party alliance joint coordinator A T M Mostafa and Sadar upazila BNP secretary Badiul Islam.
The speakers alleged that Dr. Osman Faruk made Chunnu convener of Kishoreganj Sadar upazila BNP by dissolving a full-fledged committee which was formed through a council earlier.
Even district BNP secretary Waliullah Rabbani did not sign the dissolution letter, Hilali claimed.
Kishoreganj-3 constituency comprises Kishoreganj Sadar upazila covering the municipality and 11 unions.
In 2001 election, 4-party nominee Masud Hilali was defeated by Awami League (AL) candidate Sayeed Ashraful Islam with 12,320 votes. Masud Hilali got 39,591 votes and Ashraful got 51,911 votes.
Earlier, Masud Hilali got BNP nomination three times and won only in the February 15 controversial election in 1996.
Masud Hilali's aides said that he may join 'a newly floated party' if he is not given alliance nomination in the coming election.
On November 18, at least 11 people were injured in clashes between rival groups after Osman Faruk at a meeting on Islamia Chhatrabas compound in the town dissolved Kishoreganj Sadar upazila BNP committee headed by Masud Hilali.
Now, there are two committees in Kishoreganj Sadar upazila-- one headed by Masud Hilali and the other by Chunnu.