Rift in Mymensingh AL widens

In several out of 12 parliamentary constituencies, rifts resulted in sporadic clashes between rival factions in last few weeks.

In Phulbaria upazila, clashes between two rival factions led by advocate Muslem Uddin and Abdul Malek Sarker left at least 10 persons injured last week .

Rallies by rival factions, formation of new committee and issuance of statements and counter-statements have worried the grassroots level leaders and workers about fate of the party in the next election, party sources said.

In frontier Haluaghat upazila, the party is divided into two groups led by Promod Manking MP and party lawmaker and former Chhatra League leader Faruk Ahmed Khan over formation of a new committee. They held separate programmes. Farouk Ahmed alleged that dedicated and senior leaders were dropped from the committee.

In Dhubaura, another frontier upazila, at least five AL men are aspiring for party ticket in next polls and have launched campaign. They are Waresat Hossain Belal, Islam Uddin, former deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Abdul Hannan, Ahmed Hossain and advocate Mosharraf Hossain, a former AL lawmaker.

Bhubaura is AL's vote bank but party programmes are held separately.

In Gafargaon, AL lawmaker Altaf Hossain Golandaj MP is a popular man. But he is facing difficulties as many leaders and activists deserted him, party sources claimed. His supporters clashed with party activists loyal to advocate Moazzem Hossain Babul, an aspirant fort party ticked from Gafargaon in next polls.

Moazzem alleged that Altaf Hossain Golandaj has distanced himself from party men.

Intra-party feud became public in Phulbaria last week when upazila unit president advocate Muslem Uddin was relieved from his post. He had lost to an independent candidate in the last election.

His rivals at a press conference claimed that activists loyal to him attacked a party meeting and snatched away valuable papers from party office on June 3. Vice-president advocate Abdur Razzaq has been made acting president of Phulbaria AL unit. Muslem Uddin denied all the allegations.

In Trisahal, three leaders Mymensingh district secretary Abdul Matin Sarker MP, party's central advisor Reza Ali and former lawmaker Ruhul Amin Madani -- are campaigning from separate platforms fort party ticket in the next polls. Their factions are holding party programmes separately, which has frustrated grassroots level party workers and supporters, party insiders claimed.

In Muktagacha and Bhaluka upazilas, feuds among rival factions are yet to be made public. But this has created a simmering discontent among party men.

Division in Mymensingh Sadar constituency is also apparent with four persons aspiring for the party ticket. They are district unit president Principal Motiur Rahman, vice-presidents municipal chairman Mahmud Al-Noor Tareq and KM Khaled Babu and Fayzur Rahman Fakir, chairman of Char Nilaxshia Union Parishad in Sadar pazila.

However, at a press conference on June 5, Mahmud Al-Noor Tareq, KM Khaled Babul and Fayzur Rahman Fakir said they would work together if one of them is selected for party nomination.