Infighting claims 2 lives in Kushtia
Intra-party feuds in AL take serious turn
Fisheries Minister Sayedul Haque dropped from partys district panel
Abu Jakir
The occurrence of intra-party feuds in the Awami League has taken a serious turn across the country. Ruling party leaders and activists are engaged in infighting to establish supremacy in their respective areas and grab party posts. Infighting in the ruling AL is nothing new, but it has increased in recent days, particularly after the Union Parishad elections. Even the partys associate bodies have been affected by this.
In the latest example of infighting, it is learnt that fisheries and livestock minister Sayedul Haque was dropped from the Brahmanbaria district advisory council of the Awami League, yesterday. The district Awami League president, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, said the decision was taken, because Haque was involved in a controversial nomination during the Union Parishad polls. The minister had backed the nomination of Farooq Miah, son of Tajul Islam, who is allegedly a wartime collaborator of Pakistan, for the post of Nasirnagar Union Parishad chairman, he added.
Minister Haque finalised the nomination without any consultation with the party leadership of the district. Moreover, he violated standing instructions of the Awami League leadership and backed his candidates, instead of party candidates in the UP polls and thats why we have taken this step, he said.
In another example of intra-party feud, at least two persons were killed and 30 others injured, in a clash between two factions at Kushtia town yesterday morning. Fighting erupted, reportedly, over establishing supremacy.
The dead, Iman Ali, 35, of Majhpara, and Shahabuddin, 55, of Baidyanathpur, were activists of the ALs Jhaudia union unit, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
The clash ensued at Majhpara village between two rival groups: one led by the chairman of the Jhaudia Union Parishad (UP), Keramat Ali, and the other by former UP chairman Bokhtiar Hossain. Bokhtiar is president of the Jhaudia union unit, and Keramat is joint secretary of the partys Kushtia Sadar upazila unit.
Locals said Keramat and Bokhtiar had long-standing rivalry over establishment of supremacy in the area. It became severe after the last UP polls were held on June 11, in which, Keramat was elected UP chairman as an independent candidate, defeating the party nominee, Bokhtiar.
Rizvi Hasan, a leader of the Jubo League, the ALs youth wing, died of bullet wounds last week. He was a victim of internal feud of ward 10 Jubo League. Internal feud over establishing supremacy in the Motijheel AGB Colony and its adjoining areas, and competition for the general secretarys post of the local Jubo League unit got Rizvi killed, said insiders.
On September 2, a local activist of the Jubo League, was killed trying to quell a quarrel between two groups at Kashoi Bazar, in Monoharganj upazila of the district. The dead was identified as Hitu Mia, 32, general secretary of Ward 1 Juba League and son of Abdur Rahim of the village.
When contacted, AL joint general secretary, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, said action will be taken against those involved in infighting, which is tarnishing the partys image. Violence in connection with the recently held Union Parishad (UP) elections is still continuing in different parts of the country. It is mainly between leaders and supporters of the ruling party, much to the concern of central leaders of the AL. Some newly elected UP chairmen of the AL told this correspondent that they are continuously receiving death threats from rival candidates of their own party who lost the elections. Some party insiders said only those newly elected UP chairmen, who won by unfair means, are receiving death threats from their rival candidates.
