AL suspends 9 Hazari men

The AL also directed two of its front organisations, Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League, to take similar action against another 10 leaders of the organisations for involvement in the attacks that marred Saturday's meeting in Feni in the presence of central AL leaders Abdul Jalil and Saber Hossain Chowdhury.

The decisions were taken at an AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting at the party's Dhanmondi office, with acting President Zillur Rahman in the chair.

The suspension list includes close relatives of ex-AL lawmaker Joynal Hazari, removed from the post of Feni district AL general secretary last April.

Hazari with at least 18 cases against him is blamed for notoriety that earned the AL a bad image. He fled home during the rule of the last caretaker government.

Yesterday's ALCWC meeting formed a three-member inquiry committee to examine involvement of others in Saturday's attacks. The committee headed by Syed Ashraful Islam, MP, will submit its report in two weeks. Two other committee members are Bir Bahadur, MP, and Fazle Rabbi, another AL leader.

The suspended leaders include Hazari's cousin Mosharraf Hossain Hazari (ex-pourashava chairman), brother-in-law Badiul Alam Belal (president of ward No. 1 unit of the AL) and Habibullah (acting general secretary of Feni municipal unit), Ismail Hossain Hazari (member of Feni municipal unit), advocate Liaqat Ali (president of Feni Sadar thana unit), Ekramul Haq Ekram (second-in-command of Hazari's 'class committee') and Sukhdeb Nath Tapan, Abu Sufian Badi, and Ruhul Alam Manik (members of the district unit).

Ten Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders likely to face disciplinary action are Didarul Kabir Ratan (district BCL president), Susen Chandra Shil (general secretary of district BCL), Hazari's nephew Taslim Hazari (president of Feni College BCL), Manik (BCL leader of Paikgachhia), Deen Mohammad (member of Sonagazi BCL), Qamrul Islam (vice president of district BCL), Mizanur Rahman Hazari (member of district BCL), Hazari's nephew Titu Hazari (district BCL leader), Dablu (district BCL leader), Zakir Hossain Titu (leader of Chhagalnaiya Jubo League).

"The ALCWC took the disciplinary action against the local leaders, as they were found guilty of violating party rules," AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters after the meeting.

The ALCWC also formed another committee with its Joint General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam as its head and AKM Jahangir Hossain, MP, Bir Bahadur and AHM Mostafa Kamal as members to investigate a recent attack on party leaders over dissolution of AL Nangalkot thana unit. The committee will submit its report in two weeks.