BNP Feni meet foiled by chaos

Slogans and counter-slogans by rival groups and throwing of chairs at each other brought the conference to an abrupt end.

The conference, organised in the once trouble-torn Feni after seven years, was abandoned midway due to trouble erupting over an announcement concerning the next president and general secretary of the unit.

BNP Secretary General and Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Coopratives Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who was the chief guest on the occasion, was quoted as saying, " The conference has not been marred but postponed."

Seven hundred eighty-one councillors and 22 delegates turned up at the conference

Witnesses said the trouble broke out when incumbent Feni district BNP General Secretary Prof Joynal Abedin MP, locally known as VP Joynal, announced that he and district unit President Mosharraf Hossain MP would not seek any post in the new committee to be formed at the conference. Supporters of Mosharraf and Joynal strongly opposed it and raised slogans. This led to counter slogans in favour of Syed Iskandar MP, younger brother of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

At one stage, militant activists of the rival sides started throwing chairs at each other and the central and local leaders failed to restore order.

As the unruly activists rushed towards the dais shouting slogans, escorted by police Bhuiyan left the conference venue, Zahir Raihan Hall, at about 02:00pm without delivering his address.

Other party leaders including Jahanara Begum, advisor to the prime minister and district minister in charge of Feni; Joint Secretary General Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Chittagong Division unit Organising Secretary Mohammad Shahjahan MP also left the venue under police guard.

Bhuiyan and other central leaders went to the local Circuit House and later left for the capital as unruly activists also gathered there and created trouble.

Talking to reporters, Mohammad Shahjahan MP said such a situation is nothing unusual for a major political party. The next step will be taken in consultation with the party chairperson, he added.