11 Tangail BNP leaders submit their resignations

Eleven BNP leaders have tendered their resignations in protest, accusing the party's Tangail-8 (Sakhipur–Basail) nominee, Ahmed Azam Khan, of making arbitrary organisational decisions and attempting to rehabilitate Awami League activists.

Five of them posted their resignation letters on Facebook on Monday night, while another six did so yesterday.

In addition, more than two hundred union- and ward-level BNP leaders in Sakhipur upazila have also decided to resign on the same grounds, said Shahjahan Saju, the recently removed president of the upazila BNP.

The five leaders who tendered their resignation on Monday are Upazila BNP General Secretary and freedom fighter Abdul Based; Upazila BNP Vice President Abdul Mannan; BNP member Ashraful Alam; Gajaria Union BNP President Abdur Rauf; and Bahuria Union BNP General Secretary Latif Mia.

Those who did so yesterday are Shahjahan Saju; Gajaria Union BNP Member-Secretary Md Mojibur Fakir; Gajaria Union Jubo Dal Convener Md Robiul Awal; Jubo Dal Member-Secretary Md Biplob; the same union's Ward-9 Jubo Dal General Secretary Shamim Ahmed; and Dariapur Union Jubo Dal Senior Joint General Secretary Sajidur Rahman.

Ahmed Azam Khan, a vice chairman of the BNP's central committee, previously contested elections from the same constituency in 2001 and 2008 as a BNP candidate but was defeated both times.

According to the letters, addressed to the president and general secretary of the party's Tangail district unit, they resigned voluntarily out of dissatisfaction with what they described as arbitrary decisions by the party nominee. The letters also mentioned political harassment and obstacles to carrying out party activities as reasons for their decision.

The protesting leaders further alleged that Ahmed Azam Khan held several secret meetings with local Awami League leaders and activists in an attempt to secure their votes. Many of those Awami League figures are accused in cases filed over attacks on students during the anti-discrimination movement, they said.

Contacted, Abdul Based said his decision to resign stemmed from several issues.

"One of them is that Ahmed Azam Khan humiliated us by rehabilitating men from the Awami League and other parties," he said.

He added that Azam Khan, last Wednesday, threatened and verbally abused district freedom fighter commander Khaleq Mandal, sparking protests across the district.

"A person who can humiliate freedom fighters cannot be a man of ideals," he said.

"We noticed that Azam Khan prioritised Awami League leaders and activists in hopes of securing votes, instead of valuing our own party workers. He gave them front-row seats in party programmes. When we protested, he threatened to expel us," he added.

Shahjahan Saju said the nominee's actions have humiliated BNP activists, who have endured oppression over the last 16 years under Awami League rule.

"We demand the cancellation of Ahmed Azam Khan's nomination. If that does not happen, more than two hundred BNP and affiliated organisation leaders will hold a press conference and resign within a day or two. Many have already submitted their resignation letters to me," he said.

The Daily Star could not reach Ahmed Azam Khan for comments. His phone remained switched off, and attempts to contact him through close aides were unsuccessful.

However, he told Prothom Alo that a conspiracy was being orchestrated against him.

Hasanuzzaman Shahin, president of BNP's Tangail district unit, told The Daily Star that he had not yet received any resignation letters.