Tensions have erupted within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the Narayanganj-2 (Araihazar) constituency, as local activists accuse high-ranking central leaders of sabotaging the campaign of the party’s official nominee, Nazrul Islam Azad.
Local supporters report that Mahbubur Rahman Sumon, the BNP’s Central Joint Finance Secretary, and Parvin Akhter, Organizing Secretary of the Central Women’s Party, have been noticeably absent from the "Paddy Sheaf" campaign. Both leaders had previously sought the party’s nomination for this seat.
Despite explicit directives from BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman for unified party action, loyalists of Sumon and Akhter have reportedly stayed away from the field. This lack of coordination has sparked outrage among grassroots workers in Araihazar, who fear the rift is slowing the campaign’s momentum.
“These two leaders are betraying the party’s trust at a critical hour,” a group of local BNP activists told reporters. “Their absence from the campaign trail is confusing supporters. We are calling on the party leadership to dismiss them for their lack of cooperation.”
Nazrul Islam Azad, who serves as the BNP’s Joint Organizing Secretary for the Dhaka Division, expressed his disappointment over the internal friction. He emphasized that the party, founded on the ideologies of Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia, cannot tolerate those who defy official instructions.
“Those who ignore the party’s ideology and instructions have no place in BNP politics,” Azad said. “I am seeking the immediate intervention of our chairman to take disciplinary action against those undermining our efforts in Narayanganj-2.”
As the February 12 national election nears, the BNP grassroots in Araihazar remains on edge, waiting to see if central leadership will quell the dissent or if the internal split will impact the party's performance at the polls.
Comment
