The statue of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan was damaged by activists agitating over the formation of the new JCD committee yesterday. Photo: Amran Hossain Aggrieved JCD leaders at a meeting with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that two BNP leaders had included many in the student body's new central committee in exchange of money. They categorically b
rought the allegation against Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and Sultan Salauddin Tuku, who were assigned by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to form the central committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), sources say. The 201-member committee of the pro-BNP student body was announced on October 14 through a media release signed by Anee, BNP's student affairs secretary. Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi begs to agitators to show restraint. Photo: Amran Hossain Some JCD leaders told The Daily Star that ex-JCD chief Tuku, now assistant student affairs secretary of BNP, had picked a number of his followers for the new committee. However, both Anee and Tuku trashed the allegations. Aggrieved JCD men have been demonstrating in front of the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan since the party announced the committee, which allegedly include at least 40 businessmen. On Saturday, they locked the JCD office on the 3rd floor of the building. The agitators postponed their demonstration after Fakhrul at the close-door meeting assured their eight-member delegation that he would raise their demands before Khaleda Zia today. Advertisement Chased by the agitating faction, followers of new committee leaders take shelter at the BNP headquarters and make gestures welding sticks. Photo: Amran Hossain Emerging from the 20-minute meeting beginning around 5:30pm yesterday, Tariqul Islam Titu, one of the aggrieved leaders, told reporters that Fakhrul assured them of talking to Khaleda this evening about their demands for resignation of Anee and Tuku and forming the new afresh. Earlier around 9:00am, JCD President Rajib Ahsan and General Secretary Akramul Hasan broke the lock of the JCD office. Followers of aggrieved leaders started gathering in front of the BNP office around 11:00am. JCD dissidents beat up an activist loyal to the new committee. Photo: Amran Hossain Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, member secretary of BNP's Dhaka unit convening committee, came out of the party office around 2:10pm and requested the agitators to move away. After Sohel got locked into altercation with them, two cocktails exploded at the spot, triggering a clash. Over 10 people, from both the factions, were hurt in the blasts; they were taken to a nearby hospital. The protesting group hurled brickbats towards the BNP office, damaging the statue of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman kept in a glass box near the main gate. Chased by rivals, leaders of the new committee took shelter inside the BNP office. The protesters locked the collapsible gate and pulled down the shutter at the entrance of the BNP office. None was allowed to enter or the come out building. Police played the role of mere spectators. The situation came under control around 3:00pm after Fakhrul proposed to sit with the agitators to hear their grievances. BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi too assured the demonstrating JCD men of raising the issue with BNP chief Khaleda Zia. Later at night, Fakhrul and Anee held meeting with Khaleda at her Gulshan office. Asked about the meeting, Anee said the BNP chief assigned Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas and Rizvi Ahmed to talk with the agitating group to resolve the issue. “Otherwise, everyone has to abide by the party decision,” he added. Meanwhile, six vice-presidents and two joint secretaries of the new JCD central body last night told The Daily Star that they will quit as they think controversial leaders were incorporated into the committee. The eight JCD leaders came to the decision after a meeting at a restaurant in the city's Motijheel yesterday.
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