Expelled Student Leader Denies Allegations of Using Section 144 over Football Match Dispute in Natore

A former student leader of the Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in Lalpur, Natore, held a press conference on Wednesday to refute allegations that he orchestrated the imposition of Section 144 in his local area over a football match dispute.

Maruf Ali, who was recently expelled from the organization, addressed the media at the Gopalpur Railway Gate. He claimed that the accusations of his involvement in a public announcement regarding the restriction of assembly were fabricated. He characterized the claims as a smear campaign driven by a personal vendetta with a local village head and a political rivalry with a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) official.

Ali stated that the conflict originated from his request for an accounting of government grants allocated to a local graveyard, a matter he raised with village head Abul Kalam Azad. Ali alleged that this inquiry offended the village leader, prompting the subsequent circulation of false reports against him, which he described as local political maneuvering.

Furthermore, Ali accused Harun Or Rashid, the former general secretary of the Lalpur Upazila BNP, of exploiting the situation to facilitate his expulsion from the student wing. Ali claimed that Harun Or Rashid exerted pressure on district-level leadership to take disciplinary action against him, allegedly with the assistance of Abdus Salam, a personal secretary to State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin. Ali warned the minister to remain wary of individuals he labeled as opportunists and sycophants.

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In response to the allegations, village head Abul Kalam Azad denied the existence of any conflict with Ali. He questioned the motive behind the accusations, maintaining that he had no reason to speak untruths about a local youth.

Harun Or Rashid also dismissed the claims, stating that he was confused by Ali’s characterization of him as a political adversary. He maintained that there was no basis for a rivalry and denied that he or his associates had pressured the party leadership to expel Ali from the Chhatra Dal.